View source for Van Johnson

{{Short description|American actor (1916–2008)}}
{{for multi|the American racing driver|Van Johnson (racing driver)|the American politician|Van R. Johnson}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Van Johnson
| image              = Van Johnson by Eric Carpenter, 1947.jpg
| caption            = Johnson in 1947
| birth_name         = Charles Van Dell Johnson
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1916|8|25}}
| birth_place        = [[Newport, Rhode Island]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2008|12|12|1916|8|25}}
| death_place        = [[Nyack, New York]], U.S.
| years_active       = 1935–1992
| occupation         = Actor
| spouse             = {{marriage|Eve Lynn Abbott Wynn|1947|1968|reason=divorced}}
| children           = 1
| relatives          =  [[Tracy Keenan Wynn]] (stepson)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/12/van.johnson/ |title=Van Johnson, film, television and stage star, dies at 92 |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=December 12, 2008 |access-date=August 9, 2017}}</ref>
}}
'''Charles Van Dell Johnson''' (August 25, 1916<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |date=December 12, 2008 |title=Van Johnson, Film Actor, Is Dead at 92 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/movies/13johnson.html |access-date=June 15, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> &nbsp;– December 12, 2008) was an American actor and dancer. He had a prolific career in film, television, theatre and radio, which spanned over 50 years, from 1940 to 1992. He was a major star at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] during and after [[World War II]], known for his upbeat and "all-American" screen persona, often playing young military servicemen,<ref name="Svetkey" /> or in [[Musical film|musicals]].

Originally a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] dancer, Johnson achieved his breakthrough playing a rookie bomber pilot in ''[[A Guy Named Joe]]'' (1943). Throughout the [[World War II|war]] years, he became a popular Hollywood star,  as the embodiment of the "boy-next-door wholesomeness" playing "the red-haired, freckle-faced soldier, sailor, or bomber pilot who used to live down the street"<ref name="Svetkey" /> in such films as ''[[The Human Comedy (film)|The Human Comedy]]'' (also 1943) and ''[[Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo]]'' (1944).<ref name="Svetkey" /> After World War II, he continued to play similar heartthrob and military characters, equal parts in serious dramas like ''[[The Caine Mutiny (1954 film)|The Caine Mutiny]]'' (1954), and in light musicals like ''[[Brigadoon (film)|Brigadoon]]'' (1954).

After the end of his contract with MGM, he transitioned largely into television, though he continued to make regular film appearances in featured and supporting parts, earning an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Emmy Award]] nomination for his performance in the miniseries [[Rich Man, Poor Man (miniseries)|''Rich Man, Poor Man'']]. He continued to maintain a regular presence in musical theatre, most notably as Professor Harold Hill in the [[West End theatre|West End]] productions of ''[[The Music Man]]'' and Georges in [[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|''La Cage aux Folles'']], before retiring from acting in the early 1990s. At the time of his death in 2008, he was one of the last surviving [[matinee idol]]s of [[Golden Age of Hollywood]].<ref name="Harmetz">Aljean, Harmetz (August 12, 2008). [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/movies/13johnson.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries "Van Johnson, Film Actor, Is Dead at 92"] ''The New York Times''. Retrieved December 13, 2008.</ref>{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Early life==
Johnson was born in [[Newport, Rhode Island]], the only child<ref name="TCM"/> of Loretta (née Snyder) and Charles E. Johnson, a plumber and later a real-estate salesman. His father was born in Sweden and came to the United States as a child, and his mother had [[Pennsylvania Dutch]] ancestry.<ref name="TCM">{{cite web| url=http://www.tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/person/96027%7C150158/Van-Johnson| title=Van Johnson Biography| website=Turner Classic Movies| access-date= October 28, 2011}}</ref> His mother was allegedly an alcoholic who left the family when he was a child, and he was not close to his father.<ref>Davis 2001, p. 7.</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Handprints of Van Johnson.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Van Johnson's hand prints in front of [[The Great Movie Ride]] at [[Walt Disney World]]'s [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]] theme park]]
Johnson performed at social clubs in Newport while in high school. He moved to New York City after graduation in 1935 and joined the off-Broadway revue ''Entre Nous''.<ref name="TCM"/>

===Broadway===
Johnson toured [[New England]] in a theater troupe as a substitute dancer, but his acting career began in earnest in the Broadway revue ''New Faces of 1936''. He returned to the chorus after that and worked in summer resorts near New York City.<ref>Davis 2001, p. 27.</ref> In 1939, director and playwright [[George Abbott]] cast him in [[Rodgers and Hart]]'s ''[[Too Many Girls (musical)|Too Many Girls]]'' in the role of a college boy and as understudy for all three male leads. He had an uncredited role in the [[Too Many Girls (film)|film adaptation]] of ''Too Many Girls'', which costarred [[Lucille Ball]] and [[Desi Arnaz]], then Abbott hired him as a chorus boy and [[Gene Kelly]]'s understudy in ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]''.<ref>Davis 2001, p. 26.</ref>

===Warner Bros.===
Johnson was about to move back to New York when Lucille Ball took him to [[Chasen's]] Restaurant, where she introduced him to MGM casting director Billy Grady who was sitting at the next table. This led to screen tests by Hollywood studios. His test at [[Columbia Pictures]] was unsuccessful, but [[Warner Brothers]] put him on contract at $300 a week. He was cast as a cub reporter opposite [[Faye Emerson]] in the 1942 film ''[[Murder in the Big House]]''. His eyebrows and hair were dyed black for the role.<ref>Davis 2001, pp. 41–45.</ref> Johnson's all-American good looks and easy demeanor were ill-suited to the gritty movies that Warner made at the time, and the studio dropped him at the expiration of his six-month contract.

===MGM===
Johnson was soon signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The studio provided him with classes in acting, speech, and diction.<ref>Davis 2001, pp. 46–47, 56.</ref> He then had an uncredited part as a soldier in ''[[Somewhere I'll Find You]]'' (1942). He attracted attention in a small part in ''[[The War Against Mrs. Hadley]]'' (1942), and this encouraged MGM to cast him in their long-running series [[Dr. Kildare]]. These films had starred [[Lew Ayres]] as Dr. Kildare and [[Lionel Barrymore]] as Dr. Gillespie; Ayres' career was hurt due to being a conscientious objector, so the series focused on Dr. Gillespie mentoring new doctors. Johnson played Dr. Randall Adams in ''[[Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant]]'' (1942).

MGM then cast Johnson as [[Mickey Rooney]]'s soldier brother in ''[[The Human Comedy (film)|The Human Comedy]]'' (1943), a huge hit. He returned as Randall Adams in ''[[Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case]]'' (1943) and was in uniform again for ''[[Pilot No. 5]]'' (1943). He had a small role as a reporter in ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]'' (1943).<ref>Davis 2001, pp. 76–77.</ref>

===''A Guy Named Joe'' and stardom===
Johnson's big break was in ''[[A Guy Named Joe]]'' starring [[Spencer Tracy]] and [[Irene Dunne]], in which he played a young pilot who acquires a deceased pilot as his guardian angel. During the film's production in 1943, Johnson was involved in a serious car accident that left him with a metal plate in his forehead and a number of scars on his face that plastic surgery could not completely correct or conceal.<ref name=":0" /> He recovered at the home of [[Keenan Wynn]] before returning to acting.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |date=April 13, 1943 |title=Looking at Hollywood |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=13}}</ref> He wore heavy makeup to hide the scars for the rest of his career. MGM wanted to replace him in ''A Guy Named Joe'', but Tracy insisted that he be allowed to finish the picture, despite his long absence. The film was a great hit, earning a profit of over one million dollars and launching Johnson as a star.<ref name=":0">Davis 2001, pp. 63, 67.</ref>

Johnson's injuries from the car accident exempted him from service in World War II. Many other actors were serving in the armed forces, so the accident greatly benefited Johnson's career.<ref name="TCM"/> He later said, "There were five of us. There was [[James Craig (actor)|Jimmy Craig]], [[Robert Young (actor)|Bob Young]], [[Robert Walker (actor, born 1918)|Bobby Walker]], [[Peter Lawford]], and myself. All tested for the same part ''all'' the time." Johnson was very busy, often playing soldiers; he joked of this period, "I remember... finishing one Thursday morning with [[June Allyson]] and starting a new one Thursday afternoon with [[Esther Williams]]. I didn't know which branch of the service I was in!"<ref name="mgm2">{{cite episode| title=The Lion Reigns Supreme| series=MGM: When the Lion Roars| credits=Stewart, Patrick (host)| airdate=March 23, 1992}}</ref>

MGM built up Johnson's image as the all-American boy in war dramas and musicals. His first top-billed role in an "A" picture was the musical ''[[Two Girls and a Sailor]]'' (1944) which was a big success; it was his first film with [[June Allyson]]. He had a smaller part in ''[[The White Cliffs of Dover (film)|The White Cliffs of Dover]]'' (1944), then reprised his role as Dr. Adams in ''[[3 Men in White]]'' (1944).

[[File:30SOT trailer 27 Ellen and Ted Lawson.JPG|thumb|Photo of [[Phyllis Thaxter]] and Van Johnson from the film, [[Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo]] 1944]]

===Post-war career peak===
Johnson played [[Ted W. Lawson|Ted Lawson]] in ''[[Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo]]'' (1944) which told the story of the [[Doolittle Raid]] on Tokyo in April 1942. He played Dr. Adams one last time in ''[[Between Two Women (1945 film)|Between Two Women]]'' (1945). He starred in ''[[Thrill of a Romance]]'' (1945), a musical with [[Esther Williams]], and ''[[Week-End at the Waldorf]]'' (1945), a musical remake of ''Grand Hotel'' with [[Lana Turner]], [[Walter Pidgeon]], and [[Ginger Rogers]]. In 1945, he tied with [[Bing Crosby]] as the top box office stars.<ref name=Harmetz/>

He was reunited with Williams in ''[[Easy to Wed]]'' (1946), a musical remake of ''[[Libeled Lady]]''.<ref>Davis, Ronald L. ''Van Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy'' p. 237 citing "Ruth Rowland, "Van, the Man," Movieland 14 (August 1956)"</ref> He supported [[Spencer Tracy]] and [[Katharine Hepburn]] in ''[[State of the Union (film)|State of the Union]]'' (1948), and he supported [[Clark Gable]] and Pidgeon in the war drama ''[[Command Decision (film)|Command Decision]]'' (1948).

[[File:Thrillofaromance-esthervancharleton.jpg|thumb|Johnson with [[Carleton G. Young]] and [[Esther Williams]] in ''[[Thrill of a Romance]]'' (1945).]]
===MGM under Dore Schary===
[[20th Century Fox]] borrowed Johnson to make the comedy ''[[Mother Is a Freshman]]'' (1948) with [[Loretta Young]]. Back at MGM, he was given a role in the film noir ''[[Scene of the Crime (1949 film)|Scene of the Crime]]'' (1949). In 1949, he starred with [[Judy Garland]] in ''[[In the Good Old Summertime]]'', which also marked the first film appearance of [[Liza Minnelli]] as Garland's and Johnson's young daughter. He next worked in ''[[Battleground (film)|Battleground]]'' (1949), a movie about the [[Battle of the Bulge]] produced by MGM's new studio head [[Dore Schary]].
[[File:Van Johnson in Battleground.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Johnson continued to star in war dramas after the war ended, including ''[[Battleground (film)|Battleground]]'' (1949).]]

Johnson made the comedy ''[[The Big Hangover]]'' (1950), then was reunited with Williams in ''[[Duchess of Idaho]]'' (1951). He appeared in the romantic comedy ''[[Three Guys Named Mike]]'' (1951). He played an officer leading Japanese-American troops of the famed [[442nd Regimental Combat Team]] in Europe in the Schary-produced film ''[[Go for Broke! (1951 film)|Go for Broke!]]'' (1951). He had a small part in ''[[It's a Big Country]]'' (1951) and was reunited with Allyson for ''[[Too Young to Kiss]]'' (1951). MGM lent him to Columbia for ''[[The Caine Mutiny (1954 film)|The Caine Mutiny]]'' (1954) in the role of Stephen Maryk. He refused to allow concealment of his facial scars when being made up as Maryk, believing that they enhanced the character's authenticity. [[Herman Wouk]] describes Maryk as having "ugly but not unpleasant features" in the novel. One commentator noted years later that "[[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[Jose Ferrer]] chomp up all the scenery in this maritime courtroom drama, but it's Johnson's character, the painfully ambivalent, not-too-bright Lieutenant Steve Maryk, who binds the whole movie together."<ref name=Svetkey /> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine commented that Johnson "was a better actor than Hollywood usually allowed him to be."<ref name=Svetkey>{{cite magazine| last=Svetkey| first=Benjamin| url=https://ew.com/article/2008/12/12/van-johnson-die/| title=Remembering Van Johnson: A classic Hollywood heartthrob| magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]| date=December 12, 2008| access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

Johnson next teamed with [[Gene Kelly]] as the sardonic second lead of ''[[Brigadoon (film)|Brigadoon]]'' (1954).<ref name="TCM"/> He had the lead in ''[[The Last Time I Saw Paris]]'' (1954), his last film for MGM. He had a five-year contract with Columbia to make one film a year.<ref>{{cite news| title=New 5-Year Pact for Van Johnson: Star Signs With Columbia for One Film Annually| first=Thomas M.| last=Pryor| newspaper=The New York Times| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/05/04/archives/new-5year-pact-for-van-johnson-star-signs-with-columbia-for-one.html| date=May 4, 1954| page=36|url-access=subscription | access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

[[File:Van Johnson as Maryk - Caine Mutiny.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Johnson's critically praised performance in ''[[The Caine Mutiny (1954 film)|The Caine Mutiny]]'' (1954) was his most notable post-MGM role.]]

Unlike some other stars of that era, Johnson did not resent the restrictions of the [[studio system]]. In 1985, he said that his years at MGM were "one big happy family and a little kingdom". "Everything was provided for us, from singing lessons to barbells. All we had to do was inhale, exhale and be charming. I used to dread leaving the studio to go out into the real world, because to me the studio was the real world."<ref name=Harmetz/>

===Freelancer===
During the 1950s, Johnson continued to appear in films and also appeared frequently in television guest appearances. He appeared as the celebrity mystery guest on ''[[What's My Line?]]'' airing on November 22, 1953, but was not questioned by the panel due to advance notice of his appearance. He then appeared again on the May 22, 1955, airing and was guessed by [[Fred Allen]]. He was in ''[[The End of the Affair (1955 film)|The End of the Affair]]'' (1955) at Columbia then made ''[[The Bottom of the Bottle]]'' (1956) at Fox. He received favorable critical notices for the 1956 dramatic film ''[[Miracle in the Rain]]'', co-starring [[Jane Wyman]], in which he played a good-hearted young soldier preparing to go to war, and in the mystery ''[[23 Paces to Baker Street]]'', in which he played a blind playwright residing in London. He returned to MGM for ''[[Slander (1956 film)|Slander]]'' (1956) and ''[[Action of the Tiger]]'' (1957).

Johnson appeared as the title character of the highly rated "[[spectacle|spectacular]]," ''[[The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957 film)|The Pied Piper of Hamelin]]'', a musical version of [[Robert Browning]]'s poem, set to the music of [[Edvard Grieg]]. Featuring [[Claude Rains]] in his only singing and dancing role, it aired on November 26, 1957, as part of NBC's week of Thanksgiving specials.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DS19570620.2.52| title=Hollywood Isn't Hurt?| newspaper=[[The Desert Sun]]| location=Palm Springs| last=Connolly| first=Mike| date=June 20, 1957| access-date=August 9, 2017}}</ref> The program was so successful it spawned a record album and was repeated in 1958.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://lpcover.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/the-pied-piper-of-hamelin/| title=The Pied Piper of Hamelin| website=LP Cover Art| access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref> Syndicated to many local stations, it was rerun annually for many years in the tradition of other holiday specials.

On February 19, 1959, Johnson appeared in the episode "Deadfall" of [[CBS]]'s ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]]'' in the role of Frank Gilette, a former outlaw falsely charged with bank robbery. He is framed by Hugh Perry, a corrupt prosecutor played by [[Harry Townes]], and Deputy Stover, portrayed by [[Bing Russell]]. Convicted of the robbery, Gilette is captured by outlaws while on his way to prison, and the sheriff, Roy Lamont, portrayed by [[Grant Withers]], is killed.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0754230/| title=''Zane Grey Theatre'': "Deadfall", February 19, 1959| publisher=[[IMDb]]| access-date=September 26, 2012}}</ref>

In 1959, Johnson turned down an opportunity to star as [[Eliot Ness]] in ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'', which went on to become a successful television series with [[Robert Stack]] as Ness.<ref>{{cite news| last=Nichols| first=Michelle| url= https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE4BB6Y420081213 |title=Actor Van Johnson dies, aged 92| agency=[[Reuters]]| date=December 12, 2008| access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

Johnson guest-starred as Joe Robertson, with [[June Allyson]] and [[Don Rickles]], in the 1960 episode "The Women Who" of the CBS [[anthology series]] ''[[The DuPont Show with June Allyson]]''. In 1961 Johnson traveled to England to star in [[Harold Fielding]]'s production of ''[[The Music Man]]'' at the [[Adelphi Theatre]] in London. The show enjoyed a successful run of almost a year, with Johnson playing the arduous leading role of Harold Hill to great acclaim.
In 1968 he was in the successful MGM film ''[[Yours, Mine and Ours (1968 film)|''Yours, Mine and Ours'' (1968 film)]]'' along with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.

Johnson also guest-starred on ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' as "The Minstrel" in two episodes (39 and 40) in 1966. In the 1970s, he appeared on ''[[Here's Lucy]]'', ''[[Quincy, M.E.]]'', ''[[McMillan & Wife]]'' and ''[[Love, American Style]]''. He played a lead character in the 1976 miniseries ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man (TV miniseries)|Rich Man, Poor Man]]'', and was nominated for a prime time [[Emmy Award]] for that role. In the 1980s, he appeared on an episode of [[Angela Lansbury]]'s ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' along with June Allyson. He also appeared in a special two-part episode of ''[[The Love Boat]]'', "The Musical: My Ex-Mom; The Show Must Go On; The Pest, Parts 1 and 2" which aired on February 27, 1982, and co-starred [[Ann Miller]], [[Ethel Merman]], [[Della Reese]], [[Carol Channing]], and [[Cab Calloway]].

In the 1970s, after twice fighting bouts of cancer, Johnson began a second career in [[summer stock]] and [[dinner theater]]. In 1985, returning to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] for the first time since ''Pal Joey'', he was cast in the starring role of the musical ''[[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|La Cage aux Folles]]''. In that same year he appeared in a supporting role in [[Woody Allen]]'s ''[[The Purple Rose of Cairo]]''. At the age of 75, now grey and rotund, he toured in ''[[Show Boat]]'' as Captain Andy. His last film appearance was in ''Three Days to a Kill'' (1992). In 2003, he appeared with [[Betsy Palmer]] for three performances of [[A. R. Gurney]]'s ''Love Letters'' at a theater in [[Wesley Hills]], New York.<ref name="Journalnews">Khurram, Saeed (December 13, 2008). [http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081213/NEWS03/812130357 "Actor Van Johnson dies in Nyack at 92"]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}. ''The Journal News''.</ref>

==Personal life==
Johnson married former stage actress Eve Abbott (1914–2004) on January 25, 1947, the day after her divorce was finalized from actor [[Keenan Wynn]]. Their daughter Schuyler was born in 1948. By this marriage, Johnson gained stepsons Edmond Keenan (Ned) and screenwriter [[Tracy Keenan Wynn]]. In a statement by Eve, published after her death at age 90, she said MGM had engineered her marriage to Johnson to cover up his alleged homosexuality. "They needed their 'big star' to be married to quell rumors about his sexual preferences and unfortunately, I was 'It'{{snd}}the only woman he would marry."<ref name=eve>Vallance, Tom. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/evie-wynn-johnson-550363.html Obituary: Evie Wynn Johnson, Actress and ambitious Hollywood wife] ''The Independent'', December 8, 2004.</ref> Commenting on their complicated relationships, Keenan Wynn's father [[Ed Wynn]] said, "I can't keep them straight. Evie loved Keenan. Keenan loves Evie. Van loves Evie. Evie loves Van. Van loves Keenan. Keenan loves Van."<ref name="eve" />

Johnson's biographer Ronald L. Davis writes that it "seems to have been well known in the film capital" that Johnson had homosexual tendencies, but this was never reported or hinted at by newspaper columnists or movie magazine writers during the era when Johnson made movies.<ref name=davis>{{cite book| last=Davis| first=Ronald L.| title=Van Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy| year=2001| publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi| location=Jackson| isbn=978-1604737073| pages=104–105| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RG2PFR0tFSAC&q=gay}}</ref> Studio executive [[Louis B. Mayer]] made strenuous efforts to quash any potential scandal regarding Johnson and any of his actor-friends whom Mayer suspected of being homosexual.<ref name=davis/> Johnson's marriage to Eve Abbott ended four years after Mayer's death when Johnson, performing as Professor Harold Hill in ''[[The Music Man]]'' in the [[West End theatre|West End]] in London, is alleged to have begun an affair with a male dancer in the production, according to her son Ned Wynn. He claimed that Johnson left her "for a man{{snd}}a boy, really. He's the lead boy dancer."<ref name="eve"/> The couple separated in 1961 and their divorce was finalized in 1968.<ref>Wynn 1990, p. 213.</ref><ref>Wayne 2006, p. 463.</ref>

In contrast to his "cheery Van" screen image, Eve claimed that he was morose and moody because of his difficult early life. She reported that he had little tolerance for unpleasantness and would stride into his bedroom and seclude himself at the slightest hint of trouble. He had a difficult relationship with his father growing up, and he was estranged from his daughter at the time of his death.<ref name=Harmetz/>

==Later years and death==
[[File:Van Johnson star HWF.JPG|thumb|right|Star on [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6600 Hollywood Blvd.]]
Johnson retired from acting in the early 1990s and lived in a penthouse at 405 East 54th Street on Manhattan's [[East Side (Manhattan)|East Side]]. He moved to Tappan Zee Manor, an assisted living facility in Nyack, New York. He died there on December 12, 2008, at age 92. His remains were cremated.<ref name=AP>{{cite news| last=Kuchwara| first=Michael| url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/actor-van-johnson-s-heartthrob-dies-at/article_01053483-b3c3-5be5-9c19-aebbf9e02933.html |title=Van Johnson, '40s heartthrob, dies at 92| newspaper=[[Columbia Missourian]]| agency=[[Associated Press]]| date=December 12, 2008| access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Johnson was never nominated for an [[Academy Award]] and, during the height of his career, was noted mainly for his cheerful screen presence. Reflecting on his career after his death, one critic observed that Johnson was "capable of an Oscar-worthy performance, and that's more than most movie stars can claim".<ref name=Svetkey/> For his contribution to the [[film industry]], Johnson has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6600 Hollywood Blvd.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ '''Film'''
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Too Many Girls (film)|Too Many Girls]]''
| Chorus boy
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1942
| ''[[Murder in the Big House]]''
| Bert Bell
|
|-
| ''For the Common Defense!''
| Agent Pritchard
| Short film
|-
| ''[[Somewhere I'll Find You]]''
| Lieutenant Wade Hall
| Uncredited
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|War Against Mrs. Hadley}}''
| Michael Fitzpatrick
|
|-
| ''[[Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant]]''
| Dr. Randall 'Red' Adams
|
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1943
| ''{{sortname|The|Human Comedy|The Human Comedy (film)}}''
| Marcus Macauley
|
|-
| ''[[Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case]]''
| Dr. Randall 'Red' Adams
|
|-
| ''[[Pilot No. 5]]''
| Everett Arnold
|
|-
| ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]''
| Reporter
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|A|Guy Named Joe}}''
| Ted Randall
|
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1944
| ''[[Two Girls and a Sailor]]''
| John Dyckman Brown III
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|White Cliffs of Dover|The White Cliffs of Dover (1944 film)}}''
| Sam Bennett
|
|-
| ''[[3 Men in White]]''
| Dr. Randall 'Red' Ames
|
|-
| ''[[Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo]]''
| [[Ted W. Lawson]]
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1945
| ''[[Between Two Women (1945 film)|Between Two Women]]''
| Dr. Randall 'Red' Adams
|
|-
|''[[Thrill of a Romance]]''
| Major Thomas Milvaine
|
|-
| ''[[Week-End at the Waldorf]]''
| Captain James Hollis
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1946
| ''[[Easy to Wed]]''
| William Stevens 'Bill' Chandler
|
|-
| ''[[No Leave, No Love]]''
| Sergeant Michael Hanlon
|
|-
| ''[[Till the Clouds Roll By]]''
| Bandleader in Elite Club
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1947
| ''[[High Barbaree (film)|High Barbaree]]''
| Alec Brooke
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Romance of Rosy Ridge}}''
| Henry Carson
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1948
| ''{{sortname|The|Bride Goes Wild}}''
| Greg Rawlings
|
|-
| ''[[State of the Union (film)|State of the Union]]''
| Spike McManus
|
|-
| ''[[Command Decision (film)|Command Decision]]''
| Technical Sergeant Immanuel T. Evans
|
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1949
| ''[[Mother Is a Freshman]]''
| Professor Richard Michaels
|
|-
| ''[[Scene of the Crime (1949 film)|Scene of the Crime]]''
| Mike Conovan
|
|-
| ''[[In the Good Old Summertime]]''
| Andrew Delby Larkin
|
|-
| ''[[Battleground (film)|Battleground]]''
| Holley
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1950
| ''{{sortname|The|Big Hangover}}''
| David Muldon
|
|-
| ''[[Duchess of Idaho]]''
| Dick Layne
|
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1951
| ''[[Grounds for Marriage]]''
| Dr. Lincoln I. Bartlett
|
|-
| ''[[Three Guys Named Mike]]''
| Mike Lawrence
|
|-
| ''[[Go for Broke! (1951 film)|Go for Broke!]]''
| Lieutenant Michael Grayson
|
|-
| ''[[It's a Big Country]]''
| Rev. Adam Burch
|
|-
| ''[[Too Young to Kiss]]''
| Eric Wainwright
|
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1952
| ''[[Invitation (1952 film)|Invitation]]''
| Daniel I. "Dan" Pierce
|
|-
| ''[[When in Rome (1952 film)|When in Rome]]''
| Father John X. Halligan
|
|-
| ''[[Washington Story]]''
| Joseph T. Gresham
|
|-
| ''[[Plymouth Adventure]]''
| [[John Alden]]
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1953
| ''[[Confidentially Connie]]''
| Joe Bedloe
|
|-
| ''[[Remains to Be Seen (film)|Remains to Be Seen]]''
| Waldo Williams
|
|-
| ''[[Easy to Love (1953 film)|Easy to Love]]''
| Ray Lloyd
|
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1954
|''[[Siege at Red River]]''
| Capt. James S. Simmons / Jim Farraday
|
|-
|''[[Men of the Fighting Lady]]''
| Lt. (JG) Howard Thayer
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Caine Mutiny|The Caine Mutiny (1954 film)}}''
| Lt. Stephen Maryk, USNR
|
|-
| ''[[Brigadoon (film)|Brigadoon]]''
| Jeff Douglas
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Last Time I Saw Paris}}''
| Charles Wills
|
|-
| 1955
| ''{{sortname|The|End of the Affair|The End of the Affair (1955 film)}}''
| Maurice Bendrix
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1956
| ''[[The Bottom of the Bottle]]''
| Donald Martin / Eric Bell
|
|-
| ''[[Miracle in the Rain (film)|Miracle in the Rain]]''
| Pvt 1st class Arthur Hugenon
|
|-
| ''[[23 Paces to Baker Street]]''
| Phillip Hannon
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1957
| ''[[Slander (1956 film)|Slander]]''
| Scott Ethan Martin
|
|-
| ''[[Kelly and Me]]''
| Len Carmody
|
|-
| ''[[Action of the Tiger]]''
| Carson
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1959
| ''[[The Last Blitzkrieg]]''
| Lt. Hans Von Kroner / Sgt. Leonard Richardson
|
|-
| ''[[Subway in the Sky]]''
| Major Baxter Grant
|
|-
| ''[[Beyond This Place (1959 film)|Beyond This Place]]''
| Paul Mathry
|
|-
| 1960
| ''[[The Enemy General]]''
| Allan Lemaire ([[Office of Strategic Services|OSS]] agent)
|
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Wives and Lovers (film)|Wives and Lovers]]''
| Bill Austin
|
|-
| 1967
| ''[[Divorce American Style]]''
| Al Yearling
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1968
| ''[[Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows]]''
| Father Chase
|
|-
| ''[[Yours, Mine and Ours (1968 film)|Yours, Mine and Ours]]''
| Warrant Officer Darrel Harrison
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1969
| ''[[Eagles Over London]]''
| Air Marshal George Taylor
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Price of Power}}''
| President James Garfield
| Alternative titles: ''La muerte de un presidente'' / ''Texas''.
|-

| 1971
| ''[[Eye of the Spider]]''
| Professor Orson Krüger
| Alternative title: ''L'occhio del ragno''.
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1979
| ''[[The Concorde Affair]]''
| Captain Scott
| Alternative title: ''Concorde Affaire '79''.
|-
| ''[[From Corleone to Brooklyn]]''
| Lieutenant Sturges
| Alternative titles: ''Da Corleone a Brooklyn'' / ''The Sicilian Boss''.
|-
| 1980
| ''{{sortname|The|Kidnapping of the President}}''
| Vice President Ethan Richards
|
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Scorpion with Two Tails]]''
| Mulligan&nbsp;– Joan's father
|
|-
| 1985
| ''{{sortname|The|Purple Rose of Cairo}}''
| Larry Wilde
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1988
| ''Laggiù nella giungla''
| Professor
|
|-
| ''Taxi Killer''
| Police Lt. R. Bradford
|
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Killer Crocodile]]''
| Judge
|
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Flight from Paradise]]''
| Old Narrator
|
|-
| 1991
| ''Delta Force Commando II: Priority Red One''
| Gen. McCailland
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1992
| ''[[Clowning Around]]''
| Mr. Ranthow
|
|-
| ''Three Days to a Kill''
| Comm. Howard
| (final film role)
|-
|}
<!-- TELEVISION WORK -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ '''Television'''
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1955
| ''[[I Love Lucy]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "The Dancing Star"
|-
| 1957
| ''{{sortname|The|Pied Piper of Hamelin|The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957 film)}}''
| Pied Piper/Truson
| Television special
|-
| 1959
| ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]]''
| Frank Gilette
| Episode: "Deadfall"
|-
| 1960
| ''[[General Electric Theater]]''
| Jimmy Devlin
| Episode: "At Your Service"
|-
| 1960
| ''{{sortname|The|Ann Sothern Show}}''
| Terry Tyler
| Episode: "Loving Arms"
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Ben Casey]]''
| Frank Dawson
| Episode: "A Man, a Maid, and a Marionette"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1966
| ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]''
| The Minstrel
| Episodes: "The Minstrel's Shakedown" / "Barbecued Batman?"
|-
| ''[[The Doomsday Flight]]''
| Captain Anderson, Pilot
| TV movie written by [[Rod Serling]] about a bomb threat to a plane.
|-
| 1967
| ''{{sortname|The|Danny Thomas Hour}}''
| Charlie Snow
| Episode: "Is Charlie Coming?"
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Here's Lucy]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50?"
|-
| 1971
| ''[[The Men from Shiloh]]''
| Alonzo
| Episode: "The Angus Killer"
|-
| 1971
| ''{{sortname|The|Doris Day Show}}''
| Charlie Webb
| Episodes: "Cousin Charlie" / "The Albatross"
|-
| 1971
| ''[[Love, American Style]]''
| Don
| Segment: "Love and the House Bachelor"
|-
| 1972
| ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]''
| Henry
| Episode: "Flashback"
|-
| 1974
| ''[[McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]''
| Dan Kiley
| Episode: "This Must Be the Alamo"
|-
| 1974
| ''[[McMillan & Wife]]''
| Harry Jerome
| Episode: "Downshift to Danger"
|-
| 1974
| ''[[The Girl on the Late, Late Show]]''
|Johnny Leverett
| TV movie
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man (miniseries)|Rich Man, Poor Man]]''
| Marsh Goodwin
| Miniseries <br> Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Comedy or Drama Series]]
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man Book II]]''
| Marsh Goodwin
| Miniseries
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Quincy, M.E.]]''
| Al Ringerman
| Episodes: "Snake Eyes" (Parts 1 & 2)
|-
| 1978
| ''[[The Love Boat]]''
| Bert Wyler
| S2 E9 "Her Own Two Feet"
|-
| 1982
| ''[[One Day at a Time (1975 TV series)|One Day at a Time]]''
| Gus Webster
| Episode: "Grandma's Nest Egg"
|-
| 1982
| ''[[The Love Boat]]''
| Various roles
| Segments: "The Musical" / "My Ex-Mom" / "The Show Must Go On" / "The Pest" / "My Aunt, the Worrier"
|-
|1983
|''[[The Forgotten Story (TV series)|The Forgotten Story]]''
| Perry
| Miniseries
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)|Tales of the Unexpected]]''
| Gerry T. Armstrong
| Episode: "[[List of Tales of the Unexpected episodes#Series Six|Down Among the Sheltering Palms]]"
|-
| 1984–1990
| ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''
| Various roles
| Episodes: "Hannigan's Wake" / "Menace, Anyone?" / "Hit, Run and Homicide"
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985 TV series)|Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
| Art Bellasco
| Episode: "Killer Takes All"
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Coming of Age (1988 TV series)|Coming of Age]]''
| "Red" Pepper
| Episode: "Pauline et Rouge"
|}

===Box office ranking===
For a number of years film exhibitors voted Johnson among the most popular stars in the country:
* 1945 – 2nd (US)
* 1946 – 3rd (US)
* 1950 – 18th (US)
* 1951 – 24th (US)

==Stage work==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ '''Stage'''
|-
! Year
! Title
|-
| 1936 || ''Eight Men in Manhattan''
|-
| 1936 || ''New Faces of 1936''
|-
| 1939 || ''[[Too Many Girls (musical)|Too Many Girls]]''
|-
| 1940 || ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]''
|-
| 1961–63; 1973 || ''[[The Music Man]]''
|-
| 1962 || ''Come On Strong''
|-
| 1963 || ''[[Bye Bye Birdie]]''
|-
| 1963; 1971 || ''[[Damn Yankees]]''
|-
| 1963 || ''[[Guys and Dolls]]''
|-
| 1964 || ''[[A Thousand Clowns]]''
|-
| 1965 || ''Mating Dance''
|-
| 1966 || ''[[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever]]''
|-
| 1968 || ''[[Bells Are Ringing (musical)|Bells Are Ringing]]''
|-
| 1968 || ''The Great Sebastians''
|-
| 1968; 1971; 1974 || ''[[There's a Girl in My Soup (play)]]''
|-
| 1970 || ''[[Forty Carats]]''
|-
| 1972; 1974 || ''Help Stamp Out Marriage''
|-
| 1974 || ''[[6 Rms Riv Vu]]''
|-
| 1975 || ''[[Boeing-Boeing (play)|Boeing-Boeing]]''
|-
| 1977 || ''[[How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (musical)|How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying]]''
|-
| 1980 || ''[[Tribute (play)|Tribute]]''
|-
| 1983 || ''[[No, No, Nanette]]''
|-
| 1985 || ''[[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|La Cage aux Folles]]''
|-
|1991
|[[Showboat (musical)|''Showboat'']]
|-
|}

==Radio appearances==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Program !! Episode/source
|-
| 1944|| ''[[Burns and Allen#Radio|The Burns and Allen Show]]''|| NA<ref>{{cite news| last1=Hilton| first1=Chuck| title=On the Beam| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2351983/on_the_beam_082944/| newspaper=[[The Mason City Globe-Gazette]]| date=August 29, 1944| page=2| via=[[Newspapers.com]]| access-date=May 4, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|-
| 1946|| ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' || ''[[You Came Along]]''<ref>{{cite news| title='Lux" Guest| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5711250/harrisburg_telegraph/| newspaper=Harrisburg Telegraph| date=January 5, 1946| page=15| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=June 26, 2016}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|-
| 1946|| ''[[The Jack Benny Show]]'' || ''[[Weekend at the ACME Plaza]]''
|-
| 1952|| ''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' || ''Billy the Kid''<ref>{{cite news| last1=Kirby| first1=Walter| title=Better Radio Programs for the Week| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2560026/the_decatur_daily_review/| newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review| date=December 28, 1952| page=36| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=June 5, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|-
| 1953|| ''[[Theatre Guild on the Air]]'' || ''State Fair''<ref name=ddr1>{{cite news| last1=Kirby| first1=Walter| title=Better Radio Programs for the Week| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2648002/the_decatur_daily_review/| newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review| date=January 4, 1953| page=38| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=June 19, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|-
| 1953|| ''Broadway Playhouse''|| ''[[Detective Story (play)|Detective Story]]''<ref name="ddr1"/>
|}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Beecher, Elizabeth. ''Van Johnson: The Luckiest Guy in the World.'' Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Co., 1947.<!--Books prior to 1966 do not have ISBNs-->
* Davis, Ronald. [https://books.google.com/books?id=RG2PFR0tFSAC&dq=Van+Johnson:+The+Luckiest+Guy+in+the+World&pg=PA239 ''Van Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy'']. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2001. {{ISBN|978-1-57806-377-2}}.
* Eyman, Scott. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Jid5xNh89wgC&q=Lion+of+Hollywood:+The+Life+and+Legend+of+Louis+B.+Mayer ''Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer'']. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. {{ISBN|978-1-43910-791-1}}.
* Wayne, Jane Ellen. ''The Leading Men of MGM.'' New York: Carroll & Graf, 2006. {{ISBN|0-7867-1768-8}}.
* Wynn, Ned. ''We Will Always Live in Beverly Hills: Growing Up Crazy in Hollywood.'' New York: William Morrow & Co., 1990. {{ISBN|0-517-10885-2}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|4496}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{cite news| url= http://www.providencejournal.com/entertainmentlife/20160824/on-tv-thursday-100th-birthday-tribute-to-ri-native-van-johnson |title= Remembering Van Johnson at 100| work= Providence Journal| access-date= September 22, 2016}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Van}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American gay actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male radio actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American people of Pennsylvania Dutch descent]]
[[Category:American people of Swedish descent]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Male actors from Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:Entertainers from Newport, Rhode Island]]