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“The Buster Crabbe Show!” / “Buster’s Buddies!’ reviewed by Kevin Butler
Local: WOR TV Ch.9 NYC
Weekday evenings: Monday March 12,1951-Friday October 3,1952
Returned:
Local:WJZ TV Ch.7 NYC
Weekday evenings: Monday September 21,1953-Friday March 26,1954.
Host/Performer: Buster Crabbe
In 1951..former movie serial actor Buster Crabbe made his tv debut as the mc of a daily children’s film wraparound series.”The Buster Crabbe Show”debuted on NYC based tv station WOR Ch.9 on Monday evening March 12,1951.
Set against the backdrop of the porch of a ranch foreman’s bunkhouse and garbed in western duds.
The Buster Crabbe Show or Busters Buddies
Crabbe would engage his viewers in games,stories, craft-making, hobbies, contests, informational segments and interviews with guest performers and personalities..inbetween the reruns of old movie westerns,serials and comedies.
The show remained on the air..until..the station execs at Ch.9 dropped the show following the Friday October 3,1952.
The station execs at WJZ(WABC)TV Ch.7 in NYC revived the program for it’s weekday evening schedule.
The show (which was re-titled “Buster’s Buddies!” ) returned to the NYC airways on Monday September 21,1953
The format was the same..except that Crabbe wanted to have a studio audience on the program.
Despite the addition of a studio audience of kids.
“Buster’s Buddies”was not a hit with NYC’s young viewers and the station execs at Ch.7 closed down Buster’s tv ranch following the Friday March 26,1954
Buster Crabbe would go onto star on one more tv series the desert adventure program”Captain Gallant” on NBC TV in the mid 1950’s.
Buster Crabbe
What a man – loved him in the black and white Flash Gordon – he was amazing – not sure if i recall Busters Buddies though
Hello Mister Butler,
Do you happen to know if any episodes of “Buster’s Buddies!’ still exist today? My father and uncle were part of the studio audience in 1953 and he was wondering if there might be a chance there was a copy of that episode out there somewhere. So far my online search has brought up an ebay listen for 3 episodes of the Buster Crabbe Show, which wouldn’t have been the episode of Buster’s Buddies. The listing also seemed to indicate that even finding those episodes was a rarity in and of itself. Also my search brought me here, so I thought I’d ask.
– Derek
Dear Mr.Crabbe,I’m sorry..but there are no kinny film prints of”The Buster Crabbe Show”/”Buster’s Buddies”that are know to exist..when I interviewed one of the directors of The WJZ/WABC TV Ch.7 NYC version of the show..Mr.Paul Burgraph in NYC..years ago..I asked him if any kinnies of the show survive..sadly he said no..no kinescopes and he didn’t have any photos of the show..I wish that I could be of more help to you.
BTW:is your father or your uncle..Mr.Cullen(“Cuffy”)Crabbe…who played”Cuffy” with Mr.Buster Crabbe on”The Captain Gallant TV Show”?