Ben Johnson
Re: Ben Johnson
Publicity picture for the 1969 Walt Disney Wonderful World of Color two-part episode, "Ride a Northbound Horse." The still on the right of young Ben and Dobe is from Wagon Master, of course. :)
Re: Ben Johnson
I love it when I read stuff like this. This particular paragraph is in an article in the November 1950 Modern Screen.
Here's the whole article. It's an examination of the love lives, marriages and careers of Hollywood's latest crop of potential stars, and just so they can have a reason for all the gossip, they explain how star behavior has a big effect on the fans who are inspired by their favorite actors. :) (If the below is hard to read, you can download a bigger version from my Ben webpage.)
Here's the whole article. It's an examination of the love lives, marriages and careers of Hollywood's latest crop of potential stars, and just so they can have a reason for all the gossip, they explain how star behavior has a big effect on the fans who are inspired by their favorite actors. :) (If the below is hard to read, you can download a bigger version from my Ben webpage.)
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JackFavell
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Re: Ben Johnson
Great interview, April and Paula! I'm so sorry I missed this one when it first came out. I really like the way you talked about Ford using the natural gifts of each actor he worked with, and how Son's natural persona was achieved easily - showing his quietness, physicality, and prowess on horseback. Can you imagine if a lesser director had latched onto Ben, and tried to mold and shape him, rather than shaping his movie around his already great gifts?
I also love the father's day 2014 pic, how lovely to see them all beaming with pride. Sweet.
I find it AMAZING that David Wayne, Carleton Carpenter and Ben Johnson inhabited the same universe at one time. Sometimes I feel like different stars are eternities apart, even when they were all working in Hollywood at the same time. As if 1950 was a separate thing to all three of them.
I also love the father's day 2014 pic, how lovely to see them all beaming with pride. Sweet.
I find it AMAZING that David Wayne, Carleton Carpenter and Ben Johnson inhabited the same universe at one time. Sometimes I feel like different stars are eternities apart, even when they were all working in Hollywood at the same time. As if 1950 was a separate thing to all three of them.
Re: Ben Johnson
Two page spread for the 1980 mini-series Wild Times. WHY isn't this out on DVD??? Because Fox now owns the rights (I think). They're also holding The Monroes hostage. Fortunately you can get second-hand copies of the now out of print VHS.
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JackFavell
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Re: Ben Johnson
Today's post is about Ben's 1973 ABC TV movie of the week, Blood Sport, in which he plays a dad obsessed with his high school son's football career. The son is played by Gary Busey, who played Ben's son-in-law in My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, and the car dealership owner who financed the mission to rescue his son in Let's Get Harry.
First, a publicity picture with Gary Busey. Then a syndicated "Hollywood Hotshot" column by Nancy Anderson which ran January 1, 1974. Ben talks about various different things (some of those lines you will have heard before) but he does discuss briefly his role in Blood Sport).
First, a publicity picture with Gary Busey. Then a syndicated "Hollywood Hotshot" column by Nancy Anderson which ran January 1, 1974. Ben talks about various different things (some of those lines you will have heard before) but he does discuss briefly his role in Blood Sport).
Re: Ben Johnson
We're back and it feels soooooooo gooooood.....
Bill Levy, author of Lest We Forget: The John Ford Stock Company, sent me his latest "Forgotten Gems" column which he writes for the New Jersey publication 50 Plus, a newspaper serving people 50 and older. This latest column is about Wild Stallion, recently released on DVD by the Warner Archive, and he captures beautifully what makes Ben so singular on screen. :) Thanks, Bill!
Also, just posted this great publicity still from War Drums. ;) The other gentleman in the picture is Richard Cutting as Judge Benton.
Bill Levy, author of Lest We Forget: The John Ford Stock Company, sent me his latest "Forgotten Gems" column which he writes for the New Jersey publication 50 Plus, a newspaper serving people 50 and older. This latest column is about Wild Stallion, recently released on DVD by the Warner Archive, and he captures beautifully what makes Ben so singular on screen. :) Thanks, Bill!
Also, just posted this great publicity still from War Drums. ;) The other gentleman in the picture is Richard Cutting as Judge Benton.
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JackFavell
- Posts: 11926
- Joined: April 20th, 2009, 9:56 am
Re: Ben Johnson
The Blu-ray of Shane is released today and Amazon claims it will be delivered today so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that will happen and that I will be watching it tonight. ;)
Which means, today's post at the Ben page is about this:
Walt Farmer is a Wyomingite (yes, that's what they call themselves!) who has written this HUGE history of filmmaking in Wyoming from the silent era through to the early 2000s, and then put it all on a CD-rom. He did years of research and this CD-rom is packed with behind the scenes information, rare interviews with actors and locals who worked on the productions, story synopses, and much more more. Plus it is lavishly illustrated with publicity photos and lobby cards, candids, photos taken by locals and recent photos of locations showing how they look now. Walt has also included maps, shooting schedules, scripts and even has looked up latitude and longitude for shooting locations!
He also wrote a separate book (also on CD-rom) just about Shane and you can order it separately or order the Wyoming CD-rom including the Shane history.
Ben appears in various places in the book as his productions in Wyoming include Smoky (he doubled for Fred MacMurray), Shane, the TV series The Monroes and TV movie Wild Horses and mini-series Dream West. Walt includes rare photos of Ben both in publicity material and candid on location shots.
You can go here to read about Walt, the CD-rom and order it -- well worth the money!
http://www.theastrocowboy.com/
Which means, today's post at the Ben page is about this:
Walt Farmer is a Wyomingite (yes, that's what they call themselves!) who has written this HUGE history of filmmaking in Wyoming from the silent era through to the early 2000s, and then put it all on a CD-rom. He did years of research and this CD-rom is packed with behind the scenes information, rare interviews with actors and locals who worked on the productions, story synopses, and much more more. Plus it is lavishly illustrated with publicity photos and lobby cards, candids, photos taken by locals and recent photos of locations showing how they look now. Walt has also included maps, shooting schedules, scripts and even has looked up latitude and longitude for shooting locations!
He also wrote a separate book (also on CD-rom) just about Shane and you can order it separately or order the Wyoming CD-rom including the Shane history.
Ben appears in various places in the book as his productions in Wyoming include Smoky (he doubled for Fred MacMurray), Shane, the TV series The Monroes and TV movie Wild Horses and mini-series Dream West. Walt includes rare photos of Ben both in publicity material and candid on location shots.
You can go here to read about Walt, the CD-rom and order it -- well worth the money!
http://www.theastrocowboy.com/
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JackFavell
- Posts: 11926
- Joined: April 20th, 2009, 9:56 am
Re: Ben Johnson
Oh at last! The Shane book sounds so good. Does he have a website about Wyoming films online, or is that someone else?
I've been looking for that top picture of Ben for so long! Thanks for posting it in a size that you can actually see!
I've been looking for that top picture of Ben for so long! Thanks for posting it in a size that you can actually see!
Re: Ben Johnson
Alas, you have to buy the CD-rom to get all the great info about Wyoming films and Shane. Walt doesn't have a website with all this stuff. It's really worth the money to buy the CD-rom. It's incredibly detailed with info and pictures you're not going to see anywhere else -- I'm not even sure I'm communicating well how much is in it. It's a huge labor of love and thank goodness Walt is obsessed with Wyoming film history, because I don't know if anyone else would have done so much research and dug up so much fascinating information.
Actually I wish that picture of Ben were bigger! ;) But at least it's viewable. :)
Here's the link again to Walt's website. http://www.theastrocowboy.com/
The links on the left will lead you to the CD-rom or just the Shane CD-rom (I recommend the Wyoming history one with the Shane book included) and all the other many many things he participates in. He's a busy guy! ;)
Actually I wish that picture of Ben were bigger! ;) But at least it's viewable. :)
Here's the link again to Walt's website. http://www.theastrocowboy.com/
The links on the left will lead you to the CD-rom or just the Shane CD-rom (I recommend the Wyoming history one with the Shane book included) and all the other many many things he participates in. He's a busy guy! ;)
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JackFavell
- Posts: 11926
- Joined: April 20th, 2009, 9:56 am
Re: Ben Johnson
Ah thanks, Paula.
I actually got Walt confused wth Bette L. Stanton. I have her book called A Moab - Monument Valley Movie History.
I actually got Walt confused wth Bette L. Stanton. I have her book called A Moab - Monument Valley Movie History.
Re: Ben Johnson
The new Shane Blu-ray is totally gorgeous! Ben and Alan Ladd and the rest of the cast look like they're actually hanging out in my living room, they seem so life-like. Amazing!
So today's post is another Shane picture. Ben is on the left, from the back. I've actually collected a bunch of photos and lobby cards showing Ben from the back and I'm going to start posting them as an informal series -- don't worry, I won't do them all at once, I like to look at his face too. ;) But they'll be popping up for the next two or three weeks till I've posted them all. ;)
So today's post is another Shane picture. Ben is on the left, from the back. I've actually collected a bunch of photos and lobby cards showing Ben from the back and I'm going to start posting them as an informal series -- don't worry, I won't do them all at once, I like to look at his face too. ;) But they'll be popping up for the next two or three weeks till I've posted them all. ;)
Re: Ben Johnson
TM is this nice fellow who reads my Ben page and also reads SSO but I don't know if he posts here or just lurks.
He found this great AP interview with Warren Oates that was published December 4, 1979 in which Oates talks very admiringly about Ben. Susan Compo in her bio of Oates (Warren Oates: A Wild Life) has more information about their friendship and says that Oates idolized Ben and thought of him as the White Knight of the Holy Grail. You can see here more evidence of that. :)
But the truly fascinating bit in the interview is Oates stating that Ben had worked as a wrangler on Ride the High Country! That's news to me! I've never seen Ben associated with Ride the High Country before. There are a number of interviews where Ben talks about his first meeting with Peckinpah to be cast in Major Dundee but I can't think of one where he mentioned Ride the High Country. Another tidbit to fill out Ben's bio.;) Thanks again to TM for finding this interview.
Peckinpah as a young man and budding writer/director of Westerns of course would have seen Ben in all those Ford films and of course also Shane, one of his favorite films. Also, Peckinpah wrote the first draft of what would eventually become One-Eyed Jacks and I imagine he would have seen that film and admired Ben's great and unexpected performance as bad guy Bob Amory.
He found this great AP interview with Warren Oates that was published December 4, 1979 in which Oates talks very admiringly about Ben. Susan Compo in her bio of Oates (Warren Oates: A Wild Life) has more information about their friendship and says that Oates idolized Ben and thought of him as the White Knight of the Holy Grail. You can see here more evidence of that. :)
But the truly fascinating bit in the interview is Oates stating that Ben had worked as a wrangler on Ride the High Country! That's news to me! I've never seen Ben associated with Ride the High Country before. There are a number of interviews where Ben talks about his first meeting with Peckinpah to be cast in Major Dundee but I can't think of one where he mentioned Ride the High Country. Another tidbit to fill out Ben's bio.;) Thanks again to TM for finding this interview.
Peckinpah as a young man and budding writer/director of Westerns of course would have seen Ben in all those Ford films and of course also Shane, one of his favorite films. Also, Peckinpah wrote the first draft of what would eventually become One-Eyed Jacks and I imagine he would have seen that film and admired Ben's great and unexpected performance as bad guy Bob Amory.
