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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.

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

And The Last Time I Saw Paris. He was an excellent actor.

He also had a wonderful star turn on I Love Lucy.

When he was appearing in La Cage au Folles on Broadway, he would dress in his pajamas, get picked up by a limo, be taken to the theatre, do the show, get back in his pajamas, go directly back to his hotel and go to bed. It was his way of making sure he didn't stay up too late.

I remember from his numerous appearances on the Mike Douglas show that he always wore red socks- presumably not with his pajamas, though.

Johnson was one of those actors who seemed to have completely dropped out of sight the last thirty years or so.

He actually had agreed to play Eliot Ness in the pilot for The Untouchables (he and Lucille Ball were good friends and it was a Desilu production). However, the weekend before filming was supposed to start on a Monday morning, his wife called up Arnaz and tried to renegotiate his contract, thinking they had Arnaz over a barrel. Arnaz was one of the most tightfisted men in Hollywood, so this didn't go over well. Arnaz called up Robert Stack who immediately agreed to take the role. From then on, Johnson's career pretty much went downhill.

Miracle In The Rain...

Wow, I cannot believe that he's been around all this time; I would have sworn he passed long ago.

RIP

I'm sure I'm not alone in having my first exposure to Van Johnson in his role as the Minstral in TV's Batman - probably one of the most ridicules of the many absurb villians on the show. It took me a long time to take him seriously as an actor because of that. Of course, his role in The Caine Mutany along with Fred McMurray was able to put those first impressions to rest and I grew to appreciate his talents the more I saw of him. He was also quite good in Brigadoon as well.

I was not aware that he was still around but I'm sorry to hear about his passing.

---Jay

Second Chance wrote:Miracle In The Rain...

Wow, I cannot believe that he's been around all this time; I would have sworn he passed long ago.

RIP

I used to get him mixed up with Van Heflin from time to time. Perhaps you did, too.

silvercamaro wrote:

Second Chance wrote:Miracle In The Rain...

Wow, I cannot believe that he's been around all this time; I would have sworn he passed long ago.

RIP

I used to get him mixed up with Van Heflin from time to time. Perhaps you did, too.

Ironically, Van Heflin passed on playing Eliot Ness before the role was offered to Johnson.

I first read about this today on the CBC website. Most of it was word-for-word except for the part about his bitter divorce being caused by his homosexuality. Very interesting.