(From Old Corral collection) | 'Larry' 'Buster' Crabbe Real name: |
(From Old Corral collection) 1933 (From Old Corral collection) 1938 |
"Under his Paramount contract, he was given experience in all varieties of movies, bit parts and small, and perhaps that was what eventually hindered his career. For Paramount did use him, not wisely, not too well. From picture to picture, he would be Western leading man, crime-yarn heavy, Western heavy, college-boy support, Western lead, crime-heavy again, ad infinitum."
Buster re-grew his mustache to play a no-good who redeems himself in the finale of the Gene Autry COLORADO SUNSET (Republic, 1939). And then came his fifth chapterplay for Universal, FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE (1940; 12 chapters) which was released in early 1940.
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.
His next job was with the Billy Rose Aquacade swim show. The star was 1932 Olympic gold medal swimmer Eleanor Holm who happened to be the wife of Billy Rose. Johnny Weissmuller was featured in the 1939 show. Crabbe replaced him for the 1940 season and did performances at the 1940 New York World's Fair as well as other locales.
(Courtesy of Bruce Hickey) While under contract to Paramount, Crabbe portrayed 'Kaspa, the Lion Man' in KING OF THE JUNGLE (Paramount, 1933). The location is the arch rock which is near the Lone Ranger Rock at the Iverson Ranch. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is the title lobby card for THE OIL RAIDER (Mayfair, 1934) which Crabbe did 'on loan' from Paramount. The "Scott-Bennet Production" in the lower left refers to Lester F. Scott, Jr. (producing) and Spencer Gordon Bennet (directing). Earlier, Crabbe did BADGE OF HONOR (1934) for the Scott-Bennet team at 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 Crabbe's THE OIL RAIDER was the last - or among the last - of Mayfair's films. (Courtesy of Boyd Magers) Above - Tom Keene and the mustached Buster Crabbe starred in DRIFT FENCE (Paramount, 1936). This lobby card is from the 1951 Favorite Films Corporation's re-release of the film. The leading lady was Cecil B. DeMille's adopted daughter Katherine DeMille (real name: Katherine Lester; 1911 - 1995) and she was married to Anthony Quinn for nearly thirty years. (From Old Corral collection) Above - Carol Hughes (as "Dale Arden") and Crabbe in a lobby card from the third Flash Gordon serial which was released in 1940. |