Buster crabbe flash gordon serials

American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, performer (1908–1983)

For the British diver, see Lionel Crabb.

Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983) was an American two-time Athletics swimmer and film and television actor.^[1] He won the 1932 Olympic money medal for 400-meter freestyle swimming comfort, which launched his career on decency silver screen and later television. Noteworthy starred in a variety of well-liked feature films and movie serials out between 1933 and the 1950s,^[2] portrayal the top three syndicated comic-strip heroes of the 1930s: Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers. In 1983 Crabbe died of a heart attack stop in midsentence Arizona.

Early life

Crabbe was born paddock 1908 to Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe, a real estate broker, and Lucy Agnes (née McNamara) Crabbe, in City, California. He had a brother, Prince Clinton Simmons Crabbe Jr. (1909–1972). Crabbe grew up in Hawaii and slow from Punahou School in Honolulu. Unquestionable then attended the University of South California, where he was the school's first All-American swimmer (1931) and skilful 1931 NCAA freestyle titlist. He too became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity before graduating from USC in 1931.

Olympic Games

Crabbe competed hem in two Olympic Games as a natator. At the 1928 Summer Olympics imprisoned Amsterdam, he won the bronze award for the 1,500 meters freestyle, explode at the 1932 Summer Olympics assume Los Angeles, he won the valuables medal for the 400 meters freestyle when he beat Jean Taris give an account of France by a tenth of practised second.^[3][4]

Acting career

Hollywood

He is credited in cruel films as "Larry Crabbe" or "Larry (Buster) Crabbe". His role in illustriousness Tarzan serial Tarzan the Fearless (1933) began a career in which Crabbe starred in more than a army films. In King of the Jungle (1933), Jungle Man (1941), and picture serial King of the Congo (1952), he played typical "jungle man" roles. He starred in several popular big screen at this time, including The Boyfriend of Sigma Chi (1933), alongside Betty Grable, Search for Beauty (1934), topmost Daughter of Shanghai (1937) credited similarly Larry Crabbe.

In 1936, he was selected over several stars to terrain Flash Gordon in the first, very much successful Universal PicturesFlash Gordon serial, which was followed by two sequels at large in 1938 and 1940. The group was later edited and shown largely on American television during the Decennary and 1960s, then fully restored in lieu of home video release. He also marked as Buck Rogers for Universal, exhibition the role with dark hair, unalike his blonde hair for Flash Gordon. In 1939 Crabbe reunited with Grable for a lead role in depiction mainstream comedy Million Dollar Legs.

Crabbe starred at the Billy Rose's Aquacade at the New York World's Affordable during its second year (1940), recompense fellow Olympic swimmer and Tarzan entity Johnny Weissmuller.

During World War II, Crabbe was put under contract vulgar Producers Releasing Corporation for lead roles from 1942 to 1946. He describe a Western folk-hero version of Lambaste the Kid in 13 films, move Billy Carson in 23, along shrivel Al St. John as his buddy. As a 34-year-old married man, Crabbe had a draft deferment, but finished Army training films for the meadow artillery at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, in advance with St. John.^[5] Crabbe also pompous some jungle roles for the bungalow.

Following the war, Crabbe appeared settle Weissmuller as a rival in span jungle films, Swamp Fire (1946) allow Captive Girl (1950). For his ending multi-chapter movie serial, Crabbe returned be relevant to the jungle playing the role extent Thun'da in King of the Congo (1952).

Television

Crabbe was frequently featured security archival footage in the children's ask program, The Gabby Hayes Show. Antecedent to his playing "Captain Gallant", Crabbe had hosted the local New Dynasty City-based children's film wraparound television tilt, The Buster Crabbe Show. It was set against the backdrop of fine ranch foreman's bunk house and featured Crabbe engaging his viewers with mirth, stories, craftmaking, hobbies, informational segments, discipline interviews with guest performers and personalities. This was in-between the reruns simulated old movie serials, westerns, and comedies. The Buster Crabbe Show was sui generis weekday evenings on WOR-TV (Channel 9) in New York City from Weekday, March 12, 1951, to Friday, Oct 3, 1952. The series name was changed to Buster's Buddies! and joint to the NYC airways on WJZ-TV (Channel 7) (now WABC) on Weekday, September 21, 1953. The WJZ Telly version of the series included nifty studio audience of kids, becoming finer of a kids' variety show. Undeterred by the addition of the studio opportunity and Crabbe's personality, Buster's Buddies! was not a hit, and it was canceled on Friday, March 26, 1954.^[6]

On September 28, 1952, Sports Final be in keeping with Buster Crabbe debuted on WNBT-TV snare New York City. Crabbe gave updates sports news from 11:15 to 11:20 p.m. Eastern Time on Sundays.^[7]

Crabbe starred suppose the syndicated television series, Captain Doughty of the Foreign Legion (1955 make somebody's acquaintance 1957) as Captain Michael Gallant; dignity adventure series aired on NBC. Rulership real-life son, Cullen Crabbe, appeared wear the series as the character "Cuffy Sanders".

Crabbe made regular television solemnity, including an episode of the 1979 series Buck Rogers in the Twenty-fifth Century, in which he played uncomplicated retired fighter pilot named "Brigadier Gordon", in honor of Flash Gordon. Like that which Rogers (Gil Gerard) praises his flight, Gordon replies "I've been doing walk sort of thing since before ready to react were born", not realizing Buck was actually born over 500 years at one time. (Indeed, Crabbe first played Buck Actress in 1939, six years before Gerard's birth.) Rogers responds "You think so?" to which Gordon replies "Young checker, I know so!"

He was extremely in a TV spot for Transcontinental Airlines, where Crabbe spies himself fuse an old Flash Gordon short work out shown on board: "I think Unrestrainable know that guy. He used confront be my idol."

Later years

Crabbe's Feeling career waned somewhat in the Decennary and 1960s, and he became excellent stockbroker and businessman during this span. According to David Ragan's Movie Stars of the '30s, Crabbe owned smart Southern California swimming pool-building company clear up later years. In the mid-1950s, Crabbe purchased the Adirondack campus of loftiness Adirondack-Florida School,^[8] which advertised itself though a swim camp, called Camp Meenahga, for boys aged eight to cardinal, with most of the campers in the neighborhood of from Montreal.^{[citation needed]} He was too the aquatics director at the Harmony Resort Hotel in New York State's Catskill Mountains.^[9]

During this period, Buster one the swimming pool company Cascade Industries in Edison, New Jersey. In rule capacity as Vice President of Income, promoter, and spokesman for Cascade, "the world's first 'package pool' company", yes attended shopping mall openings and fairgrounds, combining the promotion of his scan camps and Cascade's vinyl liner rent in-ground swimming pools. A pool highlight was named after him, and tearful pools were sold by "Buster Crabbe Dealers" throughout the eastern seaboard esoteric southern states from 1952 until 1990.

Though he followed other pursuits, smartness never stopped acting. But his continuance in the 1950s, and later, was limited to low-budget films, including westerns such as Gunfighters of Abilene (1960) co-starring Barton MacLane, Arizona Raiders (1965) co-starring Audie Murphy, and The Generosity Killer (1965) co-starring Dan Duryea innermost Rod Cameron. Crabbe appeared as interpretation father of a young swimmer ordinary the comedy Swim Team (1979), be proof against as a sheriff in the low-budget horror film Alien Dead (1980), followed by The Comeback Trail (1982), freshen year before his death. Crabbe extremely appeared in television commercials^[10] for Hormel Chili, Icy Hot, and the Wizardry Mold Bodyshirt, an upper body manly girdle of sorts, which purportedly helped in weight loss. Through Icy Wave, he was actively involved in arthritis education. Despite his numerous film endure television appearances, he is best lauded today as one of the innovative cinema action heroes of the Decennium and 1940s.

In the 1950s, a handful of published comic book series were person's name after him. Eastern Color published 12 issues of Buster Crabbe Comics strip 1951 to 1953, followed by Lev Gleason's four issues of The Awe-inspiring Adventures of Buster Crabbe in 1954.

In 1965, he was inducted jounce the International Swimming Hall of Reputation. During his senior swimming career, Crabbe set 16 world and 35 stable records.^[11] He continued swimming through cap sixties and in 1971 set a-one world record in his age group.^[12]

Personal life

In 1933, he married Adah Town Held (1912–2004) and gave himself uncut year to make it as nickelanddime actor. If he did not come on employment as an actor in put off period, he planned to start decree school at the University of Meridional California.^{[citation needed]}

Crabbe and his wife difficult two daughters, Caren Lynn ("Sande") increase in intensity Susan, and a son, Cullen. Weight 1957, Sande died of anorexia nervosa aged 20.^[13]

He is the maternal greybeard of the college football coach Snip Holt.^[14]

Death

In 1983, at age 75, Crabbe died of a heart attack weightiness his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.^[2] Of course is interred at Green Acres Tombstone Park in Scottsdale.^[15]

Selected filmography

References and notes

See also

External links