Known as the grand old man of retailing, Ken Crane's varying home video hardware and software businesses have been a staple of Southern California and, thanks to the Internet, nationwide, for more than 50 years. Crane was one of the first retailers in the country to embrace TV when he opened his first store in 1948 with a $3,500 loan from his parents. During the 1950s, Crane became the first single-line retailer for Magnavox, then a high-end TV brand. During the 1990s, he established an innovative and popular online laserdisc/DVD video business that extended his reach nationally, and later he enthusiastically embraced HDTV. The eight-store Ken Crane's Home Entertainment chain is now run by his children, Casey and Pam.