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Van Johnson
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Actor Born: August 20, 1916 in Newport, RI Death: December 12, 2008 Biography:The quintessential blue-eyed, blonde-haired, freckle-faced Boy Next Door, "Van Johnson" was the son of a Rhode Island plumbing contractor. Making his Broadway bow in The New Faces of 1936, Johnson spent several busy years as a musical-comedy chorus boy. After understudying "Gene Kelly" in "Pal Joey", he came to Hollywood to recreate his minor role in the film version of the Broadway musical hit "Too Many Girls". Proving himself an able actor in the Warner Bros. "B" picture "Murder in the Big House" (1942), Johnson was signed by MGM, where he was given the traditional big buildup. He served his MGM apprenticeship as "Lew Ayres"' replacement in the "Dr. Kildare" series, latterly known as the "Dr. Gillespie" series, in deference to top-billed "Lionel Barrymore". While en route to a preview showing of an MGM film, Johnson was seriously injured in an auto accident. This proved to be a blessing in... Full Biography
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