Barry Crane
Encyclopedia
Barry Crane, born Barry Cohen, (November 10, 1927, Detroit, Michigan
– July 5, 1985, Los Angeles
, California
) was a prolific television producer and director, and a champion bridge
player.
Crane (sometimes credited as Barry Cohen) produced The Magician
, and was an associate producer on several episodes of Mission: Impossible
. He was credited with directing numerous episodes of such series as Trapper John, M.D.
, The Incredible Hulk, Hawaii Five-O
, CHiPs
, Dallas
, Wonder Woman
, Mission: Impossible, and Mannix
.
Crane, who won 16 North American championships, was a Grand Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League
(ACBL) and traveled extensively to play in matchpoint pairs tournaments. In World Bridge Federation
(WBF) competition he won one world championship and was a World Life Master. Crane also played in team events (where the strategy is subtly different from matchpoint play), and won several titles.
During his lifetime, Crane accumulated more masterpoints
(35,135.80) – which are awarded by the ACBL for success in tournament play – than any other player. At Crane's death, second placed Paul Soloway
was approximately 11,000 behind; only in 1991, several years after Crane's death did Soloway surpass Crane's lifetime total. In honor and as a memorial to Crane, the ACBL renamed the award given to the player who accumulates the most Masterpoints in a single year to the Barry Crane Trophy, and the list of high Masterpoint attainers to the Barry Crane Top 500. Crane was elected to the ACBL Hall of Fame in 1995.
Crane was murdered on July 5, 1985 – a homicide which has not been solved.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
– July 5, 1985, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) was a prolific television producer and director, and a champion bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
player.
Crane (sometimes credited as Barry Cohen) produced The Magician
The Magician (TV series)
The Magician was an American television series that ran during the 1973–1974 season. It starred Bill Bixby as stage illusionist Anthony "Tony" Blake, a playboy philanthropist who used his skills to solve difficult crimes as needed. In the series pilot, the character was instead named Anthony...
, and was an associate producer on several episodes of Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
. He was credited with directing numerous episodes of such series as Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
, The Incredible Hulk, Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, CHiPs
CHiPs
CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
, Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (TV series)
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
, Mission: Impossible, and Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
.
Crane, who won 16 North American championships, was a Grand Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League
American Contract Bridge League
The American Contract Bridge League is the largest contract bridge organization in North America. It promotes the game of bridge in the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, and Canada, and is a member of the World Bridge Federation...
(ACBL) and traveled extensively to play in matchpoint pairs tournaments. In World Bridge Federation
World Bridge Federation
The World Bridge Federation is the world governing body of contract bridge. The WBF is responsible for world championship competition, most of which is conducted at a few multi-event meets on a four-year cycle...
(WBF) competition he won one world championship and was a World Life Master. Crane also played in team events (where the strategy is subtly different from matchpoint play), and won several titles.
During his lifetime, Crane accumulated more masterpoints
Masterpoints
Masterpoints or master points are points awarded by national and other bridge organisations for success in bridge tournaments run under their auspices. Organisations which issue these points include the American Contract Bridge League , the American Bridge Association, the English Bridge Union ,...
(35,135.80) – which are awarded by the ACBL for success in tournament play – than any other player. At Crane's death, second placed Paul Soloway
Paul Soloway
Paul Soloway was a world champion American bridge player. He won the Bermuda Bowl world team championship five times and won 30 national championships. Soloway was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League's Hall of Fame in 2002...
was approximately 11,000 behind; only in 1991, several years after Crane's death did Soloway surpass Crane's lifetime total. In honor and as a memorial to Crane, the ACBL renamed the award given to the player who accumulates the most Masterpoints in a single year to the Barry Crane Trophy, and the list of high Masterpoint attainers to the Barry Crane Top 500. Crane was elected to the ACBL Hall of Fame in 1995.
Crane was murdered on July 5, 1985 – a homicide which has not been solved.
Awards
- McKenney Trophy 1952, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978
- Mott-Smith TrophyMott-Smith TrophyThe Mott-Smith Trophy is awarded to the player who wins the most masterpoints at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .-History:...
1970, 1971 - Oeschger Trophy 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967
- Stoddard Memorial Trophy 1980
- IBPA Award (Personality of the Year) 1985
Wins
- World Mixed PairsWorld Mixed Pairs ChampionshipThe World Mixed Pairs Championship is a bridge championship for mixed-gender pairs held every four years as part of the World Bridge Championships.-Results:World meets commonly run for 15 days on a schedule whose details vary....
(1) 1978 - North American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
(16)- North American Swiss TeamsKeohane North American Swiss TeamsThe Keohane North American Swiss Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1978 - North American Men's Swiss TeamsJacoby Open Swiss TeamsThe Jacoby Open Swiss Teams national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1983 - Master Mixed TeamsChicago Mixed Board-a-MatchThe Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The event is a board-a-match team event....
(1) 1980 - West Coast Master Mixed TeamsChicago Mixed Board-a-MatchThe Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The event is a board-a-match team event....
(2) 1953, 1954 - Open PairsSilodor Open PairsThe Silodor Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(7) 1964, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1983 - Men's PairsWernher Open PairsThe Wernher Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Wernher Open Pairs is a four session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions and two final sessions....
(1) 1966 - Rockwell Mixed PairsRockwell Mixed PairsThe Rockwell Mixed Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(3) 1975, 1977, 1982
- North American Swiss Teams
Runner-ups
- North American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
(10)- VanderbiltVanderbilt TrophyThe trophy is awarded for the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams national bridge championship held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1951, 1985 - Men's Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1956, 1971 - Master Mixed TeamsChicago Mixed Board-a-MatchThe Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The event is a board-a-match team event....
(1) 1969 - Open PairsSilodor Open PairsThe Silodor Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1976, 1984 - Rockwell Mixed PairsRockwell Mixed PairsThe Rockwell Mixed Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1971, 1974 - Hilliard Mixed PairsHilliard Mixed PairsThe Hilliard Mixed Pairs national bridge championship was last held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .-History:...
(1) 1955
- Vanderbilt