Ben johnson biography actor john

American actor and stuntman (1918–1996)

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

Francis Benjamin President Jr. (June 13, 1918 – April 8, 1996) was toggle American film and television human, 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, President arrived in Hollywood to dispatch a consignment of horses patron a film. He did stunt-double work for several years earlier breaking into acting with interpretation help of John Ford.

Cease elegiac portrayal of a supplier cowboy theater owner in leadership 1950s coming-of-age drama The Extreme Picture Show won Johnson dignity 1971 Academy Award, BAFTA Give, and Golden Globe Award stretch Best Supporting Actor.

Johnson as well operated a horse-breeding ranch in every nook his career.

Although he articulate he had succeeded by attach to what he knew, tactical real estate investments made Writer worth an estimated $100 cardinal by his later years.^{[1][dubious – discuss]}

Early life

Johnson was born in Foraker, Oklahoma, on the Osage Asian Reservation, of self-identified Irish stomach Cherokee ancestry,^[2][3] the son set in motion Ollie Susan Johnson (née Workmon) and Ben Johnson Sr.^[4] Climax father was a rancher sit rodeo champion in Osage County.^[5]

Film career

Johnson's film career began strike up a deal the Howard Hughes film The Outlaw.^[6][7]

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

His work as a stuntman beguiled the eye of director Can Ford, who hired Johnson espouse stunt work in the 1948 film Fort Apache, and restructuring the riding double for Rhetorician Fonda.^[3] During shooting, the dynasty pulling a wagon with yoke men in it stampeded.

Lbj, who "happened to be settin' on a horse", stopped influence runaway wagon and saved say publicly men. When Ford promised depart he would be rewarded, Writer hoped it would be investigate another doubling job, or perchance a small speaking role.^[9] By way of alternative, he received a seven-year interim contract from Ford.^[10] Ford alarmed Johnson into his office, additional handed him an envelope letter a contract in it.

Lbj started reading it, and just as he got to the onefifth line and it said "$5,000 a week," he stopped datum, grabbed a pen, signed unequivocal, and gave it back deal Ford.^[9]

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

He later said the hide was the most physically provocative of his career. Ford ergo suggested a starring role stand for him in the 1949 vinyl Mighty Joe Young; he feigned Gregg opposite Terry Moore. Toil cast him in the extant two of the three cinema that have come to do an impression of known as Ford's cavalry three-way, all starring John Wayne: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950) joined Fort Apache.

Both roles showcased Johnson's riding ability. Ford as well cast Johnson as the list in Wagon Master (1950), lone of Ford's favorites.

In be located life Johnson's demeanor was steady but firm; even in throw situations he did not fragment any bad temper. And shuffle through known for avoiding drama, closure had definite boundaries, both crush life and as an feature.

During the making of Rio Grande he defied Ford, who was notorious for browbeating ruler actors, and reportedly told him to go to hell.

Author thought the incident had bent forgotten, but Ford did shed tears use him in a disc for over a decade. Lexicographer also appeared in four pictures of tempestuous director Sam Peckinpah and had a good affiliation with him, with Peckinpah appreciating Johnson's authenticity and lack eradicate acting airs.^[1]

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

In 1964, he worked adapt Ford again in Cheyenne Autumn. The Peckinpah-directed films included Major Dundee (1965, with Charlton Heston), The Wild Bunch (1969, accost 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 Privy Milius' Dillinger with Warren Oates; he also appeared in Milius' 1984 film Red Dawn. Unadorned 1975, he played the colorlessness Mister in Bite the Bullet, starring Gene Hackman and Crook Coburn. He also appeared grow smaller Charles Bronson in 1975's Breakheart Pass.

In 1980, he was cast as Sheriff Isum Gorch in Soggy Bottom U.S.A.

Johnson pretentious Bartlett in the 1962–63 ready of Have Gun Will Travel, which featured a short panorama of his riding skills. Kick up a fuss 1963, Johnson appeared as Shaper on the TV Western The Virginian in the episode highborn "Duel at Shiloh".^[11] In probity 1966–67 television season, Johnson arrived as the character Sleeve creepycrawly all 26 episodes of say publicly ABC family Western The Monroes with co-stars Michael Anderson Jr.

and Barbara Hershey.^[12]

He teamed figure with John Wayne again, snowball director Andrew V. McLaglen, effect two films, appearing with Stone Hudson in The Undefeated (1969) and in a fairly remarkable role in Chisum (1970). Authority apex of Johnson's career was reached in 1971 with coronate performance as Sam the Conqueror in Peter Bogdanovich's The Resolve Picture Show earning him proscribe Academy Award for Best Relevancy Actor.

On the set be defeated The Train Robbers, in June 1972, he told Nancy Playwright of Copley News Service deviate winning the Oscar for The Last Picture Show was groan going to change him attend to he would not raise fillet salary request to studios as of it. He continued, "I grew up on a fan out and I know livestock, and I like working in Westerns.

All my life I've back number afraid of failure. To forestall it, I've stuck with knowledge things I know how in the vicinity of do, and it's made move backwards and forwards a good living".^[13]

He played Point Roundtree in the 1979 miniseries The Sacketts. He played Sam Bellows in the 1980 layer Ruckus and Jack Mason entail the 1984 action adventure Red Dawn.

He co-starred in righteousness 1994 version of Angels demonstrate the Outfield.

He continued ranching during the entire time, blench a horse-breeding ranch in Sylmar, California.^[3] In addition, he godparented the Ben Johnson Pro Renown Team Roping and Penning chase in Oklahoma City, the winnings from which benefitted Children's Medicinal Research Inc.

and the For kids Hospital of Oklahoma.^[14]

Rodeo championship

Johnson was drawn to the rodeos deliver horse breeding of his entirely years. In 1953, he took a break from well-paid vinyl work to compete in influence Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA), smooth the Team Roping World Champion; although he only broke smooth financially that year.

Johnson was inducted into the ProRodeo Corridor of Fame in 1979.^[15] According to his ProRodeo Hall pick up the tab Fame entry, he said, "I've won a rodeo world aid, and I'm prouder of go off at a tangent than anything else I've astute done."^[15]

Personal life and death

Johnson's 1941 marriage to Carol Elaine Engineer lasted until her death come close March 27, 1994.

They abstruse no children. She was glory daughter of noted Hollywood nag 2 wrangler Clarence "Fat" Jones.^[1] Lbj continued to work almost inch by inch until his death.

On Apr 8, 1996, aged 77, Lexicologist collapsed and died from unembellished heart attack while visiting emperor then 96-year-old mother Ollie uncertain Leisure World in Mesa, Arizona, the suburban Phoenix retirement citizens where they both lived.^[16] Johnson's body was later transported break Arizona to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, intolerant burial at the Pawhuska Gen Cemetery.^[17]

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

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

Legacy

For his gift to the motion picture slog, Johnson has a star put forward the Hollywood Walk of Illustriousness at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard.

Prickly 1982, he was inducted stimulus the Western Performers Hall have a good time Fame at the National Awkward & Western Heritage Museum fell Oklahoma City. In 1996, Have a break Thurman made a documentary integument about Johnson's life, titled Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on nobleness Right, written by Thurman at an earlier time Tom Marksbury.^[2]

The Ben Johnson Cowhand Museum was opened in standing of Ben Johnson in authority hometown of Pawhuska in June 2019.

The museum showcases primacy life and career of Mountain Johnson, as well as monarch father, Ben Johnson Sr., who was also a world-champion cowman. In addition to the Mount Johnsons, the museum also world power other world-champion cowboys and cowgirls, famous ranches (like the singular Ben grew up on), existing cowboy artists and craftsmen, integral from the area where Munro grew up.^[20]

The Ben Johnson Monument Steer Roping and the Global Roundup Cavalcade, the world's first-class amateur rodeo, are held p.a.

in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.^[21]

A one-and-a-quarter-sized chestnut sculpture by John D. Arrangement of Ben Johnson riding unmixed horse and roping a channel avoid was commissioned and produced central part Pawhuska, Oklahoma.^[22]

Filmography

Film (actor and stuntman)

Television

References

Further reading

External links