William Johnson (actor)
Encyclopedia
William Johnson (22 March 1916 – 6 March 1957) was an American
actor
of the stage and screen.
, Johnson began his career as a child actor on the stage. He made his Broadway
debut at the age of 8 as Gaffe in the 1924 play Shipwrecked. He returned to Broadway in 1926 to portray the Hangman in Rudolf Friml
's The Vagabond King
. He worked as a vaudeville
performer up through the early 1930s. In 1939 he made his film debut in Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Crawford at Home where he sang the songs "The Very Thought of You
" and "I Love You Truly
". He only appeared in two more films during his career, the roles of Captain Bill Barclay in Keep Your Powder Dry
and Buzz Fletcher in It's a Pleasure, both in 1945.
In 1940 Johnson returned to Broadway after a fourteen year absence to star in the musical review All in Fun. He was a regular performer on Broadway during the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in such roles as Charlie in Banjo Eyes
, Sherman in Yours, A. Lincoln, Staff Sgt. Rocky Fulton in Something for the Boys
, Alex Maitland in The Day Before Spring
, and Hajj in Kismet
among others. His last role on Broadway was in 1955-1956 as Doc in Pipe Dream
for which he garnered a Tony Award
nomination.
Johnson died in Flemington, New Jersey
from a heart attack in 1957 just sixteen days before his 41st birthday.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of the stage and screen.
Biography
Born in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Johnson began his career as a child actor on the stage. He made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut at the age of 8 as Gaffe in the 1924 play Shipwrecked. He returned to Broadway in 1926 to portray the Hangman in Rudolf Friml
Rudolf Friml
Rudolf Friml was a composer of operettas, musicals, songs and piano pieces, as well as a pianist. After musical training and a brief performing career in his native Prague, Friml moved to the United States, where he became a composer...
's The Vagabond King
The Vagabond King
The Vagabond King is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic play If I Were King...
. He worked as a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer up through the early 1930s. In 1939 he made his film debut in Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Crawford at Home where he sang the songs "The Very Thought of You
The Very Thought of You
"The Very Thought of You" is a pop standard published in 1934, with music and lyrics by Ray Noble. In addition to Noble's own hit recording of the song with his orchestra, featuring the vocals of Al Bowlly, there was also a popular version recorded that same year by Bing Crosby. A decade later, the...
" and "I Love You Truly
I Love You Truly
I Love You Truly, written by Carrie Jacobs Bond, is a parlor song. The song has been used at weddings since its release. It was the first song written by a woman to sell one million copies of sheet music...
". He only appeared in two more films during his career, the roles of Captain Bill Barclay in Keep Your Powder Dry
Keep Your Powder Dry
Keep Your Powder Dry is a 1945 drama film starring Lana Turner, Susan Peters, and Laraine Day. The film was directed by Edward Buzzell and written by George Bruce and Mary C...
and Buzz Fletcher in It's a Pleasure, both in 1945.
In 1940 Johnson returned to Broadway after a fourteen year absence to star in the musical review All in Fun. He was a regular performer on Broadway during the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in such roles as Charlie in Banjo Eyes
Banjo Eyes
Banjo Eyes is a musical based on the play Three Men on a Horse by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. It has a book by Joseph Quinlan and Izzy Ellinson, music by Vernon Duke, and lyrics by John La Touche and Harold Adamson....
, Sherman in Yours, A. Lincoln, Staff Sgt. Rocky Fulton in Something for the Boys
Something for the Boys
Something for the Boys is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields. Produced by Mike Todd, the show opened on Broadway in 1943 and starred Ethel Merman in her fifth Cole Porter musical.-Productions:...
, Alex Maitland in The Day Before Spring
The Day Before Spring
The Day Before Spring is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe.-Productions:The 1945 touring production closed in Chicago after three days due to a crippling coal strike...
, and Hajj in Kismet
Kismet (musical)
Kismet is a musical with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Alexander Borodin, and a book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, based on Kismet, the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock...
among others. His last role on Broadway was in 1955-1956 as Doc in Pipe Dream
Pipe Dream (musical)
Pipe Dream is the seventh stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II; it premiered on Broadway on November 30, 1955. The work is based on John Steinbeck's short novel Sweet Thursday—Steinbeck wrote the novel, a sequel to Cannery Row, in the hope of having it adapted into...
for which he garnered a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination.
Johnson died in Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,581. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County....
from a heart attack in 1957 just sixteen days before his 41st birthday.