Richard Crane (actor)
Richard Crane (June 6, 1918–March 9, 1969) was a veteran character actor whose career spanned three decades in films and television. His early career included many uncredited performances in feature films. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the title role in the tv science fiction series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, which ran for two seasons starting in 1954. He also appeared in the outer-space adventure serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe in 1953, as Cody's semi-comical sidekick, and was the hero of the 1951 serial based loosely on Jules Verne's Mysterious Island. He later made numerous appearances in many popular tv shows including The Lone Ranger, Death Valley Days, Dragnet, Lassie, The Rifleman,and Gang Busters, on which he played gangster and John Dillinger associate Homer Van Meter. He died of a heart attack at the age of 50.