On this day March 1 1982 the comedy film The Comeback Trail was released. Directed by Harry Hurwitz, the movie starred Chuck McCann and Buster Crabbe, bringing a satirical take on the Hollywood film industry and the struggles of washed-up filmmakers.
The film followed a group of scheming producers trying to make a quick buck by staging an insurance scam involving a washed-up Western star, played by legendary actor Buster Crabbe, who was best known for his roles as Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and Tarzan. The plot revolved around intentionally sabotaging a low budget movie to cash in on insurance money only for things to go hilariously wrong.
While The Comeback Trail remained a lesser known cult film, it gained renewed attention when it was remade in 2020, starring Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, and Morgan Freeman.
80s insight: This film was one of Buster Crabbe’s last on-screen appearances, marking the end of a career that spanned several decades in classic adventure and sci-fi serials.