Thanks to Michael Slaven, a son of Brad "Buster" Slaven, for some background information on his father.
Brad's parents, Michael and Alice (Bradley) Slaven, emigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1922, and from there to Seattle.
Mathhew Bradley Slaven was born there, and the family moved on to Los Angeles, specifically Hollywood and Culver City.
Michael worked in the masonry and fancy concrete trade in which he'd been engaged in Scotland.
Brad or "Buster" started his acting career in the "Our Gang" comedies and had many onscreen
appearances as a child and youth. His appearances were often fleeting and uncreditted, many times as a newsboy
or messanger boy. Films in which he appeared (according to the Internet Movie Database) included
Roman Scandals, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Bringing Up Baby, Young Tom Edison, and Pride and Prejudice.
Brad's film career was interrupted by World War; he served overseas as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot. During the war
he was shot down over Germany and spent six months as a prisoner of war.
After the war, back in Hollywood Brad made the transition to adult roles, appearing in
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy, Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Mother Wore Tights.
Today he's probably most often remembered for the "B" grade Westerns he appeared in, such as Song of the Sierras,
Law of the Lash, Border Feud, Stage to Mesa City, and Return of the Lash. Following his acting career,
Brad went on to a second career of 30 years as an airline captain for Western Airlines, and raised a family of six children.
The photo at top and right were from 1937 casting books, and the one below is from 1947. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing
the photos.
Copyright © 2008 Larry Slavens. All rights reserved.