Martin Crane
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Martin Crane (born ) is a fictional character from the American television show ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...
'', and was played by actor
John Mahoney Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-born American actor. He was known for playing Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' (1993–2004), and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role in 2000. Mahone ...
. An army veteran and retired police detective, he is the father of
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...
and
Niles Crane Niles Crane (born 1957) is a fictional character on the American sitcom ''Frasier'', a spin-off of the television show ''Cheers''. He was portrayed by David Hyde Pierce. Niles is the younger brother of Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer). ...
.


Biography

Although Martin is first mentioned in an episode of the sitcom ''
Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
'', his life history is mainly expanded on in ''Frasier''. In an eighth season ''Cheers'' episode, Frasier claims that his father is dead and was a scientist in life. These comments are explained on ''Frasier'' as being the result of estrangement between Martin and Frasier at the time. (Mahoney also appeared in ''Cheers'' as a piano player and jingle writer.) The son of a police officer, Martin was born in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
in 1931 and is a lifelong resident of the city. His great-grandparents were Noah Crane and a scullery maid from Russia. At the age of 19, Martin joined the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
, and saw combat in the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. After returning home Martin joined the
Seattle Police Department The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, United States, except for the campus of the University of Washington, which is under the responsibility of its own police department ...
, and would remain in this capacity until being forced to retire due to being shot in the hip in 1991, at age 59. He served in various roles including as a patrol officer as well as a mounted patrol officer and eventually attained the position of Homicide Detective. He was also assigned to a vice detail for a year. He was married to Hester Rose Crane, a
forensic psychiatrist Forensic psychiatry is a subspeciality of psychiatry and is related to criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry. According to the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, it is defined as "a subspecialty of psychiat ...
whom he met in 1952 at a murder scene (it would later be revealed that Hester would commemorate their anniversary every year by making gingerbread men in the shape of the corpse). They remained married until her death in 1987, some six years before Martin moves in with Frasier. Hester rejected his first marriage proposal, but the two married when she became
pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occur ...
with Frasier. The marriage was mostly a happy and loving one, but there were numerous issues; in particular, Hester had an affair with a family friend following a particularly difficult period in the marriage. Martin blamed himself for his wife's infidelity, which occurred about 30 years before the timeline of the show, and initially tells his sons that he had been the adulterer. The revelation brings Martin and Frasier closer together after Frasier confesses that his ex-wife
Lilith Lilith ( ; he, Wiktionary:לילית, לִילִית, Līlīṯ) is a female figure in Mesopotamian Mythology, Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, Judaic mythology, alternatively the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-demon. ...
also cheated on him. Martin has a brother named Walt (who is married to a Greek woman named Zora), and one nephew, Walt and Zora's son Nikos. Martin and Walt are estranged, thanks to Zora's hostility toward Frasier's meddling in Nikos' life (encouraging him to follow his dream of becoming a professional juggler, rather than the more reputable profession his domineering mother wanted for him). They eventually reconcile, however. There is a discrepancy in the storyline, as Martin states in an earlier episode that he never had a brother. In 1991, Martin was looking forward to retirement when he was shot by a man named David Hicks in the line of duty after interrupting a robbery attempt in a convenience store. Niles visited him, but the two had drifted apart. Although he hoped to return to work in a few weeks, the injury left a bullet in his left hip, forcing him to walk with a cane, held in his right hand, for the rest of his life, and to retire from the police force. His injury inhibits him from living alone, and forces him to accept Frasier's invitation to live with him upon Frasier's return to Seattle. Martin soon grows close to his physical therapist,
Daphne Moon Daphne Crane (née Moon; born September 1961) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom ''Frasier'', played by Jane Leeves. An English immigrant from Manchester, Daphne is employed by Frasier as a live-in housekeeper and physical ...
, and steadily becomes closer to both his sons, despite their different tastes and personalities. Because he and his sons have no hobbies or interests in common, he also grows to be close to Frasier's producer,
Roz Doyle Rosalinda Doyle (born May 5 1963 or 1964) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom ''Frasier''. Roz is the producer of Frasier Crane's ''Dr. Frasier Crane Show'' on KACL 780 AM. The role initially went to Lisa Kudrow, but Kudr ...
. He invites her to his poker games on numerous occasions, and responds warmly to her laid-back, "one of the guys" personality. On one of his birthdays, she presents him with a six-pack of beers, and this turns out to be the only gift he seems to genuinely enjoy that day. Despite already being handicapped and retired from the police force, one of Martin's greatest achievements comes in his sixties when he solves the notorious "Weeping Lotus" murder, a
cold case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...
that had confounded himself and the rest of the police force for decades. The resolution brings a long-awaited measure of satisfaction and peace of mind to Martin, who had made a vow to the victim's mother that he'd find and apprehend the killer, and was becoming concerned that she would die of old age before he did. Romantically, Martin is reluctant to begin dating again, but while living with Frasier he has a number of relationships with various women. By the end of the show, Martin reacquaints himself with
Ronee Lawrence The main character of the American television sitcom ''Frasier'' is Frasier Crane. Other regular characters include: his father Martin Crane, Martin, brother Niles Crane, Niles, producer Roz Doyle, and his live-in caregiver Daphne Moon. Other min ...
, a woman who, as a teenager babysat Frasier and Niles. They become involved in a romance, which escalates into a marriage proposal. The ceremony takes place in the final episode of the series, establishing a new chapter in Martin's life.


Personality

Unlike his sons, Martin Crane is very down-to-earth and unpretentious. His tastes are generally simpler than those of his sons and reflect
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
to a greater degree. Martin prefers drinking
beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
(specifically Ballantine Beer, a lager) to
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
or
spirits Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
, for example, and prefers watching action movies and professional sports to the opera and theatre preferred by Frasier and Niles. While Martin occasionally visits
Café Nervosa ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Gru ...
to see his sons, he dislikes its elaborate and expensive drinks and often visits a bar, McGinty's, with his best friend,
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. He is shown to be a big fan of the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
,
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
, the
Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
, and the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
. He often displays an autographed photo of Ken Griffey Jr., and always listens to Bulldog Briscoe's ''Gonzo Sports Show'' on KACL. He likes the music of
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
. In the earlier seasons especially, most of the comedy and drama of the series stems from the culture clashes between the refined sons and the
blue-collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
father (the sons frequently considering themselves superior in both taste and intellectual matters to their father, Niles once admitted that he often does not listen to Martin's advice because he "doesn't have any credentials"), and the struggles between Frasier and Martin in sharing an apartment. One of the disputes between Frasier and Martin is a decades-old, well-worn recliner that Martin owns; Frasier is appalled by its appearance in his living room. Initially Frasier figures the perfect present for his father is to purchase him an expensive leather recliner that replaces Martin's old one. This greatly upsets Martin when he explains the sentimental value of the chair to Frasier, who feels extreme guilt and proceeds to get the recliner back for his father and returns the new one. Later, Frasier accidentally destroys the chair, and to make amends has a replica built at great expense (remarking that, ironically, it was now the most expensive piece of furniture in his apartment). In one of the series' final episodes, Martin sits in the leather recliner Frasier originally picked and admits he likes it after all. Martin has a complex and frequently difficult relationship with both his sons, both of whom take after their mother. They have little interest in the traditionally masculine pursuits that interest Martin, such as
sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
and outdoor activities, just as Martin himself finds little of interest in their pursuits, such as cooking, collecting
antiques An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
and
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
. Martin also places little stock in (and is frequently and loudly dismissive of)
psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psych ...
, something which—as both of his sons are psychiatrists—also undoubtedly contributed to the rift between them. On a few occasions, he actually exhibits genuine psychological know-how and intellect, surprising Frasier and Niles (although Martin usually waves off these situations and thinks nothing of it; he can, at times, attribute this to his listening to Frasier's radio show). Martin also frequently clashed with and was vocally dismissive of both of his sons' romantic interests (in particular their wives, Maris and
Lilith Lilith ( ; he, Wiktionary:לילית, לִילִית, Līlīṯ) is a female figure in Mesopotamian Mythology, Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, Judaic mythology, alternatively the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-demon. ...
), which also added to the bad feeling between the men. Martin does not hesitate in telling his sons of their attitudes, on one occasion telling them that their mother never displayed snobbery. Because they share similar blue collar, easygoing personalities, as well as an interest in sports, Martin gets along very well with Frasier's close friend
Sam Malone Samuel "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Ted Danson and created by Glen and Les Charles. The protagonist of the series, Sam, a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox basebal ...
. When Sam visits Frasier, Sam and Martin bond over sports trivia. Martin was also a fan of Sam's when Sam was a baseball player, and says he is "the most important person to set foot in this apartment." Martin also bonds with
Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of '' ...
on a trip to Boston. (Martin: "Wow, that's some mug callus you've got there." Norm: "Judging from your grip, I'd say you were a can man.") A dramatic irony frequently shown in the series is that while Frasier and Niles may possess more intellectual knowledge and refinement than Martin, it is in fact Martin who is a wiser and more pragmatic individual. Certainly, Martin possesses greater reserves of
common sense ''Common Sense'' is a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine collected various moral and political argu ...
and experience than his two sons, and while his sons may be trained in psychiatry, it is frequently Martin's advice in any scenario that is more sound. Much to Frasier's consternation, Martin displays a native intelligence in playing chess, despite his lack of formal education, and he bests Frasier in all but one game. He is usually quick to foresee the catastrophes and crises that Frasier and Niles' various plans and actions will result in, and is capable of advising the best way to avoid this—however, their senses of superiority, stubbornness and neuroses frequently ensure that Frasier and Niles will disregard his advice and blunder into chaos anyway. This can lead to Martin at times taking an almost gleeful delight in the misfortunes and downfalls of his sons, and he is often quick to point out that he told them so. Martin is prone to letting his stubbornness get in the way of happiness, that Frasier often helps him solve, such as forcing Martin to acknowledge his feelings for one romantic partner, Sherry Dempsey. Martin is a gruff and taciturn man who finds it difficult to express himself emotionally—in particular to his family and loved ones, with whom he can be quite withdrawn and remote. He often comes across as curmudgeonly and ungrateful to Frasier for taking care of him. In the episode "Breaking the Ice", for example, he finds it easier to say the words "I love you" to both his dog Eddie and Duke than he does to either of his sons; when he finally does so, Martin has first heavily imbibed of alcohol, and cannot look Frasier or Niles in the eye as he does so. He is certainly less comfortable with emotional exchanges than either of his sons, who find it much easier to express themselves in such a fashion. His blunt, open manner can make him seem tactless and insensitive. He is quite stubborn, and is given to holding grudges. He has stated that he believes justice should be the same for everyone when he refused to help Niles take care of a legal problem for Maris; he has, nevertheless used his position as an ex-policeman for preferential treatment on occasion, such as when he flashed his badge to a border guard in order to alleviate his suspicions. Martin has also come to his sons and Daphne in need, when concerning police matters by advising them. For all this, Martin is portrayed as an extremely likable and caring individual. He is usually enthusiastic about making new friends, and although he may find it difficult to express his feelings to his sons, he clearly loves them both, remaining proud of and devoted to them, and bitterly resenting any implication that this might not be the case. When Niles goes to a costume party as Martin and is asked to name his biggest disappointment in life, Niles' response (in character and slightly inebriated) turns this into a speech of his distaste for his and Frasier's pretentiousness, snobbery, and lack of athleticism before finally saying "if I had to choose my ''two'' biggest disappointments". Martin quickly cuts him off, angered at being portrayed "as a drunken judgmental jackass", and tells Niles that, while he and Frasier were not what he was expecting, he has always been proud of them.


Family tree

*Noah Crane **Martin's unnamed grandfather ***Martin's unnamed father ****Martin Crane married to Hester Crane (née Palmer, deceased) and Ronee Crane *****
Frasier Crane Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (born ) is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' and the titular protagonist of its spin-off ''Frasier'', portrayed by Kelsey Grammer. The character debu ...
(son, with Hester) married to Nanette Guzman (daughter-in-law, divorced) and
Lilith Sternin Lilith Sternin (formerly Sternin-Crane) is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms ''Cheers'' and '' Frasier'', portrayed by Bebe Neuwirth. The character first appears as a date for Frasier Crane, though mutual hostility and d ...
(daughter-in-law, divorced) ******Frederick Crane (grandson, with Lilith) *****
Niles Crane Niles Crane (born 1957) is a fictional character on the American sitcom ''Frasier'', a spin-off of the television show ''Cheers''. He was portrayed by David Hyde Pierce. Niles is the younger brother of Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer). ...
(son, with Hester) married to
Maris Crane The main character of the American television sitcom ''Frasier'' is Frasier Crane. Other regular characters include: his father Martin, brother Niles, producer Roz Doyle, and his live-in caregiver Daphne Moon. Other minor characters made regula ...
(daughter-in-law, divorced), Mel Crane (daughter-in-law, divorced) and to
Daphne Moon Daphne Crane (née Moon; born September 1961) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom ''Frasier'', played by Jane Leeves. An English immigrant from Manchester, Daphne is employed by Frasier as a live-in housekeeper and physical ...
(daughter-in-law) ******David Crane (grandson, with Daphne) ******Unnamed granddaughter mentioned in the
Frasier (season 10) The tenth season of ''Frasier'' originally aired from September 24, 2002, to May 20, 2003, on NBC. The opening title screen color was changed to silver. Cast Main * Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane * Jane Leeves as Daphne Crane * David Hyde Pierce ...
episode “Rooms with a View”. ****Walt Crane (brother) married to Zora Crane (sister-in-law) *****Nikos Crane (nephew)


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crane, Martin Frasier characters Fictional Seattle Police Department detectives Fictional United States Army personnel Fictional Korean War veterans Television characters introduced in 1993 Fictional characters with disabilities American male characters in television