McCrea was born in South Pasadena, California, the son of Thomas McCrea, an executive with the L.A. Gas & Electric Company, and Louise "Lou" Whipple. As a boy, he had a paper route delivering the Los Angeles Ti… See more

In the 1930s, McCrea starred in the pre-code film, Bird of Paradise (1932), directed by King Vidor, co-starring with Dolores del Río. In RKO's The Sport Parade (1932), McCrea and William Gargan are friends on the Dartmo… See more

In 1968, McCrea received a career achievement award from the L.A. Film Critics Association, and the following year he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western … See more