InfoAnda - Actor Van Johnson, '40s heartthrob, dies at 92

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Christian refuses to drive "No God" bus | 17 January 2009
MySpace CEO steps down | | 12 February 2010
Judge rejects part of Apple App Store suit vs Amazon | | 3 January 2013

Taiwan's Tseng edges Hull for British Open golf title | 2 August 2010

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Actor Van Johnson, '40s heartthrob, dies at 92

Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Actor Van Johnson, '40s heartthrob, dies at 92 By MICHAEL KUCHWARA,AP Drama Writer AP - Saturday, December 13 NEW YORK - Van Johnson, whose boy-next-door wholesomeness made him a popular Hollywood star in the '40s and '50s with such films as "30 Seconds over Tokyo," "A Guy Named Joe" and "The Caine Mutiny," died Friday of natural causes. He was 92. Johnson died at Tappan Zee Manor, an assisted living center in Nyack, N.Y., said Wendy Bleisweiss, a close friend. With his tall, athletic build, handsome, freckled face and sunny personality, the red-haired Johnson starred opposite Esther Williams, June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor and others during his two decades under contract to MGM. He proved to be a versatile actor, equally at home with comedies ("The Bride Goes Wild," "Too Young to Kiss"), war movies ("Go for Broke," "Command Decision"), musicals ("Thrill of a Romance," "Brigadoon") and dramas ("State of the Union," "Madame Curie"). During the height of his popularity, Johnson was cast most often as the all-American boy. He played a real-life flier who lost a leg in a crash after the bombing of Japan in "30 Seconds Over Tokyo." He was a writer in love with a wealthy American girl (Taylor) in "The Last Time I Saw Paris." He appeared as a post-Civil War farmer in "The Romance of Rosy Ridge." More recently, he had a small role in 1985 as a movie actor in Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo." A heartthrob with bobbysoxers _ he was called "the non-singing Sinatra" _ Johnson married only once. In 1947 at the height of his career, he eloped to Juarez, Mexico, to marry Eve Wynn, who had divorced Johnson's good friend Keenan Wynn four hours before. The marriage produced a daughter, Schuyler, and ended bitterly 13 years later. "She wiped me out in the ugliest divorce in Hollywood history," Johnson told reporters. As a young actor, Johnson had a brief run with Warner Bros. and then got a screen test and a contract with MGM with the help of his friend Lucille Ball. After a bit in "The War Against Mrs. Hadley," Johnson appeared with Lionel Barrymore as "Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant," as Mickey Rooney's friend in "The Human Comedy" and as a Navy pilot in "Pilot No. 5." His big break, with Irene Dunne and Spencer Tracy in the wartime fantasy "A Guy Named Joe," was almost wiped out by tragedy. On April 1, 1943, his DeSoto convertible was struck head-on by another car. "They tell me I was almost decapitated, but I never lost consciousness," he remembered. "I spent four months in the hospital after they sewed the top of my head back on. I still have a disc of bone in my forehead five inches long." "A Guy Named Joe" was postponed for his recovery, and the forehead scar went unnoticed in his resulting popularity. MGM cashed in on his stardom with three or four films a year. Among them: "The White Cliffs of Dover," "Two Girls and a Sailor," "Weekend at the Waldorf." "High Barbaree," "Mother Is a Freshman," "No Leave No Love" and "Three Guys Named Mike." Though he hadn't lost his boyish looks, Johnson's vogue faded by the mid-'50s, and the film roles became sparse, though he did have a "comeback" movie with Janet Leigh in 1963, "Wives and Lovers." Also in the 1960s he returned to the theater, playing "Damn Yankees" in summer theaters at $7,500 a week. Then he accepted a two-year contract to star in "The Music Man" in London. He explained why in an interview: "Because the phone didn't ring. Because the film scripts were getting crummier and crummier. Because I sat beside my pool in Palm Springs one day and told myself: `Van, you'll be 45 this year. If you don't start doing something now, you never will.'" For three decades he was one of the busiest stars in regional and dinner theaters, traveling throughout the country from his New York base. In the 1980s, Johnson appeared on Broadway in "La Cage aux Folles," late in the run of the popular Jerry Herman msuical. "The white-haired ladies who come to matinees are the people who put me on top," he said in a 1992 in Michigan, where he was appearing at a suburban Detroit theater. "I'm still grateful to them." Television provided some gigs ("The Love Boat," "Fantasy Island" and "McMillan & Wife"), and he also became a painter, his canvases selling as high as $10,000. In a 1988 interview, he told of an important art lesson: "I was on the Onassis yacht with Winston Churchill. He got his canvas out and so did I. He was working away, and he growled at me, `Don't just sit there and stare! Get some paint and splash it on!'" He was born Charles Van Dell Johnson on Aug. 25, 1916, in Newport, R.I., where his father was a real estate salesman. From his earliest years he was fascinated by the touring companies that played in Newport theaters, and after high school he announced his intention to try his luck in New York. He arrived in 1934 with $5 and his belongings packed in a straw suitcase. Johnson's tour of casting offices landed him nothing but chorus jobs. He went to Hollywood for a bit in the movie of "Too Many Girls," then was signed to a Warner Bros. contract. "First the zenith, then the nadir," Johnson recalled. "Warner Bros. dropped me after `Murder in the Big House.'" The discouraged young actor was about to return to New York when Ball, whom he knew on "Too Many Girls," invited him to dinner at Chasen's restaurant. "Lucille tried to cheer me up, but I just couldn't seem to laugh," he said in a 1963 interview. "Suddenly she said to me, `There's Billy Grady over there; he's MGM's casting director. I'm going to introduce you, and at least you're going to act like you're the star I think you will be.'" ___ Associated Press writer Bob Thomas in Los Angeles contributed to this report. (This version CORRECTS 2nd graf to assisted, sted assistant. Moving on general news and entertainment services.) Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Hollywood Actor Van Johnson, '40s heartthrob, dies at 92AP - Saturday, December 13 Winslet, Law and Owen to lead line-up at Berlin film festAFP - Saturday, December 13 Heavyweights dominate as Golden Globes nominees unveiledAFP - Friday, December 12 Hollywood, Bollywood and Arab stars open Dubai film festAFP - Friday, December 12 Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Hugh Jackman a departure from recent Oscar hostsAP - 1 hour 41 minutes ago Blur reunion gig sells out in two minutesAFP - Saturday, December 13 Dumas show explores birth, death and in-betweenAP - Saturday, December 13 'American Idol' may ax its charity after 2 yearsAP - Saturday, December 13 Celeb lunchboxes to benefit hunger reliefAP - Saturday, December 13 Related Full Coverage Paris Hilton American celebutante, businesswoman, model, actress All Full Coverage Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed White House mulls urgent new steps on autos US Senate fails to reach deal on auto bailout Autism, other disorders linked to post-natal factors: study Muslim pilgrims stone Satan at the hajj Sarcasm finds medical use in dementia detection View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular

Other News on Saturday, 13 December 2008
Taiwan's ex-president Chen indicted for corruption
US gives digital diplomacy a chance, on YouTube
Luke Skywalker light saber auctioned for $240,000
Hugh Jackman to host new-look Oscars
Hugh Jackman to host new-look Oscars
CNN names new White House team
Pakistan investors brace for stock index floor removal
India's industrial production shrinks in October
Sarkozy defends 'European values' on Tibet
Confiscating toy guns part of US mission in Iraq
Iraq clerics call for calm after bombing
Italian investor group formally takes over Alitalia
Car key blocks mobile phone use while driving
Iraqi official urges austerity measures
Shareholders approve Britain's HBOS-Lloyds TSB merger
Ecuador defaults, says to fight monster creditors | International |
India plans 3G spectrum sale Jan 15: report
White House mulls urgent new steps on autos
Nobel laureates crown U2's Bono 'man of peace'
Colombia extradites suspected drug lord to U.S. | International |
Videogame sales shine despite economic gloom: report
Athens anger resurfaces as Greek premier dismisses quit calls
Brazilian's family blast police after anti-terror shooting verdict
Vatican condemns embryo stem cell research, cloning | International |
Ireland to hold second treaty vote after summit deal
Museum to Chile's Pinochet sickens victims | International |
US Treasury ready to stave off auto sector collapse
Unanimous agreement on climate package: Sarkozy
US gives visa to mother of Ecuadorean beaten in NY
U.S. and Russia seek U.N. council agreement on Middle East | International |
Armed guards would deter Somali pirates: U.S. Navy | International |
US arms control official to hold talks in Moscow
Navy commander questions land attacks on pirates
UN talks set programme to landmark climate pact in '09
Canadian's battle role cast in doubt at Guantanamo | International |
S’pore congratulates Austrian city on winning winter YOG hosting bid
Jimmy Carter regrets not meeting with Hezbollah
EU hails climate deal as example for the world
Zimbabwe seeks all support we can get on cholera | International |
China welcomes EU climate deal, says US must do more
Poor nations to get funds to fight climate change
Prosecutors indict Taiwan's Chen on graft charges
Highlights of EU deal to fight climate change
Thai protesters warn against pro-Thaksin PM
Unanimous agreement on climate package: Sarkozy
UN confirms Afghan mass grave site disturbed
Ex-chairman urges Intel to make car batteries: report | Technology |
UN chief urges US to join UN rights body
US troops kill 4 Afghans on bus that wouldn't stop
Pakistan says India must give evidence on Mumbai
Mumbai attacks spark upper-class calls for change
Taiwan court to release indicted ex-leader on bail
Hugh Jackman to host new-look Oscars | Entertainment |
Nobel laureates launch appeal for Aung San Suu Kyi
Actors' strike threat casts shadow over Oscars | Entertainment |
1950s pin-up queen Bettie Page dies | Entertainment |
Actor Van Johnson dies, aged 92 | Entertainment |
Actor Van Johnson, '40s heartthrob, dies at 92
Marilyn Monroe photo may fetch record price | Entertainment |
Winslet, Law and Owen to lead line-up at Berlin film fest
Q&A: R&B star Chris Brown inspires avid fans | Entertainment |
Iconic Marilyn Monroe photos to auction
Nude Virgin of Guadalupe graces Playboy Mexico cover
Blur reunion gig sells out in two minutes
Dumas show explores birth, death and in-between
'American Idol' may ax its charity after 2 years
Celeb lunchboxes to benefit hunger relief
Tokyo train stations to ban smoking
1940's heartthrob Van Johnson dies at 92
2008: The year politics saturated our pop culture
After-parties feel heat from meltdown, SAG threat
'American Pie' star Tara Reid checks into rehab
Century mark: composer Elliott Carter turns 100
Academy Awards hosts through the decades
Singapore to boost construction, help airlines-report
Philippine security forces foil bombings in Manila
Asian powers in rare summit on economic crisis, NKorea
Reporter's blog on Chicago sit-in to become book
Screen Actors Guild faces dissension from NY board
Gas-rich Turkmenistan holds parliamentary vote
Italian police: Rocker stabbed, band members held
New clashes in Athens, PM says people safe | International |
Scotland Yard slammed after killing verdict
U.S. halts N.Korea fuel aid until deal | International |
Colombia extradites suspected drug lord to U.S. | International |
Italian quits just short of rowing the Pacific solo | International |
Panel urges U.N. to expand Congo sanctions list | International |
Canadian's battle role cast in doubt at Guantanamo | International |
Top Colombian drug trafficker arrives for trial in US
Taiwan media urge fair trial for indicted ex-president
Illinois moves to oust governor amid graft scandal
Sri Lanka says 10 rebels killed in fighting
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,209
UN talks set programme to a landmark climate pact in '09
Voters head to polls in Indian Kashmir
In-the-works video games cater to music fans | Technology |
Pakistani cenbank sells 13.5 bln rupees of T-bills
Japan, SKorean leaders regret NKorean talks failure
Lawmakers urge FCC to delay contentious actions | Technology |
German bourse opens office in Beijing: statement
North Korea warns nuclear dismantling might slow
US auto industry on brink as EU seals huge recession package
Radio stations untangle more direct Web connections | Technology |
S.Korea approves 11.5 pct rise in budget for 2009
SKorea, China, Japan show unity at first summit
Police: Pakistan militants kill 2 alleged US spies
South Korean parliament passes 2009 budget despite boycott
Malaysia burglar stuck for 3 days in haunted house
China Eastern Airlines in management reshuffle
Toyota to suffer 1.1 billion dollar loss for 2nd half: reports
U.S. says N.Korea fuel aid halted until deal
China's Baidu cuts revenue forecast on ad scandal
Doubt made easy -- the hard way | Entertainment |
Chinese Democracy shows limits of retail exclusives | Entertainment |
Brian d'Arcy James is an unlikely ogre as Shrek
US says no more fuel shipments to NKorea until nuke verification
Pakistan militants destroy NATO vehicles: police
China likely to miss energy saving goal for 2008: report
Former Thai PM supporters gather for rally
Former Myanmar dictator's daughter released from house arrest
Cyclist Evans denies riding in 2009 Giro
Pachuca beat Al Ahly 4-2 in extra time
Judge jails man who offered Winehouse drugs
Ousted Thai PM Thaksin to address thousands from exile
UN chief urges China to continue Tibet dialogue
US team meets Iraqis over Blackwater shooting
Britain's Brown arrives in Afghanistan
X Factor finalists set for showdown in Britain
Iraqi PM rejects view U.S. troops needed for decade | International |
Fort Hood soldiers to participate in marathon
Russian troops move back into disputed village: Georgia
Russia retakes Georgia border village | International |
Gates warns US adversaries not to test Obama
Russian FM sees roadblocks to future cooperation with NATO
Police fire bullets against Kashmir protesters | International |
US commander focuses on Sons of Iraq transition
Zimbabwe seen eyeing fresh polls | International |
Indian navy arrests 23 pirates in Gulf of Aden
Training centre set up to meet demand for pre—school education professionals
SKorea, China, Japan show unity at first summit
British PM visits UK troops near Afghan front line
3 killed, 3 kidnapped by Philippine militants
Malls haven’t cut back on festive decor despite gloomy economic outlook
British PM visits troops near Afghan front lines
Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel to reopen in a week: owners
Pakistan: Police say Taliban kill alleged US spies
Rower rescued off Australia after 10-month journey
19 Mercy Relief volunteers honoured for disaster—relief in Myanmar, Yemen
Springsteen memorabilia returned to NJ library
Pakistan sends troops to guard NATO supply trucks
8 artists display works at exhibition in the business district
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01