William H. Crane
actor
- Birth name:
- William Henry Crane
- Born:
- 1845-04-30, Leicester, Massachusetts, USA
- Died:
- 1928-03-07, Hollywood, California, USA
- Professions:
- actor
Biography
The curtain rose on William H. Crane in 1864 when, at fifteen, he bolted from tiny Leicester, Massachusetts, and signed with the Holman Opera Company. Over the next half-century he morphed from bright-eyed juvenile to velvet-voiced leading man to sly character virtuoso, anchoring Broadway favorites like *David Harum*, *The Henrietta*, and *The Spenders*. Silent film eventually called—once—placing him before cameras in 1915 to revive his signature schemer for the screen adaptation of *David Harum*. After a final bow in 1918, Crane settled into the Hollywood Hotel, where, at 83, he died in his room, leaving behind Ella Chloe Myers, the actress who had shared both his name and his encore years.
