James Lyon Crane (August 8, 1889 – June 3, 1968) was an American stage and screen actor.

Early years

Crane was born in

Rantoul, Illinois Rantoul is a village in northern Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,371 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area. History The community was named after Robert Rantoul, Jr., a ...

, and was the son of writer Frank Crane, who left the ministry and became an editorial writer for ''

The New York Globe ''The New York Globe'', also called ''The New York Evening Globe'', was a daily New York City newspaper published from 1904 to 1923, when it was bought and merged into ''The Sun (New York), The New York Sun''. It is not related to a New York City ...

.'' He attended

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. It was chartered in 1794. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In a ...

and

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...

. During summer vacations, he began acting with stock companies in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Career

Crane's New York debut came in ''The Price'' at the

Hudson Theatre The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the ...

, after which he spent three years in stock theater, including having his own troupes in four cities. His Broadway credits included ''The Varying Shore'' (1921), ''Odd Man Out'' (1925), ''All Dressed Up'' (1925), ''Black Cockatoo'' (1926), ''Lost'' (1927), and ''Revelry'' (1927). In 1930, Crane signed with First National to make the film '' One Night at Susie's''.

Personal life

Crane was married to actress

Alice Brady Alice Brady (born Mary Rose Brady; November 2, 1892 – October 28, 1939) was an American actress of stage and film. She began her career in the theatre in 1911, and her first important success came on Broadway in 1912 when she created the rol ...

from 1919 to 1922. Together they had a son Donald Crane. He began in films in 1919 with one of his last films being the classic horror movie '' The Mummy'' (1932).

Arrest

On April 27, 1927, Crane was arrested for having a handgun in his hotel room in New York City, a violation of the state's

Sullivan Act The Sullivan Act was a gun control law in New York (state), New York state that took effect in 1911. Chapter 195, enacted May 25, 1911, effective September 1, 1911. The NY state law requires licenses for New Yorkers to Possession (law), possess fi ...

. He said that the gun was one that he had used in theatrical productions. He was acquitted on June 17, 1927, after he reiterated the entertainment use of the weapon, saying that his valet had packed the pistol by mistake after a theatrical engagement ended. The patrolman who arrested him said the automatic pistol's magazine was missing.

Filmography

*''His Bridal Night'' (1919) *'' The Misleading Widow'' (1919) *'' Sadie Love'' (1919) *'' Wanted: A Husband'' (1919) *''

Sinners In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

'' (1920) *'' A Dark Lantern'' (1920) *''

The Drake Case ''The Drake Case'' is a 1929 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Edward Laemmle and written by J.G. Hawks, Charles Logue and Dudley Early. The film stars Gladys Brockwell, Forrest Stanley, Robert Frazer, and Doris Lloyd. The film was rele ...

'' (1929) *'' One Night at Susie's'' (1930) *''

Dude Ranch A guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agrotourism. History Guest ranches arose in response to the romanticization of the American West that began to occur ...

'' (1931) *'' Two Kinds of Women'' (1932) *''

Lady and Gent ''Lady and Gent'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Stephen Roberts for Paramount, featuring a young Charles ("Durango Kid") Starrett, Syd ("Three Mesquiteers") Saylor and an early supporting role by John Wayne. Plot A young ...

'' (1932) *'' The Mummy'' (1932) *'' Good Dame'' (1934)*uncredited *'' The Amazing Mr. Williams'' (1939)*uncredited

References

External links

* * 1889 births 1968 deaths People from Rantoul, Illinois Male actors from Illinois American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors {{US-film-actor-1880s-stub