Buster Crabbe
| Buster Crabbe | |
|---|---|
Circa early 1940s
|
|
| Born |
Clarence Linden Crabbe II February 7, 1908 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 1983 (aged 75) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Green Acres Memorial Park, Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Education | B.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930–82 |
| Notable work |
King of the Jungle Flash Gordon Buck Rogers |
| Spouse(s) | Adah Virginia Held (m. 1933–83) (his death) |
| Children | Three |
| Relatives | Nick Holt, grandson |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing the  United States
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| Men's swimming | ||
 |
1932 Los Angeles | 400 m freestyle |
 |
1928 Amsterdam | 1500 m freestyle |
Clarence Linden Crabbe II (/ˈkræb/; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), commonly known by his stage name Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and movie actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimming event before breaking into acting. He starred in a number of popular films in the 1930s and 1940s. He also played the title role in the serials Tarzan the Fearless, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Crabbe is the only actor to play Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers – the top three syndicated comic strip heroes of the 1930s.
Crabbe was born to Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe, a real estate broker, and Lucy Agnes (née McNamara) Crabbe, in Oakland, California. He had a brother, Edward Clinton Simmons Crabbe Jr. (1909–1972).
Raised in Hawaii, Crabbe graduated from the Punahou School in Honolulu. He competed in two Olympic Games as a swimmer. At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, he won the bronze medal for the 1,500 meters freestyle, and at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he won the gold medal for the 400 meters freestyle when he beat Jean Taris of France by a tenth of a second. 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.
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