Arthur V. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Arthur V. Johnson was a pioneer actor
and director
of American
silent film
s.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
, Arthur Vaughen Johnson began as a film actor with the Edison Studios
in The Bronx
, New York
in 1905 in the one-reel drama "The White Caps" directed by Wallace McCutcheon, Sr.
and Edwin S. Porter
. In 1908 he went to work for Biograph Studios
where he acted in films directed by D.W. Griffith including Resurrection
in 1909 and a year later in In Old California, the first movie Griffith ever shot in Hollywood. At Biograph, Arthur Johnson performed with stars such as Mary Pickford
and Florence Lawrence
. Johnson was reputed to be Griffith's favorite actor.
In 1911 he accepted an offer from Lubin Studios
in Philadelphia that allowed him to direct
as well as act. Health problems ended his career in 1915 after having performed in more than three hundred silent film shorts and having directed twenty-six.
Arthur V. Johnson married actress Florence Hackett with whom he had appeared in 1913 in the film, "Power of the Cross." He died of tuberculosis
in Philadelphia in 1916, a few weeks short of his fortieth birthday.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Arthur Vaughen Johnson began as a film actor with the Edison Studios
Edison Studios
Edison Studios was an American motion picture production company owned by the Edison Company of inventor Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films as the Edison Manufacturing Company and Thomas A. Edison, Inc. until the studio's closing in 1918...
in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1905 in the one-reel drama "The White Caps" directed by Wallace McCutcheon, Sr.
Wallace McCutcheon, Sr.
Wallace McCutcheon, Sr. was a pioneer cinematographer and director in the early American motion picture industry, working with the American Mutoscope & Biograph, Edison and American Star Film companies. McCutcheon's wealth of credits are often mixed up with the small handful of films directed by...
and Edwin S. Porter
Edwin S. Porter
Edwin Stanton Porter was an American early film pioneer, most famous as a director with Thomas Edison's company...
. In 1908 he went to work for Biograph Studios
Biograph Studios
Biograph Studios was a studio facility and film laboratory complex built in 1912 by the Biograph Company, formerly American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, at 807 E. 175th Street, in the Bronx, New York....
where he acted in films directed by D.W. Griffith including Resurrection
Resurrection (1909 film)
Resurrection is a 1909 silent short film made by Biograph Studios. It is based on the Leo Tolstoy novel Resurrection. Adapted for the screen by Frank E. Woods, it was directed by D. W. Griffith and starred several pioneering legends of American cinema such as Arthur V. Johnson, Florence Lawrence,...
in 1909 and a year later in In Old California, the first movie Griffith ever shot in Hollywood. At Biograph, Arthur Johnson performed with stars such as Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
and Florence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence was a Canadian inventor and silent film actress. She is often referred to as "The First Movie Star." When she was popular, she was known as "The Biograph Girl," "The Imp Girl," and "The Girl of a Thousand Faces." Lawrence appeared in more than 270 films for various motion...
. Johnson was reputed to be Griffith's favorite actor.
In 1911 he accepted an offer from Lubin Studios
Lubin Studios
The Lubin Manufacturing Company, was an American motion picture production company that produced silent films from 1902 to 1916. Lubin films were distributed with a Liberty Bell trademark.-History:...
in Philadelphia that allowed him to direct
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
as well as act. Health problems ended his career in 1915 after having performed in more than three hundred silent film shorts and having directed twenty-six.
Arthur V. Johnson married actress Florence Hackett with whom he had appeared in 1913 in the film, "Power of the Cross." He died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in Philadelphia in 1916, a few weeks short of his fortieth birthday.
Selected filmography
- The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew (1908 film)The Taming of the Shrew is a 1908 silent film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was based on Shakespeare's play of the same name.- Cast :*Florence Lawrence ... Katharina*Arthur V. Johnson ... Petruchio*Linda Arvidson ... Bianca...
(19081908 in filmThe year 1908 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Thomas Edison formed the Motion Picture Patents Company, with goals of controlling production and distribution, raising theater admission prices, cooperating with censorship bodies, and preventing film stock from getting into the hands...
) - Romance of a JewessRomance of a JewessRomance of a Jewess is a 1908 silent short drama film written and directed by D.W. Griffith.-Cast:* Florence Lawrence as Ruth Simonson* George Gebhardt as Simon Bimberg* Gladys Egan as The Daughter* John R. Cumpson as Customer* Guy Hedlund* Arthur V...
(1908) - The Golden LouisThe Golden Louis-Plot:An old woman sends a girl begging in the streets of Paris on a snowy evening. Callous revelers pass her by, and she falls asleep before one donor finally drops a golden louis in her shoe. A gambler with a sure tip on roulette but no cash borrows the coin to win a fortune for the girl...
(1909) - A Drunkard's ReformationA Drunkard's ReformationA Drunkard's Reformation is a 1909 drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of the film survive in the film archive of the Library of Congress.-Cast:* Arthur V. Johnson - John Wharton* Linda Arvidson - Mrs. John Wharton...
(1909) - ResurrectionResurrection (1909 film)Resurrection is a 1909 silent short film made by Biograph Studios. It is based on the Leo Tolstoy novel Resurrection. Adapted for the screen by Frank E. Woods, it was directed by D. W. Griffith and starred several pioneering legends of American cinema such as Arthur V. Johnson, Florence Lawrence,...
(1909) - The Sealed RoomThe Sealed RoomThe Sealed Room is an eleven minute film released in 1909. Directed by D.W. Griffith, the film's cast included Arthur V. Johnson, Marion Leonard, Henry B. Walthall, Mary Pickford, and Mack Sennett. The film was also known as The Sealed Door....
(1909) - The Hessian RenegadesThe Hessian RenegadesThe Hessian Renegades is a 1909 silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith.-Cast:* Owen Moore - American Soldier* Linda Arvidson - Farmer* Kate Bruce - Soldier's Family* William J. Butler - Farmer* Verner Clarges - Farmer* D.W. Griffith...
(1909) - The Death Disc: A Story of the Cromwellian PeriodThe Death Disc: A Story of the Cromwellian PeriodThe Death Disc: A Story of the Cromwellian Period is a 1909 short film, directed by D.W. Griffith and based on Mark Twain's short story "The Death Disk" .-Summary:An early Biograph historical drama set in Cromwellian England...
(1909) - To Save Her SoulTo Save Her SoulTo Save Her Soul is a 1909 short silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Mary Pickford. The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey when many of the early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based there at the beginning of the 20th century.-Cast:* Arthur V...
(1909) - The Day AfterThe Day After (1909 film)The Day After is a 1909 short silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Blanche Sweet. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the Library of Congress.-Cast:* Arthur V. Johnson - Mr. Hilton* Blanche Sweet - The New Year...
(19091909 in filmThe year 1909 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Matsunosuke Onoe, who would become the first superstar of Japanese cinema, appears in his first film, Goban Tadanobu.*James Joyce opens the Volta, the first cinema in Dublin....
) - All on Account of the MilkAll on Account of the MilkAll on Account of the Milk is a 1910 short silent drama film directed by Frank Powell, starring Mary Pickford and Blanche Sweet. The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey, the Biograph Company using one of the many early film studios in America's first motion picture industry that were based there...
(1910) - In Old California (1910)
- The Two BrothersThe Two Brothers (film)The Two Brothers is a 1910 short Western film directed by D. W. Griffith.-Cast:* Arthur V. Johnson - Jose* Dell Henderson - Manuel* Kate Bruce - The Mother* Marion Leonard - Red Rose* Charles West - A Suitor / A Mexican* Henry B. Walthall - Pedro...
(1910) - A Romance of the Western HillsA Romance of the Western HillsA Romance of the Western Hills is a 1910 short silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Mary Pickford and Blanche Sweet. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the Library of Congress.-Cast:* Mary Pickford - Indian...
(19101910 in filmThe year 1910 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The newsreel footage of the funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom is shot in Kinemacolor, making it the first color newsreel....
) - The Lily of the TenementsThe Lily of the TenementsThe Lily of the Tenements is a 1911 American short silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Clara T. Bracy and featuring Blanche Sweet.-Cast:* Dorothy West as The Tenement Girl* Clara T. Bracy as The Tenement Girl's Mother...
(19111911 in filmThe year 1911 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 23: D.W Griffith shows the first major close-up shot on film with the successful release of The Lonedale Operator proving his ever growing mastery of how to utilise film....
)