Van Johnson
Van Johnson (born August 25, 1916, Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.âdied December 12, 2008, Nyack, New York, U.S.) was an American actor who was one of Hollywoodâs biggest stars during the early part of his six-decade career, particularly during his 12-year tenure (1942â54) at MGM studios, where he made nearly 50 films. Johnsonâs clean-cut good looks and easygoing âboy-next-doorâ charm made him especially popular with swooning bobby-soxers, which led to his nickname âthe Voiceless Sinatra,â and in 1945 he ranked second only to Bing Crosby on the list of Top 10 Box Office Stars.
Johnsonâs career began in the Broadway musicals New Faces of 1936 (1936), Too Many Girls (1939), and Pal Joey (1940), in which he served as understudy to Gene Kelly, later his costar in the movie Brigadoon (1954). Johnson made his film debut in Murder in the Big House (1942); later that year he was put under contract by MGM. During his years with that studio, Johnson starred in several war films, notably A Guy Named Joe (1943), Thirty Seconds over Tokyo (1944), Command Decision (1948), and Battleground (1949).
Johnsonâs versatility and boyish appeal also led to leading roles in comedies and musicals, including Two Girls and a Sailor (1944), The Bride Goes Wild (1948), In the Good Old Summertime (1949), and Duchess of Idaho (1950). He occasionally revealed his dramatic talents, notably in The Caine Mutiny (1954). After his film career waned, Johnson continued to act in local theatre and on television, though he periodically returned to the big screen, as in Woody Allenâs The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985).
