Harold Herman "Stubby" Kruger (September 21, 1897 – October 7, 1965) was an American competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

who represented the United States at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...

in Antwerp, Belgium. Kruger swam in the event final of the men's 100-meter backstroke and finished fifth overall. Kruger married dancer and actress Evan-Burrows Fontaine in 1928 or 29. A son Bobby was born to this union before their divorce in 1935. Kruger was a colleague of

Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller ( ; born Johann Peter Weißmüller, ; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was a Hungarian-born German American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive-swimming records o ...

's and performed at carnivals and fairs billed as the Incomparable Water Comedian. He also had a career in Hollywood as an actor and

stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...

that began in the silent era and lasted well into the 1950s. His last film credit was as

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...

's double in ''

The Old Man and the Sea ''The Old Man and the Sea'' is a 1952 novella by the American author Ernest Hemingway. Written between December 1950 and February 1951, it was the last major fictional work Hemingway published during his lifetime. It tells the story of Santiag ...

''. In 1986, Kruger was inducted into the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

as a "pioneer swimmer."Stubby Kruger 68, Stunt Man Dies-The Gettysburg Times, October 8, 1965, pg. 5, Ancestry.com Sometime after his divorce, he married Annie Young. They are buried together at Diamond Head Memorial Park in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Stubby Kruger (USA)
– Honor Pioneer Swimmer/Diver profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kruger, Harold 1897 births 1965 deaths American male backstroke swimmers American stunt performers Olympic swimmers for the United States Swimmers from Honolulu Swimmers at the 1920 Summer Olympics 20th-century American sportsmen

Filmography

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