Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes
Arch Johnson

Arch Johnson

Highest Rated: 100% The Buddy Holly Story (1978)

Lowest Rated: 0% G.I. Blues (1960)

Birthday: Mar 14, 1922

Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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.

Highest rated movies

100% 77% The Buddy Holly Story
93% 95% The Sting
86% 86% Somebody Up There Likes Me
77% 71% Walking Tall 60% 58% Easy Money
0% 69% G.I. Blues

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Deathmask Dr. Robert Riordan (Character) - 1984
60% 58% Easy Money Vendor at Armory (Character) - 1983
100% 77% 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% 95% The Sting Combs (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Double Indemnity Dietrickson (Character) - 1973
77% 71% Walking Tall Buel Jaggers (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet 44% Napoleon and Samantha Chief of Police (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rookies Ranch Instructor (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet 67% The Cheyenne Social Club Marshal Anderson (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet 31% Twilight of Honor Mac McWade (Character) - 1963
No Score Yet 56% The Explosive Generation Mr. George Sommers (Character) - 1961
0% 69% G.I. Blues Sgt. McGraw (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Lawbreakers Chief Inspector Gus Honichek (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet 33% Gun Glory Gunn (Character) - 1957
86% 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% 80% 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 36% 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% 91% 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