![]() ![]() ![]() For his final multi-chapter movie serial, Crabbe returned to the jungle playing the role of Thun'da in King of the Congo (1952).īuster Crabbe with real life son Cullen on Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, ca. Crabbe also played some jungle roles for the studio.įollowing the war, Crabbe appeared opposite Weissmuller as a rival in two jungle films, Swamp Fire (1946) and Captive Girl (1950). As a 34-year-old married man, Crabbe had a draft deferment, but made Army training films for the field artillery at Ft. He portrayed a Western folk-hero version of Billy the Kid in 13 films, and Billy Carson in 23, along with Al St. In 1939 Crabbe reunited with Grable for a lead role in the mainstream comedy Million Dollar Legs.Ĭrabbe starred at the Billy Rose's Aquacade at the New York World's Fair during its second year (1940), replacing fellow Olympic swimmer and Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller.ĭuring World War II, Crabbe was put under contract by Producers Releasing Corporation for lead roles from 1942 to 1946. He also starred as Buck Rogers for Universal, playing the role with dark hair, unlike his blonde hair for Flash Gordon. The series was later edited and shown extensively on American television during the 1950s and 1960s, then fully restored for home video release. ![]() In 1936, he was selected over several stars to play Flash Gordon in the first, very successful Universal Pictures Flash Gordon serial, which was followed by two sequels released in 19. He starred in several popular films at this time, including The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1933), alongside Betty Grable, and Search for Beauty (1934), Daughter of Shanghai (1937) credited as Larry Crabbe. In King of the Jungle (1933), Jungle Man (1941), and the serial King of the Congo (1952), he played typical "jungle man" roles. His role in the Tarzan serial Tarzan the Fearless (1933) began a career in which Crabbe starred in more than a hundred films. He is credited in some films as "Larry Crabbe" or "Larry (Buster) Crabbe". Crabbe became a lion tamer while working on that adventure film. He also became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity before graduating from USC in 1931.Ĭrabbe watches "Jack", one of the lions in King of the Jungle, eating lunch in a Hollywood restaurant in 1933. ![]() He then attended the University of Southern California, where he was the school's first All-American swimmer (1931) and a 1931 NCAA freestyle titlist. Crabbe grew up in Hawaii and graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu. He had a brother, Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe Jr. He starred in a variety of popular feature films and movie serials released between 1933 and the 1950s, portraying the top three syndicated comic-strip heroes of the 1930s: Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers.Ĭrabbe was born in 1908 to Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe, a real estate broker, and Lucy Agnes (née McNamara) Crabbe, in Oakland, California. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimming event, which launched his career on the silver screen and later television. Clarence Linden Crabbe II ( / ˈ k r æ b/ Febru– April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |