Richard Crenna is one of those familiar faces whose name you might not quite remember. Within the industry, he was known as a reliable actor with a strong work ethic and a willingness to pour himself into a part.
Richard Crenna in Rambo
He began his career as a radio actor in Los Angeles at age 11 and performed in hundreds of radio shows through high school, college, and a stint in the army. His most memorable role at that time was as squeaky-voiced Walter Denton in Our Miss Brooks. He continued in that role as the series moved to television in 1952, playing the perpetually adolescent character up to age 29. He then moved on to the more adult role of Luke in The Real McCoys. After 20 years, he finally arrived as a leading man in Slattery’s People as compassionate state legislator James Slattery. That show ran less than two seasons, from 1964 to 1965; Crenna later said that the series may have been ahead of its time in dealing with heavy social issues on TV.
Crenna went on to direct TV shows and continued to act in TV and films, winning an emmy in 1985 for his work in The Rape of Richard Beck. Still, it was an unlikely role that made him a “movie star”: Colonel Samuel Trautman, the growling tough-as-nails commanding officer to Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo in First Blood (and subsequent Rambo films). It was certainly a long way from the adenoidal Walter Denton.
I met Richard Crenna briefly around 1986 an Academy benefit screening. He was standing alone at a reception, looking as though he were about to leave, until I boldly walked up and introduced myself as a fan. He smiled pleasantly and commented that I must have seen all the Rambo movies. “Actually,” I replied, “you’d have to shoot me and drag me into the theater to see one of those films.”
He looked at me for a long moment, shocked, then clapped his hand on my shoulder and laughed out loud. We chatted pleasantly for several minutes about his long career, and I mentioned a number of his radio shows. He seemed very interested to know that this material was still available; he seemed wistful, even grateful, that his early career should be remembered, and wished me well as we parted. I liked him a great deal.
After years as a dramatic actor, Crenna got to show his comic side once again in 1993’s Hot Shots! Part Deux, in which he parodied his Trautman role as a gritty, tough-talking military commando… Colonel Walter Denton!
Richard Crenna died from pancreatic cancer on January 18 at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was 75.