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Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson

Highest Rated: 100% Wagon Master (1950)

Lowest Rated: 0% Something Big (1971)

Birthday: Jun 13, 1918

Birthplace: Foraker, Oklahoma, USA

"Having Ben Johnson was having the real thing," Peter Bogdanovich once said of the actor who won a Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Sam 'the Lion' in the director's memorable "The Last Picture Show" (1971). Indeed, for half a century Johnson was the "real thing" as far as Hollywood was concerned, a rancher and rodeo cowboy who accidentally drifted into acting and proved himself a highly capable actor of warmth and grit, believably embodying a vision of the American West.

Highest rated movies

100% Wagon Master
98% The Last Picture Show
97% Major Dundee
97% Shane 93% Dillinger
92% Junior Bonner
92% Hang 'Em High
92% She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Photos

DILLINGER, Ben Johnson (left), 1973 THE WILD BUNCH, Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, 1969 DILLINGER, Ben Johnson, 1973 THE GETAWAY, Ben Johnson, 1972 GRAYEAGLE, Ben Johnson, 1977 KID BLUE, Ben Johnson, 1973, TM and Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. MAJOR DUNDEE, Ben Johnson, 1965 THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS, Ben Johnson, 1974 THE TRAIN ROBBERS, Ben Johnson, 1973 THE TRAIN ROBBERS, Ben Johnson, 1973 WAGON MASTER, Ben Johnson, 1950 THE TRAIN ROBBERS, John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Ben Johnson, 1973 THE WILD BUNCH, Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, 1969 WILD BUNCH, Bo Hopkins, Ernest Borgnine, William Holden, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, 1969 SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, George O'Brien, John Wayne, 1949 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, Ben Johnson, Terry Moore, 1949 CHISUM, Ben Johnson, John Wayne, 1970 SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, John Wayne, John Agar, Ben Johnson, 1949 SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, Ben Johnson, John Agar, Harry Carey Jr., John Wayne, 1949 WAGONMASTER, (aka WAGON MASTER), Ben Johnson, Ward Bond, Harry Carey, Jr., 1950
See all photos

Filmography

Movies

Credit
20% 61% The Evening Star Arthur Cotton (Character) $12.7M 1996
No Score Yet 83% Ruby Jean and Joe Big Man (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet 60% Bonanza: Under Attack Bronc Evans (Character) - 1995
31% 49% Angels in the Outfield Hank Murphy (Character) $50.2M 1994
No Score Yet 33% Bonanza: The Return Bronc Evans (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet O.B. Taggart Jack Parrish (Character) - 1993
35% 72% Radio Flyer Geronimo Bill (Character) $4.0M 1992
33% 79% My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys Jesse Dalton (Character) $3.6M 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Chase Laurienti (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Back to Back Eli Hix (Character) - 1989
38% 41% Cherry 2000 Six Fingered Jake (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Stranger on My Land Vern Whitman (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dark Before Dawn The Sheriff (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trespasses August Klein (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet 26% Let's Get Harry Harry Burck Sr. (Character) $141.0K 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wild Horses Bill Ward (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet 72% Champions Burly Cocks (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet 70% The Shadow Riders Uncle "Black Jack" Traven (Character) - 1982
85% 65% Tex Cole Collins (Character) - 1982
No Score Yet 71% Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. Isum Gorch (Character) - 1981
46% 49% The Hunter Sheriff Strong (Character) - 1980
44% 38% Terror Train Carne (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet 53% Ruckus Big Ben (Character) - 1980
9% 19% The Swarm Felix (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet 70% Grayeagle John Colter (Character) - 1977
20% 47% The Greatest Hollis (Character) - 1977
42% 40% The Town That Dreaded Sundown Captain J.D. Morales (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet 31% The Savage Bees Sheriff Donald McKew (Character) - 1976
50% 47% Hustle Marty Hollinger (Character) - 1975
73% 54% Bite the Bullet Mister (Character) - 1975
68% 59% Breakheart Pass Marshal Pearce (Character) - 1975
87% 66% The Sugarland Express Captain Harlin Tanner (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Locusts Amos Fletcher (Character) - 1974
50% 62% Kid Blue Sheriff "Mean John" Simpson (Character) - 1973
93% 75% Dillinger Melvin Purvis (Character) - 1973
33% 58% The Train Robbers Jesse (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Red Pony Jess Taylor (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Runaway! Holly Gibson (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bloodsport Dwayne Birdsong (Character) - 1973
83% 81% The Getaway Jack Beynon (Character) - 1972
92% 62% Junior Bonner Buck Roan (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet 50% The Bull of the West Spinner (Character) - 1972
0% 100% Something Big Jesse Bookbinder (Character) - 1971
98% 89% The Last Picture Show Sam the Lion (Character) - 1971
83% 74% Chisum James Pepper (Character) - 1970
91% 90% The Wild Bunch Tector Gorch (Character) - 1969
44% 66% The Undefeated Short Grub (Character) - 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ride a Northbound Horse Unknown (Character) - 1969
92% 73% Hang 'Em High Marshal Dave Bliss (Character) - 1968
87% 75% Will Penny Alex (Character) - 1968
29% 58% The Rare Breed Jeff Harter (Character) - 1966
97% 67% Major Dundee Sergeant Chillum (Character) $14.9K 1965
61% 72% One-Eyed Jacks Bob Amory (Character) - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tomboy and the Champ Uncle Jim (Character) - 1961
No Score Yet 25% Ten Who Dared George Bradley (Character) - 1960
No Score Yet 0% Fort Bowie Capt. Thomas Thompson (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Slim Carter Montana Burriss (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet War Drums Luke Fargo (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rebel in Town Frank Mason (Character) - 1956
87% 75% Oklahoma! Wrangler (uncredited) (Character) - 1955
97% 81% Shane Chris Calloway (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wild Stallion Dan Light (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 33% Fort Defiance Ben Shelby (Character) - 1951
100% 68% Wagon Master Travis Blue (Character) - 1950
71% 70% Rio Grande Trooper Travis Tyree (Character) - 1950
91% 64% Mighty Joe Young Gregg (Character) - 1949
92% 79% She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Sgt. Tyree (Character) - 1949
87% 78% 3 Godfathers Posse man 1 (Character) - 1948

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Joe Bob's Halloween Hoedown Unknown (Character) 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Sacketts Cap Rountree (Character) 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gunsmoke Ben Crown (Guest Star) 1963 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonanza Unknown (Guest Star) 1962 1969 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Monroes Sleeve (Character) 1966-1967
No Score Yet No Score Yet Branded Unknown (Guest Star) 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason Kelly (Guest Star) 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Virginian Spinner (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Have Gun -- Will Travel Unknown (Guest Star) 1960-1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Route 66 Unknown (Guest Star) 1961-1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet Laramie Jim (driver) (Character),
Billy Pardee (Guest Star) 		1960-1961
No Score Yet 85% Alfred Hitchcock Presents Sheriff Jeff (Character) 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Restless Gun Sheriff Tim Malachy (Guest Star) 1958