Philip N. Krasne (May 6, 1905 - September 18, 1999) was an American attorney who became a film and television producer.

Early years and education

Krasne was the son of Herman J. Krasne, a clothing merchant, and Rose Bernstein, Polish immigrants from Bialystok. The youngest of three brothers, Philip graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Herman was an owner of People's Department Store. In 1927, Philip Krasne graduated from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, which awarded him both its Chicago Alumni Medal and Paul Gray Testimonial for excellence in oratory. He received his LLB degree from the University of Southern California School of Law. He was admitted to the bar in 1929.

Producer

In 1936, Krasne began his motion picture career as vice-president in charge of production at

Grand National Films Inc. Grand National Films, Inc (or Grand National Pictures, Grand National Productions and Grand National Film Distributing Co.) was an American Poverty Row motion picture production-distribution company in operation from 1936 to 1939. The company h ...

In 1943 he teamed with James S. Burkett to produce features for

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

: three with

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

star

Ann Corio Ann Corio (born Ann Coiro; November 29, 1909 – March 1, 1999) was a prominent American burlesque stripper and actress. Her original surname was Coiro, changing it to Corio for stage purposes and because some family members did not approve ...

, and three

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...

mysteries. Burkett went on to produce the Chan pictures on his own, while Krasne initiated two more series for Monogram: musical westerns with

Jimmy Wakely Jimmy Wakely (February 16, 1914 – September 23, 1982) was an American actor, songwriter, country music vocalist, and one of the last singing cowboys. During the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, he released records, appeared in several B-Western movies ...

, and western adventures with

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

O. Henry William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the M ...

's famous character

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Magaz ...

. Krasne retained the film rights to The Cisco Kid and produced another series of theatrical features for

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

release, now starring

Duncan Renaldo Renault Renaldo Duncan (April 23, 1904 – September 3, 1980), better known as Duncan Renaldo, was a Romanian-born American actor best remembered for his portrayal of The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950–1956 American TV series ''The Cisco K ...

. Krasne brought The Cisco Kid to television, filming half-hour episodes of ''

'' in color, again with Renaldo. This was before broadcasting in color was perfected, and Krasne shrewdly anticipated that the color shows would become more valuable in the future. In 1952 Krasne joined former

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

producer

Jack J. Gross Jack J. Gross (born July 29, 1902 in New York City, died March 12, 1964, age 61, London, England) was a motion picture and television producer. Early years Jack Gross was the son of George and Pauline Gross, Jewish immigrants from Hungary and R ...

to form Gross-Krasne, Inc, a pioneer American independent producer of television films. They produced, among other programs, ''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had ...

'' and '' Mayor of the Town''. In 1957, Krasne spent two months in Africa with Kenya Productions, Ltd, arranging the filming of two African television series, ''

African Patrol ''African Patrol'' is a 39-episode syndicated adventure television series created, directed and produced by George Breakston in conjunction with Jack J. Gross and Philip N. Krasne. It was filmed on location in Kenya for a period of 15 months b ...

'' and ''

The Adventures of a Jungle Boy ''The Adventures of a Jungle Boy'' is a 1957 British syndicated adventure series. The show was known for its striking similarity to the Tarzan movie series. Plot A young boy is the sole survivor of a plane crash in the African jungle. He is fo ...

''. In 1952, Gross-Krasne bought the California Studios (now the

Raleigh Studios Raleigh Studios is a studio facility located in Hollywood, Los Angeles and has been under the ownership of Raleigh Enterprises since 1979. The location has been active since 1915. Before Raleigh, the studio was run by Famous Players Film Company, C ...

) where many of their productions were filmed.Gross-Krasne Buys California Studios. The Billboard (Archive: 1894-1960)64.40 (Nov 29, 1952): 11

Later life

Krasne produced his last film in 1974. He died in Los Angeles in 1999.

Selected filmography

* '' Fighting Mad'' (1939) * '' Crashing Thru'' (1939) * '' Danger Ahead'' (1940) * ''

Murder on the Yukon ''Murder on the Yukon'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Louis J. Gasnier and written by Milton Raison. It is based on the 1931 novel '' Renfrew Rides North'' by Laurie York Erskine. The film stars James Newill, Polly Ann Young, D ...

'' (1940) * ''

The Sultan's Daughter ''The Sultan's Daughter'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and written by Milton Raison and Tim Ryan. The film stars Ann Corio, Charles Butterworth, Tim Ryan, Irene Ryan, Edward Norris and Fortunio Bonanova. The film w ...

'' (1943) * ''

Sarong Girl ''Sarong Girl'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and written by Charles R. Marion, Arthur Hoerl and Tim Ryan. The film stars Ann Corio, Tim Ryan, Irene Ryan, Mantan Moreland, William Henry, Damian O'Flynn and Johnnie ...

'' (1943) * ''

Song of the Range ''Song of the Range'' is a 1944 American musical Western film directed by Wallace Fox and starring Jimmy Wakely, Dennis Moore and Lee 'Lasses' White.Martin p.169 Cast * Jimmy Wakely as Jimmy * Dennis Moore as Denny * Lee 'Lasses' White as ...

'' (1944) * ''

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service ''Charlie Chan in the Secret Service'' is a 1944 mystery film starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. It is the first film made by Monogram Pictures after the series was dropped by 20th Century Fox, and it marks the introduction of Number Three So ...

'' (1944) * ''

The Chinese Cat ''The Chinese Cat'' (also titled ''Murder in the Funhouse'') is a 1944 mystery film starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. Plot Mr. Manning is murdered in his study while the door is locked from the inside. Pol ...

'' (1944) * ''

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

'' (1944) * ''

The Valiant Hombre ''The Valiant Hombre'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Wallace Fox, written by Adele Buffington, and starring Duncan Renaldo, Leo Carrillo, John Litel, Barbara Billingsley, John James and Stanley Andrews. It was released on December ...

'' (1948) * ''

The Daring Caballero ''The Valiant Hombre'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Wallace Fox and written by Betty Burbridge. The film stars Duncan Renaldo, Leo Carrillo, Kippee Valez, Charles Halton, Pedro de Cordoba and Stephen Chase. The film was released ...

'' (1949) * ''

Satan's Cradle ''Satan's Cradle'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Ford Beebe and written by J. Benton Cheney, and starring Duncan Renaldo, Leo Carrillo, Ann Savage, Douglas Fowley and Byron Foulger. It was released on October 7, 1949, by United Ar ...

'' (1949) * ''

The Girl from San Lorenzo ''The Girl from San Lorenzo'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Ford Beebe. The film stars Duncan Renaldo, Leo Carrillo, Jane Adams, William F. Leicester, Byron Foulger and Don C. Harvey. The film was re ...

'' (1950) * ''

Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language: * Pawnee people * Pawnee language Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States: * Pawnee, Illinois * Pawnee, Kansas * Pawnee, Missouri * Pawnee City, Nebraska * ...

'' (1957) * ''

The Boy Cried Murder ''The Boy Cried Murder'' is a 1966 British thriller film directed by George P. Breakston and starring Fraser MacIntosh, Veronica Hurst, and Phil Brown. The film is based on the novelette of the same name by Cornell Woolrich. The movie is a remak ...

'' (1966)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krasne, Philip N. 1905 births 1999 deaths American film studio executives American film producers California lawyers USC Gould School of Law alumni University of Michigan alumni Film producers from California Television producers from California People from Norfolk, Nebraska 20th-century American businesspeople Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery 20th-century American lawyers