Buster Crabbe

Above, Buster Crabbe and his horse Falcon. Though the horse appeared white on the movie and TV screens, Falcon was a palomino.

'Larry' 'Buster' Crabbe

Real name:
Clarence Linden Crabbe II

1908 - 1983

Having been born in 1943, I wasn't around to gauge the importance and fan appeal of Buster Crabbe and the three FLASH GORDON serials when they were in their original theatrical release. Since there was the original chapterplay and two sequels, it appears they were popular and made money for Universal Pictures.

I do fondly remember when these were initially broadcast on TV during the early 1950s. All my school buddies --- as well as lots of gals --- were fascinated by the weekly episodes and the muscular star. And when videotapes came out, the three Flash Gordon chapterplays were among my first acquisitions.

As I mellowed and grew older, I began to wonder what happened with or to Buster Crabbe in the post FLASH GORDON (and post BUCK ROGERS) days. He seemed to have all the equipment and talent to become one of the greatest action heroes of the silver screen, perhaps even in A features. He was certainly a good lookin' guy with lots of muscles ... he was impressive on the screen ... and he could even deliver lines fairly well.

From 1936-1940, Crabbe did five serials at Universal, a period when that studio was going through another of their financial ups and downs. Their B western product had suffered after Buck Jones departed. They had tried Bob Baker, but that effort was not successful. The quality seemed to return when Johnny Mack Brown arrived.

Columbia was also trying to find the right western combination. Charles Starrett joined in 1935, and was doing good stuff for the studio, though it would be several years before he would become the Durango Kid. After Ken Maynard exited Columbia in the mid 1930s, the studio tried several range riders (Jack Luden and Bob Allen) before finding "that peaceable man", 'Wild Bill' Elliott.

Republic also did some cowboy hero shuffling during the second half of the 1930s. They developed several of their own series such as the Three Mesquiteers and the Gene Autry singing westerns. But in the first year or so following Republic's formation, they had to buy the Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Steele products of producer A. W. Hackel (Steele and Brown's work had been previously released under Hackel's Supreme Pictures logo).

All in all, it just seemed (to me) that lots of studios and production companies were searching for western heroes who could interest the distributors, theater owners and Saturday matinee crowds. Why Buster Crabbe didn't connect during this period is beyond me ... unless it was his contract with Paramount.

I'm getting a little ahead of myself, so let's go back to the beginning.

Richard Arthur Norton provided some family info and birth dates: "he was born Clarence Linden Crabbe II in 1908 to Lucy Agnes McNamara (1885-1959) and Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe I (1882-?) in Oakland, California. His father, Edward, was born in Nevada and his paternal grandfather, Clarence Linden Crabbe I (1861-1941), was born in Hawaii. Buster had a brother: Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe II (1909-1972) who was known as "Buddy". In 1910 the family was living in a boarding house in Oakland and Edward Senior was working as a real estate broker."

Clarence Linden Crabbe was raised in Hawaii where he became a proficient swimmer. He graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1931.

His family nicknamed him 'Buster' (his brother Edward was nicknamed 'Buddy'). Crabbe set many American swimming records, and was selected for the 1928 and 1932 Olympic swimming teams. At the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, he had a disappointing fourth place in the 400 meter freestyle but earned a bronze medal in the 1500 meter freestyle swimming event. And at the 1932 games in Los Angeles, Crabbe earned a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle and set a new world record. In 1933, Buster and girlfriend Virginia married, and they were together for 50 years through Crabbe's death in 1983.

Hollywood noticed the new Olympic champion, and his movie career began. I'm missing some notes that I took over twenty years ago when I interviewed Crabbe. But I recall that he signed a contract with Paramount around 1932-33. His initial films for that company included a supporting role in THE THUNDERING HERD (Paramount, 1933) which starred a very young Randolph Scott. And Crabbe had the lead as 'Kaspa, the Lion Man' in KING OF THE JUNGLE (Paramount, 1933). He was also loaned out to producer Sol Lesser who had the Principal film production company. With Lesser, Crabbe became 'The Lord of the Jungle' in the 1933 serial, TARZAN THE FEARLESS. Among other Sol Lesser productions were the CHANDU serial with Bela Lugosi, some of the George O'Brien westerns, and many of the later Tarzan films. Around the same time that Crabbe was in his loin cloth, friend and Olympic swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller was at MGM beginning his reign as the ultimate screen Tarzan.

During the next half dozen years, Crabbe appeared in a hodge podge of roles and movies, some good and some not. His best Paramount work is generally felt to be in about ten western adventures based on the novels of Zane Grey. Paramount also loaned him out to Universal Pictures for a cliffhanger based on the Flash Gordon comic strip by Alex Raymond. The rest is cinema history.

Circa 1939, Paramount had the successful Hopalong Cassidy series and they were also doing an occasional A grade western. But for some reason, Paramount decided not to renew Crabbe's contract.

In retrospect, Crabbe's Paramount work, including the westerns, were of minor import to his career (other than putting groceries on the table). The significant films were the five chapterplays at Universal, as they kept him on the silver screen for Saturday after Saturday, and year after year.

In addition to doing hero roles, Crabbe also played baddies, and while doing so, often sported a moustache - one of his best was as a villain opposing Gene Autry in COLORADO SUNSET (Republic, 1939).

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is the title lobby card for THE OIL RAIDER (Mayfair, 1934) which Crabbe did 'on loan' from Paramount. Lester F. Scott was the producer and Spencer Gordon Bennet directed. Earlier, Crabbe had done BADGE OF HONOR (1934) for Mayfair. Note the "Courtesy of" under Buster's name to reference his Paramount status. The Mayfair company existed from the late 1920s through mid 1930s, and was originally called Action Pictures. Crabbe's THE OIL RAIDER was the last --- or among the last --- of Mayfair's films.