| Notice the billing on the lobby cards. In the earlier PRC films, they show 'Billy the Kid', and in the later 'Billy Carson' ones, Crabbe is billed as 'King of the Wild West' |
 Above from L-to-R are John Merton, Dave 'Tex' O'Brien, Crabbe (seated), Lynton Brent and Curley Dresden in SHERIFF OF SAGE VALLEY (1942). Crabbe had a dual role in this oater, and "the other Crabbe" is facing him on the far left. Dave O'Brien was the star of the CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT serial, was a member of PRC's Texas Rangers trio series westerns, was at MGM for the Pete Smith comedy shorts, and wound up as a writer on the Red Skelton TV show.  Above, Crabbe has the drop on the masked Maxine Leslie in FUGITIVE OF THE PLAINS (PRC, 1943).  Buster Crabbe has the drop on, from L-to-R, Jack Ingram, George Chesebro (on floor), Kermit Maynard (tied with rope) and an unidentified player in a lobby card from FUGITIVE OF THE PLAINS (PRC, 1943).  Above from L-to-R are Kermit Maynard, Buster Crabbe, Frank Ellis, and Charlie King in FRONTIER OUTLAWS (PRC, 1944), another entry in the Crabbe "Billy Carson" series.  Elaine Morey has the drop on Buster in WILD HORSE PHANTOM (PRC, 1944). This film includes some typical Al 'Fuzzy' St. John comical hijinks as he gets attacked by a large bat. The ever thrifty PRC may have dragged that winged critter out of mothballs as it may be the same one used several years earlier in the Bela Lugosi THE DEVIL BAT (PRC, 1940).  From L-to-R are Fuzzy St. John, Frank Ellis, Lorraine Miller and Crabbe in BORDER BADMEN (PRC, 1945). Les Adams was able to ID the others - in the background and right of Lorraine Miller is Victor Cox and behind Buster Crabbe is Ray Henderson. |