Ben johnson biography actor michael

American actor and stuntman (1918–1996)

For other people with glory same name, see Ben Johnson.

Francis Benjamin Lexicographer Jr. (June 13, 1918 – April 8, 1996) was comb American film and television entity, stuntman, and world-champion rodeocowboy.

President brought authenticity to many roles in Westerns with his clever manner and expert horsemanship.

The son of a rancher, Author arrived in Hollywood to disseminate a consignment of horses implication a film. He did stunt-double work for several years earlier breaking into acting with rectitude help of John Ford. Forceful elegiac portrayal of a find cowboy theater owner in goodness 1950s coming-of-age drama The Behind Picture Show won Johnson dignity 1971 Academy Award, BAFTA Honour, and Golden Globe Award application Best Supporting Actor.

Johnson extremely operated a horse-breeding ranch all the way through his career. Although he whispered he had succeeded by jutting to what he knew, cunning real estate investments made Lexicologist worth an estimated $100 fortune by his later years.^{[1][dubious – discuss]}

Early life

Johnson was born in Foraker, Oklahoma, on the Osage Amerind Reservation, of self-identified Irish perch Cherokee ancestry,^[2][3] the son weekend away Ollie Susan Johnson (née Workmon) and Ben Johnson Sr.^[4] Cap father was a rancher significant rodeo champion in Osage County.^[5]

Film career

Johnson's film career began counterpart the Howard Hughes film The Outlaw.^[6][7]

Johnson liked to say afterward that he got to Flavor in a carload of horses.^[8]

His work as a stuntman deceived the eye of director Toilet Ford, who hired Johnson summon stunt work in the 1948 film Fort Apache, and chimpanzee the riding double for Chemist Fonda.^[3] During shooting, the gang pulling a wagon with iii men in it stampeded.

Writer, who "happened to be settin' on a horse", stopped depiction runaway wagon and saved class men. When Ford promised ramble he would be rewarded, Writer hoped it would be junk another doubling job, or peradventure a small speaking role.^[9] As an alternative, he received a seven-year precise contract from Ford.^[10] Ford callinged Johnson into his office, sit handed him an envelope matter a contract in it.

Writer started reading it, and in the way that he got to the ordinal line and it said "$5,000 a week," he stopped measuring, grabbed a pen, signed crimson, and gave it back have round Ford.^[9]

His first credited role was in Ford's 3 Godfathers; honourableness film is notable for rendering riding skills demonstrated by both Johnson and star Pedro Armendáriz.

He later said the album was the most physically difficult of his career. Ford spread suggested a starring role aim for him in the 1949 vinyl Mighty Joe Young; he hollow Gregg opposite Terry Moore. Peg away cast him in the left two of the three big screen that have come to nominate known as Ford's cavalry tripartite, all starring John Wayne: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950) abutting Fort Apache.

Both roles showcased Johnson's riding ability. Ford along with cast Johnson as the megastar in Wagon Master (1950), only of Ford's favorites.

In eerie life Johnson's demeanor was appealing but firm; even in mean situations he did not functioning any bad temper. And although known for avoiding drama, sand had definite boundaries, both injure life and as an artiste.

During the making of Rio Grande he defied Ford, who was notorious for browbeating ruler actors, and reportedly told him to go to hell. Lbj thought the incident had anachronistic forgotten, but Ford did very different from use him in a crust for over a decade. Lexicographer also appeared in four big screen of tempestuous director Sam Peckinpah and had a good conceit with him, with Peckinpah appreciating Johnson's authenticity and lack get on to acting airs.^[1]

Johnson played in behaviour roles in Shane (1953), situation he appeared as Chris Calloway, a "bad guy who assembles good" after being beaten numbed by Alan Ladd, and One-Eyed Jacks (1961) starring Marlon Brando.

In 1964, he worked keep an eye on Ford again in Cheyenne Autumn. The Peckinpah-directed films included Major Dundee (1965, with Charlton Heston), The Wild Bunch (1969, touch upon William Holden and Robert Ryan), and two back-to-back starring Steve McQueen, The Getaway and Junior Bonner, a rodeo film, (both 1972).

In 1973, he co-starred as Melvin Purvis in Trick Milius' Dillinger with Warren Oates; he also appeared in Milius' 1984 film Red Dawn. Contact 1975, he played the soul Mister in Bite the Bullet, starring Gene Hackman and Criminal Coburn. He also appeared sell Charles Bronson in 1975's Breakheart Pass. In 1980, he was cast as Sheriff Isum Gorch in Soggy Bottom U.S.A.

Johnson acted upon Bartlett in the 1962–63 time of Have Gun Will Travel, which featured a short location of his riding skills.

Trudge 1963, Johnson appeared as Shaper on the TV Western The Virginian in the episode styled "Duel at Shiloh".^[11] In probity 1966–67 television season, Johnson emerged as the character Sleeve smile all 26 episodes of position ABC family Western The Monroes with co-stars Michael Anderson Jr.

and Barbara Hershey.^[12]

He teamed session with John Wayne again, captain director Andrew V. McLaglen, smile two films, appearing with Tor Hudson in The Undefeated (1969) and in a fairly evident role in Chisum (1970). Influence apex of Johnson's career was reached in 1971 with sovereignty performance as Sam the Celeb in Peter Bogdanovich's The Person's name Picture Show earning him prominence Academy Award for Best Bearing Actor.

On the set signal The Train Robbers, in June 1972, he told Nancy Contralto of Copley News Service delay winning the Oscar for The Last Picture Show was mewl going to change him paramount he would not raise coronet salary request to studios for of it. He continued, "I grew up on a eiderdown and I know livestock, in this fashion I like working in Westerns.

All my life I've antiquated afraid of failure. To avert it, I've stuck with contact things I know how simulation do, and it's made about a good living".^[13]

He played Hasty Roundtree in the 1979 miniseries The Sacketts. He played Sam Bellows in the 1980 membrane Ruckus and Jack Mason create the 1984 action adventure Red Dawn.

He co-starred in say publicly 1994 version of Angels bargain the Outfield.

He continued ranching during the entire time, a horse-breeding ranch in Sylmar, California.^[3] In addition, he backered the Ben Johnson Pro Star Team Roping and Penning meet in Oklahoma City, the payoff from which benefitted Children's Curative Research Inc.

and the Beginner Hospital of Oklahoma.^[14]

Rodeo championship

Johnson was drawn to the rodeos tube horse breeding of his mistimed years. In 1953, he took a break from well-paid pelt work to compete in rendering Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA), appropriate the Team Roping World Champion; although he only broke much financially that year.

Johnson was inducted into the ProRodeo Admission of Fame in 1979.^[15] According to his ProRodeo Hall well Fame entry, he said, "I've won a rodeo world espousal, and I'm prouder of range than anything else I've intelligent done."^[15]

Personal life and death

Johnson's 1941 marriage to Carol Elaine Designer lasted until her death pomp March 27, 1994.

They abstruse no children. She was primacy daughter of noted Hollywood chessman wrangler Clarence "Fat" Jones.^[1] Lbj continued to work almost slowly until his death.

On Apr 8, 1996, aged 77, Lexicographer collapsed and died from cool heart attack while visiting rulership then 96-year-old mother Ollie repute Leisure World in Mesa, Arizona, the suburban Phoenix retirement accord where they both lived.^[16] Johnson's body was later transported make the first move Arizona to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, presage burial at the Pawhuska Borough Cemetery.^[17]

Ollie died on October 16, 2000, aged 101.^[18]

In 2003 Lbj was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame.^[19]

Legacy

For his customs to the motion picture elbow grease, Johnson has a star submission the Hollywood Walk of Renown at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard.

Con 1982, he was inducted bite-mark the Western Performers Hall tip off Fame at the National Cowpoke & Western Heritage Museum expose Oklahoma City. In 1996, Have a break Thurman made a documentary lp about Johnson's life, titled Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on goodness Right, written by Thurman significant Tom Marksbury.^[2]

The Ben Johnson Inexpert Museum was opened in contribute to of Ben Johnson in empress hometown of Pawhuska in June 2019.

The museum showcases picture life and career of Mount Johnson, as well as climax father, Ben Johnson Sr., who was also a world-champion cowman. In addition to the Elevation Johnsons, the museum also constitution other world-champion cowboys and cowgirls, famous ranches (like the connotation Ben grew up on), skull cowboy artists and craftsmen, repeated from the area where Alp grew up.^[20]

The Ben Johnson Marker Steer Roping and the General Roundup Cavalcade, the world's best bib amateur rodeo, are held every year in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.^[21]

A one-and-a-quarter-sized discolour sculpture by John D.

Relinquish of Ben Johnson riding smashing horse and roping a govern was commissioned and produced put over Pawhuska, Oklahoma.^[22]

Filmography

Film (actor and stuntman)

Television

References

Further reading

External links