Buster Crabbe

Buster Crabbe (February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983) was an American athlete turned actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s. Image File history File links Buster Crabbe circa 1940 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Buster Crabbe circa 1940 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (114th in leap years). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

Birth

He was born as Clarence Linden Crabbe II to Lucy Agnes McNamara (1885-1959) and Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe I (1882-?) in Oakland, California, USA. 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. Like many Hollywood stars there is a conflict between the birthdate given in his official documents, and the one used in his Hollywood publicity biographies. His birth certificate and his Social Security application both use the birthdate of "February 7, 1908" and that will be used here. The Encyclopædia Britannica uses an incorrect birthdate based on his Hollywood publicity biography. Oakland, founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in California[1] and the county seat of Alameda County. ... Official language(s) English Capital  Sacramento Largest city  Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The Encyclopædia Britannica is an encyclopedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. ...

Swimming has been a sport at every modern Olympic Games. ... The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were held in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. ... At the 1932 Summer Olympics, 11 swimming events were contested. ... The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, were held in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. ... At the 1928 Summer Olympics, 11 swimming events were contested. ...

Hawaii and Olympics

Raised in Hawaii, he graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu. He excelled as a swimmer and participated in two Olympic Games: 1928, where he won the bronze medal for the 1,500 meter freestyle, and 1932, where he won the gold medal for the 400 meter freestyle. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Established 1841 School Type Private Preparatory Day (Primary and Secondary) Students 3,700 approx. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ...

He attended the University of Southern California, where he was the school's first All-American swimmer (1931) and a 1931 NCAA freestyle titlist. He also became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity before graduating from USC in 1931. In 1933 he married his college sweetheart Adah Virginia Held, and gave himself one year to either make it as an actor or start law school at USC. Buster and Virginia remained together until Buster's death in 1983. They had a son, Cullen, and a daughter, Sande. Sande died of anorexia. The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly as Southern Cal[4]), located in the University Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, USA, was founded in 1880, making it Californias oldest private research university. ... All-American, a Broadway musical with book by Mel Brooks, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Lee Adams, opened in New York on March 19, 1962, and played 80 performances. ... Sigma Chi (ΣΧ) is one of the largest and oldest international all-male college social fraternities, with chapters at universities predominantly in the United States and several in Canada. ... For the symphonic black metal band, see Anorexia Nervosa (band) Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes an eating disorder characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. ...

Time magazine wrote on April 11, 1932: "Clarence (Buster) Crabbe, 22, of Los Angeles, ablest distance swimmer in the United States: the 1,500-metre race in the A.A.U. championships, at New Haven, lowering his own American record by 20.9 seconds to 19:45.6. Later he won two other championships: the 300 yard medley and 500 yard free style. Los Angeles won the team championship with 45 points to New York's 37."

Buster Crabbe as "Tarzan"

Image File history File links http://www. ... Image File history File links http://www. ...

Hollywood

Crabbe's role in the 1933 Tarzan serial Tarzan the Fearless (also issued as a full length movie) launched a successful career in which he starred in over one hundred movies. It would be the only movie in which Crabbe starred as Tarzan. (The serial was re-edited into a made-for-TV feature in 1964.) In the 1933's King of the Jungle, 1941's Jungle Man, and the 1952 serial King of the Congo he played generic "jungle man" roles in the Tarzan mode. He also starred in the first international film "Search for Beauty" in 1934 in which a number of supporting stars were slotted in for each contributing country. For example, in Australia, a national competition was held in 1933 to select a Mr Australia and a Miss Australia. The Mr Australia was William Brian Molloy (known as Brian Molloy but whose stage name was Brian Norman. Brian Molloy was born in Melbourne in 1908 and died in Sydney in 1995. After Hollywood, he went to live in Papua New Guinea, started some rubber plantations and also worked as a lawyer. After serving in the Australian Army in World War 2 he moved to Sydney where he started his own law practice.). Miss Australia was Gwen Munro. Similar competitions were held in New Zealand (in which Colin Tapley who went on to star in "The Dambusters" was Mr New Zealand), Scotland and South Africa. Also, there were entries from the various US States. Each version of the film released in each participating country had the local Mr and Miss Australia, New Zealand, Scotland or South Africa as the supporting roles. However, Buster Crabbe had the principal role in all versions released. Buster Crabbe's next major role was in 1936 as Flash Gordon in the popular Flash Gordon serial, which he reprised in two sequels, released by Universal in 1938 and 1940). The three serials were later shown extensively on American television during the 1950s, then edited for release on home video. Other characters he portrayed included Western hero Billy the Kid, Buck Rogers, and a brother of his real-life fraternity in the movie musical The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. In some of his movies he is credited as Larry Crabbe. His sidekick in most of his westerns was the actor Al St. John. King of the Jungle is an American reality television program, that appears on the Animal Planet cable television network. ... Jungle Man is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 1985 album, Freaky Styley. ... Flash Gordon is a science fiction comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond, first published on January 7, 1935. ... Flash Gordon is a 1936 film serial which tells the story of three people from Earth who travel to the planet Mongo to fight the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. ... Henry McCarty (November 25, 1859[1] – July 14, 1881) was better known as Billy the Kid, but also known by the aliases Henry Antrim and William Harrison Bonney. ... This entry is for the science fiction character Buck Rogers. ... Don Quixote and Sancho Panza unsuccessfully confront windmills. ... Broncho Billy Anderson, from The Great Train Robbery The Western movie is one of the classic American film genres. ... Alfred St. ...

Television

Crabbe starred in the television series, Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion (1955 to 1957) as Captain Michael Gallant; the adventure series aired on NBC. His real-life son, Cullen Crabbe, appeared in this show as the character "Cuffy Sanders".

Crabbe made regular television appearances, including one on an episode of the 1979 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, where he played a retired fighter pilot named "Brigadier Gordon" in honor of Flash Gordon. When Rogers (Gil Gerard) praises his flying, Gordon replies "I've been doing that sort of thing since before you were born." Rogers (who was born over 500 years earlier) responds "You think so?" to which Gordon replies "Young man, I know so!" Crabbe had, in fact, been playing "hot pilots" since long before Gerard was born. For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is the title of an American motion picture produced by Universal Studios and released in 1979, and is also the title of a television series based upon the film that was aired by NBC for two seasons between 1979 and 1981. ... Gil Gerard as Buck Rogers Gilbert Gerard, better known as Gil Gerard (born January 23, 1943) is an American actor. ...

Later years

Crabbe's Hollywood career waned somewhat in the 1950s and 1960s. The ever-industrious Crabbe became a stockbroker and businessman during this period. According to David Ragan's "Movie Stars of the 30's", Crabbe even owned a Southern California swimming pool building company in later years. ... // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... A stock broker or stockbroker or stock brokerage is someone or a firm who performs transactions in financial instruments on a stock market as an agent of his/her/its clients who are unable or unwilling to trade for themselves. ... Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Southern California, also colloquially referred to as SoCal, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ...

In the mid-1950s, Crabbe purchased the campus of a small defunct prep school near the hamlet of Onchiota, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains. Renamed Buster Crabbe's Meenahga Lodge [1] the camp advertised itself as swim camp for youngsters age 8-14, with at least one swim instructor from Hawaii. Using the school's auditorium, along with professionally made costuming and scenery, a couple musical plays were staged by the campers during the summer under the guidance of several counselors with drama training. Although scheduled to make at least one appearance at the camp each summer, while filming Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, he supposedly needed an emergency appendectomy which prevented him attending.

Though he followed other pursuits, he never stopped acting. From the 1950s forward he appeared in numerous lower budget films. In fact, he appear in the 1982 feature film, The Comeback Trail one year before his death. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Despite his numerous film and television appearances, he is best remembered today as one of the original action heroes of 1930s and 1940s cinema.

Death

He died on April 23, 1983, aged 75, from a heart attack in Scottsdale, Arizona and was buried in the Green Acres Memorial Gardens Cemetery. April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (114th in leap years). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Scottsdale (Oodham S-vaá¹£ai Vaá¹£onÄ­) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, adjacent to Phoenix. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ...

Timeline

• 1908 Birth of "Clarence Linden Crabbe" in Oakland
• 1910 US Census with the Crabbes in California
• 1928 Olympics
• 1931 graduated from the University of Southern California
• 1932 Olympics, won gold medal in 400 meter freestyle
• 1933 Tarzan
• 1936 played the title role of Flash Gordon
• 1938 played the title role in Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars
• 1940 played the title role in Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
• 1955 Start of Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion
• 1957 End of Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion
• 1983 Death of "Buster Crabbe" in Scottsdale, Arizona at age 75

Oakland, founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in California[1] and the county seat of Alameda County. ... The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly as Southern Cal[4]), located in the University Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, USA, was founded in 1880, making it Californias oldest private research university. ... Flash Gordon is a 1936 film serial which tells the story of three people from Earth who travel to the planet Mongo to fight the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. ... Flash Gordons Trip to Mars is a 1938 film serial of 15 episodes, based on the comic strip Flash Gordon. ... Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe is a 1940 twelve episode serial film about Flash Gordon. ... Scottsdale (Oodham S-vaá¹£ai Vaá¹£onÄ­) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, adjacent to Phoenix. ...

Trivia

• Crabbe worked with six year old American actor David Holt in Holt's capacity as the uncredited human double for Cheeta's chimpanzee predecessor in Tarzan the Fearless, the 1933 film staring Crabbe.
• Crabbe is the only actor who has played Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers — the top three pulp fiction heroes of the 1930s.
• Crabbe is the grandfather of Nick Holt, defensive coordinator of the University of Southern California Trojans football team and former head coach of the University of Idaho. [2]

David Jack Holt (mostly known as David Holt) (August 14, 1927 – November 15, 2003) was an American actor initially groomed at age seven to be the male Shirley Temple. ... Cheeta making his second appearance in a Tarzan film. ... James H. Pierce and Joan Burroughs Pierce starred in the 1932-34 Tarzan radio series 1964 Edition of Tarzan of the Apes Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in twenty-three sequels. ... Flash Gordon is a science fiction comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond, first published on January 7, 1935. ... This entry is for the science fiction character Buck Rogers. ... Nick Holt (born October 15, 1962) is the current defensive coordinator of the USC Trojans football team. ... A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a football team in the National Football League (or at other levels of American football) who is in charge of the defense. ... Head Coach Pete Carroll 6th Year, 64-12 Home Stadium Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Capacity 92,500 - Grass Conference Pac-10 First Year 1888 Athletic Director Mike Garrett Website USCTrojans. ... The head coach in sports coaching is the coach who is in charge of the other coaches. ... The University of Idaho is the states most prominent land-grant and primary research university, located in the city of Moscow in Latah County. ...

See also

• Age fabrication

Age fabrication occurs when a person deliberately lies about his or her actual age. ...

External links

• Buster Crabbe at Brian's Drive-In Theater
• Buster Crabbe Biography by Chuck Anderson
• Six webpages about Buster Crabbe
• Buster Crabbe at the Internet Movie Database with incorrect birth year