Van Johnson

Biography

Van Johnson was an American actor, singer, and dancer whose career spanned more than fifty years, from 1940 to 1992. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island, began on Broadway in New Faces of 1936, and joined MGM, where his breakthrough came as a rookie bomber pilot in A Guy Named Joe (1943). He became known for an upbeat, all-American persona, often playing servicemen or appearing in musicals, and had a huge hit as a soldier brother in The Human Comedy (1943). He also played Ted Lawson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Stephen Maryk in The Caine Mutiny (1954), and appeared in Brigadoon (1954) and The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954). After leaving MGM, he worked regularly in television, earning an Emmy nomination for the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, and returned to the stage in The Music Man and La Cage aux Folles. He also appeared in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985).

92years old at death

Born August 25, 1916Newport
Died December 12, 2008Nyack
Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
Charles Van Dell Johnson (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 33
Career span: 47 years1943 to 1990

Genres

Drama52%, 17 films
Romance30%, 10 films
Comedy27%, 9 films
War24%, 8 films
Thriller15%, 5 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
Van Johnson turned down the chance to star as Eliot Ness in The Untouchables in 1959. The role went to Robert Stack, and the series became a success.
First role
As a substitute dancer, Johnson went on tour through New England with a theater troupe. The Broadway revue New Faces of 1936 is where his acting career began in earnest.

Van Johnson movies on Netflix

Delta Force Commando II: Priority Red One1990IMDb rating 3.4as Gen. McCailland
Killer Crocodile1989IMDb rating 4.7as Judge
The Purple Rose of Cairo1985IMDb rating 7.6as Larry
The Kidnapping of the President1980IMDb rating 5.3as Vice President Ethan Richards
Concorde Affaire '791979IMDb rating 5.5as Captain Scott
The Extraordinary Seaman1969IMDb rating 3.5as Himself
The Price of Power1969IMDb rating 6.3as President James A. Garfield
Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows1968IMDb rating 6.4as Father Chase: The 'In' Group
Yours, Mine and Ours1968IMDb rating 7.1as Warrant Officer Darrel Harrison
Divorce American Style1967IMDb rating 6.3as Al Yearling
The Doomsday Flight1966IMDb rating 6.5as Capt. Anderson
23 Paces to Baker Street1956IMDb rating 6.9as Phillip Hannon
Miracle in the Rain1956IMDb rating 7.1as Pvt. Arthur 'Art' Hugenon
The Bottom of the Bottle1956IMDb rating 6.5as Donald Martin…
The End of the Affair1955IMDb rating 6.5as Maurice Bendrix
Brigadoon1954IMDb rating 6.8as Jeff Douglas
The Caine Mutiny1954IMDb rating 7.6as Lt. Steve Maryk
The Last Time I Saw Paris1954IMDb rating 6.1as Charles Wills
Confidentially Connie1953IMDb rating 5.8as Joe Bedloe
Plymouth Adventure1952IMDb rating 6.3as John Alden
Go for Broke!1951IMDb rating 6.6as Lt. Michael Grayson
Grounds for Marriage1951IMDb rating 5.8as Dr. Lincoln I. Bartlett
Battleground1949IMDb rating 7.4as Holley
In the Good Old Summertime1949IMDb rating 7.1as Andrew Delby Larkin
Scene of the Crime1949IMDb rating 6.6as Mike Conovan
Command Decision1948IMDb rating 7.3as Technical Sergeant Immanuel T. Evans
State of the Union1948IMDb rating 7.2as Spike McManus
Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4as Bandleader in Elite Club
The White Cliffs of Dover1944IMDb rating 7.0as Sam Bennett
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo1944IMDb rating 7.2as Ted Lawson
A Guy Named Joe1943IMDb rating 6.9as Ted Randall
Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2as Reporter
The Human Comedy1943IMDb rating 7.0as Marcus Macauley

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Caine Mutiny1954 Drama, Waras Lt. Steve Maryk
IMDb rating 7.631K votes
The Purple Rose of Cairo1985 Comedy, Fantasy, Romanceas Larry
IMDb rating 7.658K votes
Battleground1949as Holley
IMDb rating 7.48.6K votes
Brigadoon1954as Jeff Douglas
IMDb rating 6.810K votes
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo1944as Ted Lawson
IMDb rating 7.27.2K votes
Yours, Mine and Ours1968as Warrant Officer Darrel Harrison
IMDb rating 7.111K votes
The Last Time I Saw Paris1954as Charles Wills
IMDb rating 6.14.9K votes
In the Good Old Summertime1949as Andrew Delby Larkin
IMDb rating 7.14.8K votes

Most often with

Clarence Brown directed three of these films, Edward Dmytryk two and Vincente Minnelli two. Spencer Tracy appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Spencer Tracy

Leon Ames

Walter Pidgeon

Ray Collins

Warner Anderson

Robert Walker

Clarence BrownDirector, 3 films Edward DmytrykDirector, 2 films

Vincente MinnelliDirector, 2 films

Films together

Spencer Tracy4 films together, 1943 to 1952
Spencer Tracy's page
- Plymouth Adventure1952IMDb rating 6.3Johnson as John AldenTracy as Capt. Christopher Jones
- State of the Union1948IMDb rating 7.2Johnson as Spike McManusTracy as Grant Matthews
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo1944IMDb rating 7.2Johnson as Ted LawsonTracy as Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle
- A Guy Named Joe1943IMDb rating 6.9Johnson as Ted RandallTracy as Pete Sandidge
Leon Ames3 films together, 1944 to 1949
Leon Ames's page
- Battleground1949IMDb rating 7.4Johnson as HolleyAmes as The Chaplain
- Scene of the Crime1949IMDb rating 6.6Johnson as Mike ConovanAmes as Capt. A.C. Forster
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo1944IMDb rating 7.2Johnson as Ted LawsonAmes as Lieut. Jurika
Walter Pidgeon3 films together, 1943 to 1954
Walter Pidgeon's page
- The Last Time I Saw Paris1954IMDb rating 6.1Johnson as Charles WillsPidgeon as James Ellswirth
- Command Decision1948IMDb rating 7.3Johnson as Technical Sergeant Immanuel T. EvansPidgeon as Major General Roland Goodlow Kane
- Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2Johnson as ReporterPidgeon as Pierre Curie
Ray Collins3 films together, 1943 to 1948
Ray Collins's page
- Command Decision1948IMDb rating 7.3Johnson as Technical Sergeant Immanuel T. EvansCollins as Maj. Desmond Lansing
- Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2Johnson as ReporterCollins as Lecturervoice
- The Human Comedy1943IMDb rating 7.0Johnson as Marcus MacauleyCollins as Mr. Macauley
Warner Anderson3 films together, 1948 to 1954
Warner Anderson's page
- The Caine Mutiny1954IMDb rating 7.6Johnson as Lt. Steve MarykAnderson as Capt. Blakely
- Go for Broke!1951IMDb rating 6.6Johnson as Lt. Michael GraysonAnderson as Col. Charles W. Pence
- Command Decision1948IMDb rating 7.3Johnson as Technical Sergeant Immanuel T. EvansAnderson as Col. Earnest Haley
Robert Walker3 films together, 1943 to 1946
Robert Walker's page
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Johnson as Bandleader in Elite ClubWalker as Jerome Kern
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo1944IMDb rating 7.2Johnson as Ted LawsonWalker as David Thatcher
- Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2Johnson as ReporterWalker as David Le Gros
Clarence BrownDirector, 3 films, 1943 to 1952
All films by Clarence Brown
- Plymouth Adventure1952IMDb rating 6.3Johnson as John Alden
- The White Cliffs of Dover1944IMDb rating 7.0Johnson as Sam Bennett
- The Human Comedy1943IMDb rating 7.0Johnson as Marcus Macauley
Edward DmytrykDirector, 2 films, 1954 to 1955
All films by Edward Dmytryk
- The End of the Affair1955IMDb rating 6.5Johnson as Maurice Bendrix
- The Caine Mutiny1954IMDb rating 7.6Johnson as Lt. Steve Maryk
Vincente MinnelliDirector, 2 films, 1946 to 1954
All films by Vincente Minnelli
- Brigadoon1954IMDb rating 6.8Johnson as Jeff Douglas
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Johnson as Bandleader in Elite Club

Box office

What Van Johnson's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$59.6 million

7 of the 33 films have a worldwide figure.

7Worldwide figure
2US gross only
1Never in cinemas
23Figure not found

Top grosser

The Caine Mutiny1954Lt. Steve Maryk$21.8 million

Highest grossing

The seven biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Caine Mutiny1954as Lt. Steve Maryk
$22M36.5% of the total
2
The Purple Rose of Cairo1985as Larry
$11M17.9% of the total
3
Till the Clouds Roll By1946as Bandleader in Elite Club
$6.7M11.3% of the total
4
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo1944as Ted Lawson
$6.2M10.5% of the total
5
A Guy Named Joe1943as Ted Randall
$5.4M9.0% of the total
6
The Last Time I Saw Paris1954as Charles Wills
$4.9M8.3% of the total
7
The Human Comedy1943as Marcus Macauley
$3.9M6.5% of the total