1991 Toyota Camry What could be wrong?

My car ran hot on Saturday. I got home and let it cool down, then checked the radiator and overflow jug. I had to put water in the radiator, the jug was empty. Some white steam came out of the tailpipe, but it did crank up and did not run hot again. It stayed on for at least five minutes. I assumed it would be okay, as long as I made sure to keep water in it. The next day, I had trouble cranking it. It cranked up the first time, then went off after a minute or so. When I tried to crank it back up, it tried to catch, but it never did. I thought maybe it was because it was low on gas, which it was. I got some gas and put it in the tank, but the same thing happened. It cranked up, sat for a few seconds, then turned off. I tried to crank it again, and it kept turning, but would not catch. I know the steam could mean that I have either a blown head gasket or a cracked head. The thing that gets me, is that it cranks up. I have had two cars to have a cracked head, and they would not crank at all. What could be the problem?