Johnny Mack Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Mack Brown
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Brown in 1935
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| Born |
John Brown
September 1, 1904 Dothan, Alabama, U.S.
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| Died | November 14, 1974 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1927–1966 |
| Spouse(s) | Cornelia "Connie" Foster (m.1926) |
| College football career | |
| Alabama Crimson Tide – No. 17 | |
| Position | Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Alabama (1924–1925) |
| Bowl games |
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| High school | Dothan |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| College Football Hall of Fame (1957) | |
John Brown (born September 1, 1904 – died November 14, 1974) was a famous American college football player. He also became a well-known actor, especially in Western movies. People knew him best as John Mack Brown during his acting career.
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Early Life of John Mack Brown
John Brown was born and grew up in Dothan, Alabama. He was one of eight children born to Ed and Mattie Brown. His parents owned shops in their hometown.
John was a star player on his high school football team. His amazing skills earned him a football scholarship to the University of Alabama. His younger brother, Tolbert "Red" Brown, also played football with him in 1925.
College Football Career
At the University of Alabama, John Brown became a very important halfback for the Crimson Tide team. Their coach was Wallace Wade. John was so fast and agile that he earned the nickname "The Dothan Antelope."
Later, he was honored by being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Famous football coach Pop Warner once said that John was "one of the fastest football players I've ever seen."
The 1924 Crimson Tide team had a great season, losing only one game. John Brown played a key role in their victory over Georgia Tech that year.
In 1925, John helped his team win a national championship. They played in the Rose Bowl against the strong Washington Huskies. John scored two of his team's three touchdowns, helping Alabama win in an upset! He was named the Most Valuable Player of that game.
The 1925 Crimson Tide was the first team from the southern United States to ever win a Rose Bowl. This game was so important that it's often called "the game that changed the South." John Brown was also chosen for the All-Southern team that year.
After College Football
After finishing college, John Brown worked selling insurance. He also coached the new running backs for the University of Alabama's football team for a while.
John Mack Brown's Film Career
John Brown's good looks and strong build caught the attention of Hollywood. He was even featured on Wheaties cereal boxes! In 1927, he received an offer to try out for movies. This led to a long and successful career in Hollywood.
Starting in Hollywood
In 1927, he signed a five-year contract with Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer (MGM), a big movie studio. He got to play the love interest of silent film star Mary Pickford in her first "talkie" (a movie with sound), called Coquette (1929). Mary Pickford even won an Oscar for her role in that film!
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By 1930, John Brown was starring in movies. He played the main role in a Western film called Billy the Kid, directed by King Vidor. This was one of the first movies made in a wide-screen format. Another famous actor, Wallace Beery, also starred in the film. John Brown's name was even listed before Beery's, who would soon become MGM's highest-paid actor!
John also played Joan Crawford's love interest in the 1930 movie Montana Moon. He continued to make several important films under the name John Mack Brown. These included The Secret Six (1931) with big stars like Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, and Clark Gable. He also appeared in The Last Flight (1931).
MGM was preparing him to be a major leading man. However, his career took a sudden turn in 1931. He was replaced in the movie Laughing Sinners, and all his scenes were reshot with the rising star Clark Gable. MGM also considered him for the lead role of Tarzan in Tarzan the Ape Man, but the director felt he wasn't tall enough.
Becoming a Western Star
After this setback, John Brown changed his screen name to "Johnny Mack Brown." He then started making lower-budget Western movies for smaller film companies. While he didn't regain his earlier fame, he became one of the most popular "B-movie" cowboys on screen.
In 1937, he became a big star at Universal Pictures. He starred in four movie serials (movies released in parts). From 1939, he made 29 Western films over four years. Many of these movies featured Fuzzy Knight as his funny sidekick. The last seven even teamed him up with Tex Ritter.
This period is seen as the best part of his Western career. Universal Pictures had good production quality for these films. Some notable titles include Son of Roaring Dan, Raiders of San Joaquin, and The Lone Star Trail. A young Robert Mitchum even appeared in The Lone Star Trail! Johnny Mack Brown also liked Mexican music and featured musicians in his films.
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In 1943, Johnny Mack Brown moved to Monogram Pictures. He took over from their cowboy star Buck Jones, who had passed away. His movies at Monogram were very successful. He starred in over 60 Westerns in the next 10 years! This included a series of 20 movies where he played "Nevada Jack McKenzie."
When Monogram Pictures changed its name in 1952, Johnny Mack Brown decided to retire from acting. He returned more than 10 years later for a few smaller roles in Western films. In total, John Brown appeared in over 160 movies between 1927 and 1966. His acting career lasted almost 40 years!
Personal Life
John Brown was married to Cornelia "Connie" Foster starting in 1926. They stayed married until his death in 1974. They had four children together.
Recognition and Legacy
For his important work in the film industry, John Brown received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. His star is located at 6101 Hollywood Boulevard.
In 2004, he was given a special award called the Golden Boot Award. This award honored his contributions to the Western entertainment genre. In 1969, John Brown was also inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
His hometown of Dothan, Alabama, holds an annual Johnny Mack Brown Western Festival. A city official said, "If anyone ever brought attention to Dothan, it was Johnny Mack Brown."
Death
John Brown passed away in Woodland Hills, California, on November 14, 1974. He was 70 years old and died from heart failure. His ashes are buried in an outdoor area at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Images for kids
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Poster for The Gambling Terror (1937)
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Mack Brown para niños
