The Family of Clarence (Buster) Crabbe
1.William CRABB b.1744 County Clare, Ireland d.12Apr1812
....m.(1) ? ?
....m.(2) Elizabeth KENDIG of Middleton PA
....2.Horatio (Horace) CRABB b.1800 Middleton Dauphin Co PA d.04Nov1857
........m.Rebecca ORD b.13Feb1805 Baltimore d.15Apr1898 St Louis
........3.Mary Ellis CRABB
............m.Martin COLLINS
........3.Horace Gates CRABB b.02Mar1830 Philadelphia PA d.06Dec1903 Honolulu HI
............m.(1) ? ?
............4.DeCourcy Wright CRABB b.27Jan1845 Honolulu HI d.15Dec1905 Sacramento
............4.John M CRABB
............m.(2)1857 Elizabeth Meek
............4.Clarence L CRABB (president of Hawaiian Senate)
................m.Emma RICH
................5.Edward (Bud) CRABB
....................m.Agnes McNAMARA
....................6.Clarence L (Buster) CRABBE b.17Feb1907 Oakland CA d.23Apr1983
........................m.Virginia ?
........................7. Cullen (Cuffy) CRABBE
................5.Horace (Hoddy) CRABB
....................m. ? ? in Hawaii
....................6.George CRABBE
........................m. ? ?
........................7.Richard CRABBE
............................m. ? ?
............................8.Curtis CRABBE
........................7.George CRABBE
........................7.Miriam CRABBE
........................7.Pua CRABBE
........................7.Judy CRABBE
........................7.Aulani CRABBE
....................6.Miriam CRABBE
....................6.Alice CRABBE
............4.Horace N CRABB
............4.Lydia R CRABB
................m.? Allen
....2.Henry S CRABB b.21Mar1803
....2.George W CRABB b.07Dec1807
....2.Mary CRABB b.1808
A Brief History of His Achievements
Larry "Buster" Crabbe (1907 - 1983)
Biography from Katz's Film Encyclopedia
Grew up in Hawaii, where he developed into an outstanding swimmer and all-around high school athlete. Won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle swimming event in the 1932 Olympics, breaking a record previously held by another would-be action star, Johnny Weissmuller. Like Weissmuller, Crabbe headed for Hollywood and early in his screen career was called upon to portray Tarzan, but unlike Weissmuller, he later diversified into other action-hero roles, mostly in Westerns and adventure serials, and became immensely popular with young audiences as the screen incarnation of science fiction heroes Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.
In the 40s he portrayed Billy the Kid in many PRC-studio low-budget Westerns, with Al "Fuzzy" St. John as his comic sidekick. When screen roles became scarce he toured with an aquacade and in the 50s starred in the TV series "Captain Gallant of the French Foreign Legion" with his son, Cullen "Cuffy" Crabbe.
He later became athletic director for a resort hotel in the Catskills and became involved in the swimming-pool business. Authored Energetics (1970), a physical fitness book for the over-50 set.
This page last updated on 6th October 1998.