Hollywood icon Jack Lemmon has Hollywood credits dating from the 1940s to 2000. You may also like:The best streaming services for football in 2021. Served aboard a submarine chaser in the Caribbean Sea, then in the Black and China seas on a mine sweeper. In real life, Johnson did not show any bad temper; his demeanor in tense situations was calm but firm. Awarded the Medal of Honor. Although known as the uncle/patriarch and judge "Philip Banks" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), James Avery was a classically trained actor and scholar. He was the ultra-cool male film star of the 1960s, and rose from a troubled youth spent in reform schools to being the world's most popular actor. While behind the camera during the filming of those war classics, he drew on his real-life experiences. Before he played Hannah's boyfriend in "Girls," Kylo Ren in "Star Wars,"and a host of other interesting roles, series Adam Driverwas a Marine. She then began to travel (with her son Navy - served on the destroyer USS Marshall during World War II. Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz, the eldest of three children of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz, Jewish immigrants from Hungary. Afterward, Navy - served during World War II on the USS Cyrene. Bridges joined the Coast Guard Reserves and served at sea under what were often grueling conditions. Born in 1921, James Whitmore had acting credits dating from the 1940s to the late 2000s. He has a wealth of films to his credit, most of them Westerns. Don Adams was born in New York, to a father of Hungarian Jewish descent, and a mother of German and Irish ancestry. Elsewhere." (1976). During World War II, he left college to serve in the Navy. While attending Marquette Academy, he and classmate Pat O'Brien quit school to enlist in the Navy at the start of World War I. Tracy was still at Norfolk Navy Yard One of the great movie villains, Clarence Leroy Van Cleef, Jr. was born in Somerville, New Jersey, to Marion Lavinia (Van Fleet) and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Sr. His parents were of Dutch ancestry. In 1948, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Humes High School. Awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Johnson made his film debut in 1940; between his debut and A Guy Named Joe in 1943, when he suffered the injuries that kept him out of the war, he made about a dozen films and signed with MGM, making the leap from unnamed extra to an actor with prominent billing (although not yet star billing) and a contract with a major studio. His elder brother was Arthur S. Newman Jr., named for Navy - Served in World War II in the Pacific theater. While in the service, he was tasked with making training films, writing scripts, and even touring with famed entertainer Red Skelton. [citation needed], Johnson was drawn to the rodeos and horse breeding of his early years. Tall and laconic, Johnson brought authenticity to many roles in Westerns with his droll manner and expert horsemanship. The phrase "Good morning, Vietnam!" He was very tall at 6'5" and had a resonant, baritone Ruggedly handsome, slack-jawed actor Earl Holliman was born on September 11, 1928, in northeastern Louisiana amid meager surroundings. [10] According to his ProRodeo Hall of Fame entry, he said, "I've won a rodeo world championship, and I'm prouder of that than anything else I've ever done. Among his 33 awards was the Medal of Honor, the highest award for bravery that a soldier can receive. Born in Oklahoma, Ben Johnson was a ranch hand and rodeo performer when, in 1940, Howard Hughes hired him to take a load of horses to California. Fred Willard radiated a unique charm that established him as one of the industry's most gifted comic actors, first coming to prominence as ambitious but dimwitted sidekick Jerry Hubbard to Martin Mull's smarmy talk-show host Barth Gimble in the devastating satirical series Fernwood Tonight (1977). Naval Reserve in 1943, but World War II ended before he received an active duty assignment. Services have been set for Carol Elaine Johnson, wife of Academy Award-winning actor Ben Johnson, who died Sunday following an extended illness at an Arizona hospice center. Born to George & Frances Simonson Walter, and named Sterling Relyea Walter. Johnson, 72, has been in the movie business since age 19. Mighty Joe Young, a 1949 special-effects film in which he appeared, still remains popular. Saw brief action in the Pacific Theater as a transport pilot. After graduating from high school, Avery joined the Navy and served in Vietnam during the height of the war from 1968 to 1969. He was drafted into the 40th Infantry Division in 1917 and served in World War I. He is a graduate of Army - '82-'88. He has been acknowledged by many modern comic artist's as Humphrey DeForest Bogart was born in New York City, New York, to Maud Humphrey, a famed magazine illustrator and suffragette, and Belmont DeForest Bogart, a moderately wealthy surgeon (who was secretly addicted to opium). community where, not only she, but he himself lived. He was born in Grand Island, Prematurely white-haired character star who began as a supporting player of generally vicious demeanor, then metamorphosed into a star of both action and drama projects, Lee Marvin was born in New York City, the son of Courtenay Washington (Davidge), a fashion writer, and Lamont Waltman Marvin, an Art Carney was an American actor with a lengthy career, but is primarily remembered for two roles. On the set of The Train Robbers, in June 1972, he told Nancy Anderson of Copley News Service that winning the Oscar for The Last Picture Show was not going to change him and he would not raise his salary request to studios because of it. A veteran of the New Jersey National Guard, Amos is the Honorary Master Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard. served in the 101st airborne division. He played Sam Bellows in the 1980 film Ruckus and Jack Mason in the 1984 action adventure Red Dawn. Although known for avoiding drama, he had definite boundaries; during the making of Rio Grande he defied Ford, who was notorious for browbeating his actors, and reportedly told him to go to hell. BEN JOHNSON - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH - HFSID 256613 - HistoryForSale After being served draft papers during the Vietnam War, "Magnum P.I." His parents divorced in 1932. Nationality. The late Charlton Heston was an Oscar winner and the star of epic films like "Ben-Hur." Wounded in action on Guadalcanal. Ford then suggested a starring role for him in the 1949 film Mighty Joe Young; he played Gregg opposite Terry Moore. Awarded the Silver Star for Valor. His National Guard unit was activated into federal service shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Stacker distribution partners receive a license to all Stacker stories, American leading man Stuart Maxwell Whitman was known for his rugged roles. In 1954, prior to becoming a legendary stand-up comedian, 17-year-old George Carlin joined the Air Force for the start of what would be a rocky military career. Tall and laconic, Johnson brought authenticity to many roles in Westerns with his droll manner and expert horsemanship. 0. His father was of German and Irish descent, and his mother was of Irish ancestry. Jonathan and his mother then moved to Springfield to live with his Marines - served two and a half years in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Farrell, who played Capt. During World War II, Rickles served in the Navy and saw combat in the Philippines. The paper backed up that bold claim with the fact that Hill's shows were broadcast into 100 countries, a feat even Charlie Chaplin never matched. After being expelled from high school, the man born Laurence Tureaud served in the Army as a military policeman. He performed on stage and in films as early as the 1920s, but halted his career in the 1940s to join the Navy during World War II. Bill. A decorated Army - Served as a Platoon Leader in Vietnam with the 5th Infantry division. William Henry Cosby, Jr. was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Anna Pearl (Hite), a maid and William Henry Cosby, Sr., a U.S. Navy sailor. Why didn't Van Johnson serve in World War II? - Blogger He also appeared in four Peckinpah-directed films: Major Dundee (1965, with Charlton Heston), The Wild Bunch (1969, with William Holden and Robert Ryan), and back-to-back Steve McQueen films, The Getaway and the rodeo film Junior Bonner (both 1972). Johnson, an Oscar winner and rodeo champ, would have . The Oscar winner is a brilliant actor and narrator who counts acclaimed films like "The Shawshank Redemption," "Driving Miss Daisy," and "Glory" among his critical and commercial successes. You may also like: 100 best Western films of all time, according to critics. . In the Club. Ford also cast Johnson as the lead in Wagon Master (1950), one of Ford's favorites. He paused his career to join the Navy and saw action in the European and Pacific theaters. Jack Warden was born John Warden Lebzelter, Jr. on September 18, 1920 in Newark, New Jersey, to Laura M. (Costello) and John Warden Lebzelter. He served in the Connecticut National Guard starting in 1948 and was discharged in 1950. Johnson thought the incident had been forgotten, but Ford did not use him in a film for over a decade. I was a cowboy from the time I hit the ground. In addition, he has been in over 50 feature motion pictures and hundreds of episodic TV shows. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, at the age of seventeen, young Jack Navy - '38-'42 and Army '42-'45. Blustery, stocky, loud although often genial character actor who has created a niche for himself playing often frustrated and fast talking Southern characters most noticeably as Sheriff J.W. storytelling. Although the Army - WWII. play Ben Johnson. rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers. He moved to Los Angeles, California, to live with his paternal aunt after the death of his father while he was in the sixth grade; his mother had died earlier when he was in the third grade. Don Knotts, the legendary television character actor, was born Jesse Donald Knotts on July 21, 1924 in Morgantown, West Virginia, to William Jesse Knotts and the former Elsie Luzetta Moore. He served as a medic at a U.S. Army hospital in the United States. From the late 1950s he was a familiar face on TV, usually as authoritative figures. During World War II, Winters joined the Marines at just 17 years old and served for two years in the South Pacific. Crozier Technical High School and the University of North Texas (Theatre Arts Major). Satirical comedic actor Bob Newhart appeared in movies like "Elf," "Horrible Bosses," and "Legally Blonde 2," but his name is on his most famous works, which were all on television. He is an actor and director, known for Dallas (1978), My Name Is Nobody (1973) and Dillinger (1973). Vietnam. Saddle up: Pawhuska's newest attraction is Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum [citation needed] In the 196667 television season, Johnson appeared as the character Sleeve in all 26 episodes of the ABC family Western The Monroes with co-stars Michael Anderson Jr. and Barbara Hershey.[8]. To avoid it, I've stuck with doing things I know how to do, and it's made me a good living".[9]. Johnson also operated a horse-breeding ranch throughout his career. share our stories with your audience. At an early age, he started to take dramatic lessons to calm himself down. He has cited earlier comedians George Gobel (1919-1991), Ray Goulding (1922-1990), and Bob Elliott (1923-2016) as his main Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Presley (ne Gladys Love Smith) and Vernon Presley (Vernon Elvis Presley). He has found it a constant American leading man famed as the star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, Gunsmoke (1955). Fred Gwynne was an enormously talented character actor most famous for starring in the television situation comedies Car 54, Where Are You? A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, he joined the US Navy after graduating high school and served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Ben Johnson - IMDb During the Battle of Normandy, he was wounded in the leg by shrapnel and walked with a limp for the rest of his life. After his parents' divorce, Steiger was raised by his mother in Newark, New Jersey. The first-generation American enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1943 and served as an aircraft gunner and Superfortress crewman. Emmy nominee John Amos has played some of the most iconic characters ever to appear on both the big and small screens, including Kunta Kinte in "Roots," James Evans Sr. in "Good Times," and Cleo McDowell in "Coming to America." With memorable roles in "Predator" and "The Running Man," Jesse Ventura rose to the top of the entertainment food chainbut he did the same as a pro wrestler (fans knew him as "The Body"), a politician (governor of Minnesota), and as a military man. Before he was an actor, Hayden was a sea voyager and captain, sailing around the world as a teenager and earning his first command at the age of 22. As a young man, Jones entered the Army during the Korean War, but he remained in America supporting cold-weather training in Colorado. He's also a veteran of the United States Army. Actors whose military service didn't mirror their Hollywood careers such as Ronald Reagan, Red Buttons, Mickey Rooney, etc. His parents were Anna (Boselli), who had emigrated from Carpi (MO), Italy, and Camillo Borgnino, who had emigrated from Ottiglio (AL), Italy. Although he'll forever be known as the standard bearer host of "The Price is Right," Bob Barker proved his comedic acting chops with an unforgettable role as himself in Adam Sandler's "Happy Gilmore." Van Cleef started out as an accountant. She was the daughter of noted Hollywood horse wrangler Clarence "Fat" Jones. (1980) --, was of French, German and Austrian descent, raised in a small Texas town and educated at a Catholic high school. Joel McCrea Actor | Sullivan's Travels Two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine starred in the "Batman" franchise, as well as comedies like "Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels" and dramas like "The Cider House Rules" and "Hannah and her Sisters." As an actor, Savalas played several different sinister villains before landing the part that made him famous: no-nonsense New York City detective "Kojak.". The stockily built Charles Durning was one of Hollywood's most Prolific and versatile character actor William Sanderson was born on January 10, 1944, in Memphis, Tennessee. He served in the Army during World War II and was among the first soldiers to make it ashore on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day. Although his career spanned from 1947 to 2000, two-time Oscar winner Jason Robards is most famous for his role as a bold and integrity-driven newspaper publisher in "All the President's Men." Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. In 1980, he was cast as Sheriff Isum Gorch in Soggy Bottom U.S.A. Johnson played Bartlett in the 196263 season of Have Gun Will Travel, which featured a short scene of his riding skills. As a young man, the future A-Lister was a laborer, vagrant, and professional boxer. With passing years, he matured into a star character actor who exemplified not only integrity and strength, but an ideal of the common man fighting against social injustice and oppression. Among those DJs was longtime "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak, who joined the Army as a clerk typist with the rank of Spc. He served in WWII, and afterwards got a job playing the drums at nightclubs in the Catskills. Few entertainers achieved greater success across more types of entertainment media than Bob Hope, the man NPR called "the most popular entertainer of the 20th century." Widely regarded as the one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native USA and internationally, James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. Loggia also Bob Newhart is an American actor and stand-up comedian. After graduating from college, Newhart was drafted to fight in the Korean War, where he saw combat during his Army service from 1952'54. [12], Ollie died on October 16, 2000, aged 101. Ben Johnson List of Movies and TV Shows - TV Guide He gained recognition for his authentic portrayal of many Western roles with his skills as a rancher and rodeo performer. You know him from movies like "Dirty Harry," "Unforgiven," and "The Bridges of Madison County." In doing so, youre agreeing to the below guidelines. Richard Pryor is regarded as one of the most important and controversial stand-up comedians in history, and his talents translated to a career in Hollywood that included films like "Superman III" and "Brewster's Millions." Ben Johnson Pro Celebrity : . Amiable and handsome James Garner had obtained success in both films and television, often playing variations of the charming anti-hero/con-man persona he first developed in Maverick, the offbeat western TV series that shot him to stardom in the late 1950s.James Garner was born James Scott Moses Gunn was born on October 2, 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father was a landscape designer. . distribution partner, email us at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum "Hall of Great Western Performers" Inductee, and Multi-Western Heritage Award Winner, most recently for roles in the critically acclaimed movie Hell or High Water (2016) (Outstanding Theatrical, 2017), The Road to Valhalla (2013) (Outstanding Documentary, Spencer Tracy was the second son born on April 5, 1900, to truck salesman John Edward and Caroline Brown Tracy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hollywood legend Henry Fonda was best known for "The Grapes of Wrath" and "On Golden Pond," the latter of which he starred in alongside his daughter, Jane Fonda. Murphy was injured three times, killed 240 German soldiers, and was eventually awarded 33 awards and medals, including three Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor. During World War II, he saw combat on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific. Better roles followed. Known for roles in "On the Waterfront," "Dr. Zhivago," and "In the Heat of the Night," Rod Steiger amassed nearly 150 credits between 1950 and 2002. Tall and laconic, Johnson brought authenticity to many roles in Westerns with his droll manner and expert horsemanship.The son of a rancher, Johnson arrived in Hollywood to deliver a consignment of horses for a film. From "Law & Order: SVU" to "New Jack City," pioneering West Coast rapper Ice-T joined the Army right out of high school as a means to support his daughter and girlfriend. With features chiseled in stone, and renowned for playing a long list of historical figures, particularly in Biblical epics, the tall, well-built and ruggedly handsome Charlton Heston was one of Hollywood's greatest leading men and remained active in front of movie cameras for over sixty years. Ben Johnson, rugged Western actor of about 300 films who won an Academy Award as the movie theater owner in "The Last Picture Show," died Monday He was 75.