Van Johnson, who died today at age 92 in Nyack, N.Y., was a better actor than Hollywood usually allowed him to be. Like most 1950s heartthrobs — Tab Hunter, Rock Hudson, Troy Donahue — his career is pigeonholed with B-grade romances, cornball WWII fighter pilot adventures, and beneath-his-dignity television guest appearances (indeed, he may have pioneered the cheesy sitcom walk-on by playing himself in a famous Hollywood episode of I Love Lucy). His corn-field reddish-blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and blandly earnest charm won him loads of parts as the all-American boy, usually opposite all-American girls like June Allyson (Two Girls and a Sailor, Too Young to Kiss) and Esther Williams (Easy to Love, The Duchess of Idaho), although he also shared screen time with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor in The Last Time I Saw Paris and, in his most memorable romance, Deborah Kerr in The End of the Affair.
But there is at least one performance in which Johnson’s true talent is impossible to overlook — in 1954’s The Caine Mutiny. Humphrey Bogart and Jose Ferrer chomp up all the scenery in this maritime courtroom drama, but it’s Johnson’s character, the painfully ambivalent, not-too-bright Lieutenant Steve Maryk, who binds the whole movie together. For the scene in which he relieves Captain Queeg from command during a typhoon, Johnson manages to convey both panic and determination in his eyes. And when he takes the stand at his court-martial for mutiny, you can read his character’s racing mind from the symphony of expressions on his face. Everybody remembers Bogart playing with his ball bearings in The Caine Mutiny — including the Academy, which nominated him for an Oscar — but it’s Van Johnson who gave the film its most nuanced, impressive turn.
Johnson never won an Oscar. Never even got nominated. But he did prove he was capable of an Oscar-worthy performance, and that’s more than most movie stars can claim.
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Well, there goes the tribute to Brigadoon that I thought might be part of the Oscars. They should have put him in more comedies–he had excellent comic timing.
No mention of The Caine Mutiny? Shame, as that was always my favorite Van Hohnson performance. He held his own against Humphrey Bogart and Fred MacMurray. That’s one everyone should see,
And I need to spell check-that’s Johnson, not Hohnson.
He was also the Best friend who sets up Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda in the original Classic Family Rom-Com “Yours, Mine & Ours”
“The Caine Mutiny” was a fantastic film. I also loved him in the supporting roles of “Brigadoon” and “Yours, Mine and Ours”. Another great one is gone.
No mention of Battleground, one of THE best war movies ever made. I loved him in everything he was ever in.
Thanks for the nice writeup of Mr. Johnson.
And Johnson was Gay too. Why not say it? It’s the truth. He was a well-liked man and a good actor. The reason he became a star to begin with (and that happened in the early 40’s) was because most of the well known leading male actors were in the army during the war, and Johnson was with the studio at the right time. His performance in (ahhh..I’m so bad at film titles)…the film where he crash lands a plane in China and has to hide from the Japanese was also a very solid performance. He lived to good old age, having survived cancer years ago and that’s nice. RIP.
One of my favorite all time movie actors,could watch his movies all day
long. Hollywood will certainly miss him.
Thats “Thirty Seconds over Tokyo”. About the Doolittle raid.
First show I remember him in is 30 Seconds over Tokyo. Him and the Ruptured Duck
Thanks to TCM we can continue to watch this most believable of actors. He made bad movies better and good movies as they were intended. The Caine Mutiny, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Brigadoon, Best Years of Our Lives and on and on. Thank you Mr.Johnson. You will not be forgotten.
I love “Battleground.” Just love it!
Hope some of these tv move channels will play it more in rememberance of him
I had the pleasure of meeting Van Johnson twice. Once here in Vancouver at a local club, and once in Los Angeles in the lobby of the Century Plaza hotel. In the second instance we chatted about his stage fright, as he was scheduled to give a talk at some event at the hotel, and said he was petrified at the thought of walking out in front of several hundred people and talking to them. I gave him a tip to overcome that, and I was told later that he did very well. He will be missed.
Thanks Van, you’ll be remembered for the wonderful films you made. Caine Mutiny and Battleground were shinning moments. God Bless and farewell.
The last movie is saw him perfomr was “The Purple ROse of Cairo” I grew ukp seeing his movie.
My mother spotted him at an A&P store in north Dallas about 1968 or so. I had no idea who he was, but he was friendly and unassuming. He remains the only movie star I have ever seen in person.
I like all the films everybody else mentioned here but, my FAVE film with Van Johnson is…THE HUMAN COMEDY.
The last line “You see, Marcus. The ending is only the beginning” is classic.
He did a great job in “Go for Broke,” a movie about Japanese American’s fighting in Europe during WWII. He started out suspicious of these soldiers, but you could really see how he changed when he had to defend the soldiers of the 442nd RCT against members of his old unit. I for one liked that he was fauned over by Hollywood. That fact made him more real to me.
I am saddened by Van’s passing. We have lost so many great actors, Van was one of them. RIP Sir.
Just yesterday , I was digging out my VHS of ” The Last Time I Saw Paris ” . Now , I want to dig all the others out . His appearance on ” Lucy ” was always one of my faves . A really great talent doesn’t need a trophy ( It would’ve been nice ) but at least , I hope , he will get mention at the Oscars and leave the newbies scrambling to find out who he was and how they can be more like him .
Not to roll over Steamboater but yes, I perceived Van the Man as gay. He lived in Manhattan for many years and painted at his leisure. I would loved to have met him and give him props for his role as Col. Ted Lawson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (my favorite). He seemed down to earth and appreciative of those who remembered him.
One of my go to war movies is Battleground in which Johnson and Whitmore carry the film with gusto. I love that movie and watch it regularly. The scene in which he runs from the battle only to be followed by a young, scared private and then they lead an adhoc group of paratroopers in an ambush of the attaching Germans is one of my favorites. The character had to swallow his fear and appear as if he was trying to do right all along, not wanting to look like a coward to the young soldier. It was great and Johnson really shined at that moment. Safe journey.
I never knew the man..but as a scared 17 year old soldier reporting for duty in Vietnam with the 101rst Abn..we had to watch a movie about the siege of Bastogne called “Battleground” I believe..Anyway, Van Johnson played a normal joe who just wanted some time to cook his eggs amidst all the horror of war..I never forgot that..and used it quite often to get me through some fearful times. Maybe he wasn’t the greatest ever..but he sure meant a lot to me..Best Van..Godspeed and I know…Iknow..”always moving out …when can we just stay put..just once”
BRIGADOON!!!! BRIGADOON!!
“Is it informal, or should I wear my three-cornered hat?”
His best and funniest performance, in my opinion- he should have teamed with Gene Kelly more often.
He’ll be missed.
Van Johnson starred with Judy Garland in a feature which I think was called “the shop around the corner.” It was a remake from the original with Jimmy Stewart. He was so good in that movie, as well as all the movies he made. I thank God for the entertainment I enjoyed from his movies.
This is probably one of the “cornball WWII fighter pilot adventures” you were referring to, but one of his films I loved as a child & still do is A GUY NAMED JOE, starring Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne & directed by Victor Fleming (THE WIZARD OF OZ, GONE WITH THE WIND). It was released in ‘43 & was clearly a feel-good war propaganda picture. (Both Steven Spielberg & Richard Dreyfuss loved it enough to do a remake together called ALWAYS w/Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Marg Helgenberger & Audrey Hepburn in her final role as, appropriately, a radiant angel.) Van played the young pilot who romances Irene after the love of her life, Spencer, has hotdogged his way into a fireball, & he was so charismatic that you believed he could have charmed Irene out of her abject grief. (Brad Johnson, who played the role in ALWAYS, was unfortunately as bland as Van was bright. Richard & Holly had great chemistry, Brad & Holly not so much. The biggest fault in that film, IMO.) I already miss Van!
Charlotte, the Van/Judy film was a musical called IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, & was a remake of THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER w/Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan. It was more recently remade yet again as YOU’VE GOT MAIL w/Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan.
Hey idiots! How about the Riddler in the tv show “Batman”
I had the honor/pleasure of serving as the recon platoon leader of the 100th Bn, 442 Infantry, in the late 1960s when they were called to active duty from the reserves in Hawaii. I had never heard of the unit, but the Presidential Unit Citation with 2 oak leaf clusters they issued me got my attention. Years later, I enjoyed watching “GO FOR BROKE” and learning the history of this remarkable unit. Johnson did a fine job in that role, and since then I’ve been a big fan. He shall be missed.