Buster "King" Crabbe
From Athlete to Star

by: Mario DeMarco

    As "Crabbe" implies slowness, how did an actor and heroic figure named Clarence Linden ever retain such a moniker? One movie historian cleverly deducted that "Crabbe" ties in with "water action," a skill that Buster specialized in.
    Clarence Linden Crabbe was born in Oakland, California on February 7, 1909. How he later became a tremendous swimmer was attributed to the fact that the Crabbe family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii when he was a mere infant. While attending high school, he became a star athlete in a variety of sports including swimming. Buster attended the University of Hawaii where he continued to excel in athletics.
    Buster returned to the continental States and enrolled at the University of Southern California, where fame and fortune beckoned him. Due to his great prowess as a swimmer, he was chosen for the United States swimming team in the 1932 Olympics. He swam away with the gold medal in the 400-meter free style competition. One year later, he made headlines in the sports pages......................