Philip N. Krasne


Philip N. Krasne was an attorney who became a motion picture 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, 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. As an independent, Krasne produced some of the later Charlie Chan movies. He acquired the rights to O. Henry's The Cisco Kid and filmed the half-hour Cisco Kid television shows in color. Krasne joined Jack J. Gross in 1952 to form Gross-Krasne, Inc, a pioneer American independent producer of television films. They produced, among other programs, the Big Town 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 and The Adventures of a Jungle Boy. In 1952, Gross-Krasne bought the California Studios where many of their productions were filmed.

Later life

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