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Ben Johnson (actor) facts for kids

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Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson The Wild Bunch publicity photo.JPG
Johnson in 1969
Born
Francis Benjamin Johnson Jr.

(1918-06-13)June 13, 1918
Died April 8, 1996(1996-04-08) (aged 77)
Resting place Pawhuska City Cemetery
Occupation
  • Actor
  • stuntman
  • rodeo cowboy
Years active 1939–1996
Spouse(s)
Carol Elaine Jones
(m. 1941; died 1994)
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Francis Benjamin Johnson Jr. (born June 13, 1918 – died April 8, 1996) was an American actor. He was also a skilled stuntman and a world-champion rodeo cowboy. Ben Johnson was known for his quiet way and amazing horse riding skills. These talents made him perfect for many roles in Western movies.

Ben Johnson grew up on a ranch. He first came to Hollywood to bring horses for a movie. For several years, he worked as a stunt double, meaning he performed dangerous scenes for other actors. Later, with help from director John Ford, he started acting. He won an Oscar for his role in the 1971 movie The Last Picture Show. He also won a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for this film.

Throughout his life, Johnson also ran a horse-breeding ranch. He believed in sticking to what he knew best.

Early life

Ben Johnson was born in Foraker, Oklahoma. This area is part of the Osage Indian Reservation. He had both Irish and Cherokee family roots. His mother was Ollie Susan Workmon, and his father was Ben Johnson Sr. His father was a rancher and a rodeo champion in Osage County.

Film career

Ben Johnson's movie career began with the Howard Hughes film The Outlaw. He often joked that he arrived in Hollywood "in a carload of horses."

His stunt work caught the eye of director John Ford. Ford hired Johnson for stunt work in the 1948 movie Fort Apache. He was also the riding double for actor Henry Fonda. During filming, horses pulling a wagon with three men inside ran wild. Johnson, who was on a horse nearby, stopped the runaway wagon and saved the men. Ford promised to reward him. Johnson hoped for another stunt job or a small speaking role. Instead, Ford offered him a seven-year acting contract. When Johnson saw the contract offered "$5,000 a week," he quickly signed it.

WagonMaster-JohnsonCareyPublicity (cropped)
Johnson in Wagon Master (1950)

His first credited role was in Ford's 3 Godfathers. This movie showed off the great riding skills of both Johnson and star Pedro Armendáriz. Johnson later said this film was the most physically demanding of his career. Ford then gave him a starring role in the 1949 movie Mighty Joe Young, where he played Gregg. Ford also cast him in two more films of his "cavalry trilogy" with John Wayne: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950). Both movies highlighted Johnson's excellent riding ability. Ford also chose Johnson for the main role in Wagon Master (1950), which was one of Ford's favorite films.

In real life, Ben Johnson was known for being calm and firm, not easily angered. He usually avoided arguments. However, during the making of Rio Grande, he stood up to director John Ford, who was known for being tough on actors. Johnson reportedly told Ford to "go to hell." Johnson thought Ford had forgotten the incident, but Ford did not use him in a movie for over ten years after that.

Johnson also worked in four films by director Sam Peckinpah. He had a good relationship with Peckinpah, who liked Johnson's natural acting style and honesty.

Johnson played supporting roles in many other films. These include Shane (1953), where he played Chris Calloway, and One-Eyed Jacks (1961) with Marlon Brando. In 1964, he worked with Ford again in Cheyenne Autumn. He also appeared in Peckinpah's Major Dundee (1965) and The Wild Bunch (1969). He was in two Steve McQueen films: The Getaway and the rodeo movie Junior Bonner (both 1972). In 1973, he played Melvin Purvis in John Milius' Dillinger. He also appeared in Milius' 1984 film Red Dawn. In 1975, he played Mister in Bite the Bullet and was in Breakheart Pass with Charles Bronson.

On television, Johnson played Bartlett in the 1962–63 season of Have Gun Will Travel. In 1963, he appeared on The Virginian. From 1966 to 1967, Johnson was a regular on the Western TV show The Monroes.

He worked with John Wayne again in The Undefeated (1969) and Chisum (1970). The most important part of Johnson's acting career came in 1971. He won an Oscar for his role as Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show, directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

In 1972, after winning the Oscar, Johnson said it would not change him. He explained, "I grew up on a ranch and I know livestock, so I like working in Westerns. All my life I've been afraid of failure. To avoid it, I've stuck with doing things I know how to do, and it's made me a good living."

He played Cap Roundtree in the 1979 miniseries The Sacketts. He was also in Ruckus (1980) and Red Dawn (1984). His last film role was in the 1994 movie Angels in the Outfield.

Even while acting, he continued to run his horse-breeding ranch in Sylmar, California. He also sponsored rodeo events like the Ben Johnson Pro Celebrity Team Roping and Penning competition. The money raised from these events goes to help children's hospitals and medical research.

Rodeo championship

Ben Johnson loved rodeos and horse breeding from his early years. In 1953, he took a break from his well-paying film work to compete in the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA). He became the Team Roping World Champion that year.

In 1979, Johnson was honored by being inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. He once said, "I've won a rodeo world championship, and I'm prouder of that than anything else I've ever done."

Personal life

Ben Johnson married Carol Elaine Jones in 1941. Their marriage lasted until her death in 1994. They did not have any children. Carol was the daughter of Clarence "Fat" Jones, a famous Hollywood horse wrangler.

Johnson continued to work steadily until he passed away from a heart attack at age 77. This happened on April 8, 1996, while he was visiting his mother in Mesa, Arizona. Johnson was buried in the Pawhuska City Cemetery in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. His mother, Ollie, lived to be 101 years old, passing away in 2000.

In 2003, Johnson was added to the Texas Trail of Fame.

Legacy

Ben Johnson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard. This honors his work in the movie industry. In 1982, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

In 1996, a documentary film about Johnson's life was made. It was called Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on the Right.

The Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum opened in his hometown of Pawhuska in June 2019. The museum shows the lives and careers of Ben Johnson and his father, Ben Johnson Sr., who was also a world-champion cowboy. It also features other famous cowboys and cowgirls, ranches, and cowboy artists from the area.

Two annual rodeo events are held in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in his memory: the Ben Johnson Memorial Steer Roping and the International Roundup Cavalcade.

A bronze sculpture of Ben Johnson riding a horse and roping a steer was created by John D. Free. It is located in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

Filmography

Film (actor and stuntman)

Year Title Role Notes
1939 The Fighting Gringo Mexican Barfly Uncredited
1943 The Outlaw Deputy Uncredited
1943 Bordertown Gun Fighters Messenger Uncredited
1944 The Pinto Bandit Race Contestant Uncredited
1944 Tall in the Saddle Townsman / Stuntman Uncredited
1944 Nevada Saloon Patron / Stunt Double: Robert Mitchum Uncredited
1945 Corpus Christi Bandits 2nd Stage Driver Uncredited
1945 The Naughty Nineties Coach Driver Uncredited
1946 Badman's Territory Deputy Marshal Uncredited
1947 Wyoming Cowhand Uncredited
1947 Angel and the Badman Stuntman Uncredited
1948 The Gallant Legion Texas Ranger Uncredited
1948 Fort Apache Stunt Double: Henry Fonda Uncredited
1948 3 Godfathers Posse Man #1 / Stuntman Johnson was also a stuntman but wasn't credited for it.
1948 Red River Stuntman Uncredited
1949 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Sgt. Tyree
1949 Mighty Joe Young Gregg
1950 Wagon Master Travis Blue
1950 Rio Grande Trooper Travis Tyree
1951 Fort Defiance Ben Shelby
1952 Wild Stallion Dan Light
1953 Shane Chris Calloway
1955 Oklahoma! Wrangler / Stuntman Uncredited
1956 Rebel in Town Frank Mason
1957 War Drums Luke Fargo
1957 Slim Carter Montana Burriss
1958 Fort Bowie Capt. Thomas Thompson
1960 Ten Who Dared George Bradley
1961 One-Eyed Jacks Bob Amory
1961 Tomboy and the Champ Jim Wilkins
1964 Cheyenne Autumn Trooper Plumtree Uncredited
1965 Major Dundee Sergeant Chillum
1966 The Rare Breed Jeff Harter
1968 Will Penny Alex
1968 Hang 'Em High Marshal Dave Bliss
1969 The Wild Bunch Tector Gorch
1969 The Undefeated Short Grub
1970 Chisum James Pepper
1971 The Last Picture Show Sam the Lion Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor<
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
1971 Something Big Jesse Bookbinder
1972 Corky Boland
1972 Junior Bonner Buck Roan
1972 The Getaway Jack Beynon
1973 The Train Robbers Jesse
1973 The Wayne Train Himself / Jesse Documentary short
1973 The Red Pony Jess Taylor Television movie
1973 Kid Blue Sheriff 'Mean John' Simpson
1973 Dillinger Melvin Purvis
1973 Runaway! Holly Gibson Television movie
1973 Blood Sport Dwayne Birdsong Television movie
1974 The Sugarland Express Captain Tanner
1974 Locusts Amos Fletcher Television movie
1975 Bite the Bullet Mister Bronze Wrangler for Theatrical Motion Picture (shared with cast & crew)
1975 Breakheart Pass Marshal Pearce
1975 Hustle Marty Hollinger
1976 The Savage Bees Sheriff Donald McKew Television movie
1976 The Town That Dreaded Sundown Captain J.D. Morales
1977 The Greatest Hollis
1977 Grayeagle John Colter
1978 The Swarm Felix Austin
1979 The Sacketts Cap Rountree Television movie
1980 The Hunter Sheriff Strong
1980 Ruckus Sam Bellows
1980 Terror Train Carne
1981 Soggy Bottom U.S.A. Sheriff Isum Gorch
1982 Tex Cole Collins
1982 The Shadow Riders Uncle 'Black Jack' Traven Television movie
1983 Champions Burly Cocks
1984 Red Dawn Mr. Jack Mason
1985 Wild Horses Bill Ward Television movie
1986 Let's Get Harry Harry Burck Sr.
1986 Trespasses August Klein
1987 Cherry 2000 Six-Fingered Jake
1988 Stranger on my Land Vern Whitman Television movie
1988 Dark Before Dawn The Sheriff
1989 The Last Ride Unnamed cowboy Short film
1989 Back to Back Eli Hix
1989 Hollywood on Horses Himself
1991 The Chase Laurienti Television movie
1991 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys Jesse Dalton
1991 Thank Ya, Thank Ya Kindly Himself TV movie documentary
1992 Radio Flyer Geronimo Bill
1992 The Making of Rio Grande Himself / Trooper Travis Tyree
1993 Bonanza: The Return Bronc Evans Television movie
1993 John Ford Himself TV movie documentary
1994 100 Years of the Hollywood Western Himself TV movie documentary
1994 Angels in the Outfield Hank Murphy
1994 Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart Jack Parrish
1995 Bonanza: Under Attack Bronc Evans Television movie
1996 Ruby Jean and Joe Big Man With Tom Selleck
1996 Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on the Right Himself Documentary
1996 The Evening Star Doctor Arthur Cotton Released posthumously (final film role)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1956 Cavalcade of America Cal Bennett Once a Hero (Season 5, Episode 12)
1958 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Tex Barton Top Gun (Season 6, Episode 26)
1958 Navy Log Border Patrol Officer Florida Weekend (Season 3, Episode 28)
1958 The Restless Gun Sheriff Tim Malachy No Way to Kill (Season 2, Episode 9)
1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Jeff, The Sheriff And the Desert Shall Blossom (Season 4, Episode 11)
1958 Wagon Train Wagon Driver episode: Bije Wilcox Story
1959 Border Patrol Hank Colman Everglades Story (Season 1, Episode 1)
1960—1961 Laramie Various Seasons 1–2; 3 episodes
1961—1962 Route 66 Various Seasons 1–2; 2 episodes
1960—1962 Have Gun – Will Travel Various Seasons 4–6; 3 episodes
1962 Stoney Burke Rex Donally Point of Honor (Season 1, Episode 4)
1962 Bonanza Deputy Sheriff Stan Mace Episode: "The Gamble"
1964 Perry Mason Kelly – Mine Foreman "The Case of the Reckless Rockhound" (Season 8, Episode 10)
1965 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Burt Wade March from Camp Tyler (Season 3, Episode 3)
1966 Branded Bill Latigo McCord's Way (Season 2, Episode 20)
1966 ABC Stage 67 Sheriff Barbee Noon Wine (Season 1, Episode 9)
1966—1967 The Monroes Sleeve Recurring role; 14 episodes
1963—1968 The Virginian Various Seasons 1–7; 4 episodes
1969 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Himself Ride a Northbound Horse: Part 1 and 2 (Season 15, Episodes 21 & 22)
1969 Bonanza Sgt. Samuel Bellis Episode: "The Deserter"
1971 Bonanza Kelly James Episode: "Top Hand"
1963—1971 Gunsmoke Ben Crown/Vern Morland/Hannon Seasons 8–17; episodes: Quint-Cident / Quaker Girl /Drago
1980 Wild Times Doc Bogardus Television miniseries; 2 episodes
1984 Hollywood Greats Himself episode: John Wayne
1986 Dream West Jim Bridger Television miniseries

See also

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