Budd Leland Buster, usually credited as Budd Buster, was an American actor known for Bwestern films. He sometimes was credited as George Selk in his later work.
Early life
Buster was born either Budd Leland Buster or Leland Buster near Colorado Springs, Colorado on June 14, 1891. His parents were John M. Buster and Anna Moore Buster, both from Missouri. According to the 1900 census, the family resided in Colorado Springs, and included Buster’s one year younger sister, Demple, and his paternal grandmother. By 1920, Buster was part-owner with his father of Colorado Springs Auto and Carriage Livery Company, lived in Ivywild, Colorado, and had two children, Mary Jane and John with his wife, Mary. Buster had experience in vaudeville. Vaudeville provided experience with makeup, enabling Buster to appear as a wide variety of characters.
Silent films
From 1909 to 1915, Buster acted in leading-man roles in silent films.
Lean and energetic, Buster appeared in 132 B western films. He was one of the most prolific character actors in B westerns, appearing as a wide variety of stock characters. Each year from 1935 to 1946, he was in 20 or more movies, with a peak of 32 movies in 1937. He appeared in 304 films in a career spanning from 1933 to 1960, excluding a hiatus from 1949 to 1952 coinciding with the decline of Poverty Row. His final film appearance was a bit part in the major movie Guns of the Timberland in 1960.
In Bob Steele’sCavalry, Buster had the role of Steele’s wagon boss sidekick, as well as Abraham Lincoln. Buster was sidekick to Tom Keene in Drums of Destiny, to Bob Steele in Feud of the Range and to Jack Randall in Covered Wagon Trails. Buster appeared in Westward Ho as "Henchman Coffee" in 1942. One of Buster's best roles was as the protector of the female lead "Belle Blaine" in Trail of Terror with Dave O’Brien and James Newill.
Other media
In other film genres, Buster had minor roles in Bus Stop, a 1956 film, and the 1953 It Came from Outer Space. Buster appeared in character for national billboard campaigns, including Studebaker and the then-popular Eastside Beer. Two of his last roles were Buster's rare appearances in television westerns, Gene Autry: Outlaw Warning in 1954, and Buffalo Bill, Jr.: Black Ghost in 1955.
Personal life
Buster’s son, John L. Buster, acted in two mid-1940s Buster Crabbe westerns produced by PRC. He played henchman Steve in Fighting Bill Carson, and sang and played guitar in Prairie Badmen.
Death
Buster died in Los Angeles, California, from a heart attack at the age of 74 on December 22, 1965.
