Van Johnson 1916 -2008

[LocktownDog]

Van Johnson passes away

Another one gone.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28197683/

 

[Feraud]

Bummer. Nyack is not far from here (NYC).

 

[Brian Sheridan]

1. Bettie Page

2. Van Johnson

Who is going to be #3?????

 

[Vanessa]

I'm so sad. I loooooooooooooved Van Johnson.

 

[carter]

Van Johnson was a wonderful actor. I'm sad to read of his passing. May he rest in peace.

 

[MrBern]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/movies/13johnson.html?hp

When Mr. Johnson was a few years shy of 80, he mused: “Maybe Garbo and Crawford and Marlene had the right idea. Get out of the damned spotlight while you can still be remembered for your earlier glories, not as some old relic.”

But he never took his own advice.

 

[tempestbella42]

its that time of yr again! as ben said wonder who will be no3!!!

so sad but at least they lived till their winter yrs!

 

[Imahomer]

I always enjoyed him..... How sad.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

1. Bettie Page

2. Van Johnson

Who is going to be #3?????

Maybe's he's #3 - Macaulay Culkin's sister got hit by a car and died yesterday.

 

[Trickeration]

Such sad news.

(CNN) -- Van Johnson, whose boyish looks and earnest manner made him a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1940s and '50s, died Friday in an assisted-care facility, a friend told CNN.

Johnson, 92, died around 11 a.m. of natural causes at the Tappan Zee Manor in Nyack, New York, where he had lived for seven years, said Wendy Bleiweiss.

Here is the full article...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/12/van.johnson/index.html

 

[BinkieBaumont]

One of natures "Gentleman"

The last time I saw Van Johnson at the movies was in the mid 1980' in a wonderfull cameo role in Woody Allens "Purple Rose Of Cairo"

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=guLFLWYlQxU :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[BinkieBaumont]

The last time I saw van

The last time I saw Van, (in the movies) was in "Purple Rose of Cairo" ,a Woody Allen movie from the mid 1980's a pastiche of old Holywood Glamour, that he was a part of and genuinely loved!

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=guLFLWYlQxU

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Johnson was a delight to watch. And considering that he almost died just as his career was beginning, it's beautiful that he lived so long.

R.I.P.

 

[WH1]

He gave a lot of great performances but my favorites were Jeff in Brigadoon and Spike in State of the Union. He was always very funny.

 

[John in Covina]

VJ was always a class act and a good role model.

 

[Widebrim]

I will always remember him in Go For Broke, as a Soldier beating some (stolen, I believe) eggs in a bowl. His expression was one of delight mixed with chicanery.

 

[Solid Citizen]

VJ

Film critic Leonard Maltin
interviewed yesterday about
Van Johnson, said in the 40's
VJ was one of the hotest actors
in the nation, sometimes called ,
The Sinatra Who Didn't Sing!

Solid Citizen

 

[just_me]

One of my favorite Van Johnson movies (made for TV) is from the 50s. I saw it as a child and waited years and years until I saw it again. "The Pied Piper of Hamelin"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgtmSvE-JHE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq1Z9LtfoX8&feature=related

I fell in love with the Peer Gynt Suite because of this movie but didn't know what it was until I heard it in the Korvettes dept. store record dept. in the 70s and the salesman told me what it was called. :eusa_clap

Brigadoon and In the Good Old Summertime are other favorites.

 

[deadpandiva]

I adored Van and Bettie. It's been a sad week.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

VJ was always a class act and a good role model.

On screen, perhaps, but not in real life. He got studio head Mayer to force his best friend (Keenan Wynn) to divorce his wife, so as to quell rumors of Johnson's bisexuality/homosexuality. They were married 4 hours after her Mexican divorce was finalized. He later divorced her to take up with a chorus boy from a show he was in. As soon as she dies, he start complaining loud and long that she took him to the cleaners financially and she ruined his movie career. However, when they divorced in 1968, I believe his "movie career" was years behind him. Check out Ned Keenan's book, We'll Always Live in Beverly Hills. His daugher said her step-brother Ned's scathing account was more than fair and probably far better treatment than Johnson deserved considering everything that was kept in the family or covered up in the media over the years.