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.
Won World Mixed Pair Bridge Championship with Kerri Shuman. Considered by many to be greatest matchpoint player that ever lived.
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He was a superb bridge player, particularly at matchpoint scoring. In 1951, he became only the 325th person to earn the rank of Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL). Whenever possible, he arranged his work schedule so that he could travel to bridge tournaments and won several hundred of events at regional or higher level. The ACBL award for the most master points earned in a year went to him 6 times, and after he died, the league renamed the trophy after him. His master point total had been the highest in the ACBL ever since 1968 and remained the highest for another 5 years after his death.
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His murder is unsolved.
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He changed his name legally to Crane in 1954, and moved from Detroit to Los Angeles at about the same time.
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Magician
1973-1974
TV Series producer - 8 episodes
Mission: Impossible
TV Series associate producer - 123 episodes, 1966 - 1972 producer - 21 episodes, 1972 - 1973
Mannix
1967-1972
TV Series associate producer - 121 episodes
Production Manager
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mission: Impossible
1967
TV Series production manager - 1 episode
Burke's Law
1963-1966
TV Series production manager - 28 episodes
Honey West
1965
TV Series production manager - 10 episodes
The Rogues
1964-1965
TV Series production manager - 7 episodes
Della
1964
production manager
Munroe
1963
TV Movie production manager
The Dick Powell Theatre
1962-1963
TV Series production manager - 23 episodes
The Law and Mr. Jones
1962
TV Series production manager - 2 episodes
The Jane Powell Show
1961
TV Movie production manager
Peter Loves Mary
1960-1961
TV Series production manager - 32 episodes
Zane Grey Theater
1960-1961
TV Series production manager - 8 episodes
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
TV Series production manager - 31 episodes, 1959 - 1961 unit production manager - 1 episode, 1959