Arch Johnson
At 6'4" tall, Minnesota-born Arch Johnson was a natural to play hulking heavies on many crime and western TV series during the 1960s and '70s. A graduate of the Actors Studio, he saw his first success playing detective Schrank in the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" in 1957. Branching off into television shortly thereafter, he developed a fruitful career as a character actor, often portraying cops on gritty crime dramas such as "Perry Mason" and "The Asphalt Jungle." Most of his onscreen work, however, was in the western genre, gathering recurring roles on such enduringly popular oaters as "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," and "Rawhide." A shot at series stardom eluded him when his lead role on the rollicking "Camp Runamuck" was cut short after only one season in the mid-'60s. He continued to work on the stage throughout his career and had notable film roles in the classic con-man comedy "The Sting," the lusty Elvis Presley musical "G.I. Blues," and the electric 1978 biopic "The Buddy Holly Story," in which he portrayed the father of legendary rock pioneer Buddy Holly. He worked sparingly in film and TV after the '70s, returning to the stage occasionally until his death from cancer in 1997.
Photos
Arch Johnson
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Deathmask | Dr. Robert Riordan (Character) | - | 1984 |
60% |
|
Easy Money | Vendor at Armory (Character) | - | 1983 |
100% |
|
The Buddy Holly Story | Mr. Holly (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Invisible Man | General Turner (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Babe | Mr. Johnson (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Underground Man | Joe Kelsey (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nightmare | Super (Character) | - | 1974 |
93% |
|
The Sting | Combs (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Double Indemnity | Dietrickson (Character) | - | 1973 |
77% |
|
Walking Tall | Buel Jaggers (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet |
|
Napoleon and Samantha | Chief of Police (Character) | - | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rookies | Ranch Instructor (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Cheyenne Social Club | Marshal Anderson (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet |
|
Twilight of Honor | Mac McWade (Character) | - | 1963 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Explosive Generation | Mr. George Sommers (Character) | - | 1961 |
0% |
|
G.I. Blues | Sgt. McGraw (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Lawbreakers | Chief Inspector Gus Honichek (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet |
|
Gun Glory | Gunn (Character) | - | 1957 |
86% |
|
Somebody Up There Likes Me | Heldon (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Garden of Eden | Unknown (Character) | - | 1954 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rockford Files | Cardinal Finnerty (Guest Star) | 1979 |
100% | 82% | Wonder Woman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Charlie's Angels | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bionic Woman | Commissioner Sam Hart (Guest Star) | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Little House on the Prairie | Shell (Guest Star) | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Barnaby Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1973 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bronk | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Streets of San Francisco | Caretaker (Guest Star) | 1973 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Girl With Something Extra | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | 100% | Kung Fu | Unknown (Character) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shaft | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Banacek | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cannon | Sheriff Tyson (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Odd Couple | Billy Jack (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | 45% | Bewitched | Harlan Mossler (Guest Star) | 1968 1970-1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Virginian | Sheriff Tracey (Guest Star) | 1963 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dan August | Sgt. Forbes (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunsmoke | Big Jim Ponder (Guest Star) | 1962 1964 1966 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Merritt Parker (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Name of the Game | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mannix | Captain Griswold (Guest Star) | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Big Valley | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bonanza | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 1964 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cimarron Strip | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | F Troop | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Please Don't Eat the Daisies | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Fugitive | Sheriff Prycer (Guest Star) | 1963 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Perry Mason | Marvin Fremont (Guest Star) | 1960-1961 1963-1964 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laredo | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Farmer's Daughter | Lennox (Guest Star) | 1963 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mr. Novak | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1963-1964 |
83% | 92% | The Munsters | Mr. Taggert (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Grindl | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961-1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Lieutenant | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laramie | Sam Wellman (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 77 Sunset Strip | Warren Bodger (Guest Star) | 1960 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Surfside 6 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dr. Kildare | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 |
92% | 96% | The Twilight Zone | Jesse James (Character) | 1961-1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wagon Train | Glen Andrews (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bus Stop | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cain's Hundred | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown (Character) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | 87% | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Jamie McMahon (Character) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bronco | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bat Masterson | Mr. Smith (Guest Star) | 1960 |