Chubby Johnson

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Charles "Chubby" Rutledge Johnson (born August 13, 1902 or 1903 in Terre Haute , Indiana ; † October 31, 1974 in Hollywood , California ) was an American actor who played most of his career in western films and series.

life and career

Chubby Johnson first worked as a butcher, later as a journalist and radio announcer, before moving to full-time acting when he was over 40. He made his film debut in 1946 in the film Bandits Without a Mask on the side of Randolph Scott . By 1972 he played in a total of around 45 films and over 50 television series, mainly in the western genre . The gray-haired, plump-looking character actor was a prominent figure in supporting roles with his mostly long, shaggy beard. He mainly played cowboys, ranchers, coachmen, prospectors or sheriffs - outside of the western he was almost never seen, an exception here was the cheaply produced science fiction film Lost Continent with Cesar Romero .

At Republic Pictures he was briefly seen in a few films in the early 1950s as the comic sidekick of the cowboy star Allan Lane . In the 1950s he took on supporting roles in numerous westerns with Randolph Scott, James Stewart , Ronald Reagan , James Cagney and Tony Curtis . Johnson often played eccentric characters, such as the headstrong ship's captain Mello in Anthony Mann's Mutiny on the Serpent River (1952) and as the drunken coachman in Heavy Colts in Tender Hands (1953) alongside Doris Day and Howard Keel . In addition to the cinema, Johnson also took on numerous roles in western series such as Bonanza , Maverick and Smoking Colts and Temple Houston (here in a recurring role). He took his last film role in 1969 as a blacksmith in the western comedy Sam Whiskey , three years later he stood in front of the camera for the last time for the television series Bonanza .

Chubby Johnson died in Hollywood in 1974 of an infection on his leg and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Las Vegas .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Note: Most of the sources cite 1903, while IMDb cites 1902
  2. ↑ Chubby Johnson | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos | AllMovie. Retrieved February 9, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Johnson, Chubby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johnson, Charles Rutledge; Johnson, Chubby Rutledge (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH August 13, 1902 or August 13, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Terre Haute , Indiana , United States
DATE OF DEATH October 31, 1974
Place of death Hollywood , California