{"product_id":"9781496803856-van-johnson","title":"Van Johnson","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMGM's Golden Boy\u003cbr\u003eVan Johnson's dazzling smile, shock of red hair, and suntanned freckled cheeks made him a movie-star icon. Among teenaged girls in the 1940s, he was popularized as the bobbysoxer's heartthrob. This solid, thoroughly researched biography traces the career and influence of a favourite star and narrates a fascinating, sometimes troubled life story.\u003cbr\u003eVan Johnson's dazzling smile, shock of red hair, and suntanned freckled cheeks made him a movie-star icon. Among teenaged girls in the 1940s, he was popularized as the bobbysoxer's heartthrob.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe won the nation's heart, too, by appearing in a series of blockbuster war films - \u003cem\u003eA Guy Named Joe\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThirty Seconds Over Tokyo\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eWeekend at the Waldorf\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eBattleground\u003c\/em\u003e. Perennially a leading man opposite June Allyson, Esther Williams, Judy Garland, and Janet Leigh, he rose to fame radiating the sunshine image Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer chose for him, that of an affable, wholesome boy-next-door. Legions of adoring moviegoers were captivated by this idealized persona that generated huge box-office profits for the studio.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, Johnson's off-screen life was not so sunny. His mother had rejected him in childhood, and he lived his adult life dealing with sexual ambivalence. A marriage was arranged with the ex-wife of his best friend, the actor Keenan Wynn. During the waning years of Hollywood's Golden Age, she and Johnson lived amid the glow of Hollywood's A-crowd. Yet their private life was charged with tension and conflict.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough morose and reclusive by nature, Johnson maintained a happy-go-lucky façade, even among co-workers who knew him as a congenial, dedicated professional. Once free of the golden-boy stereotype, he became a respected actor assigned stellar roles in such acclaimed films as \u003cem\u003eState of the Union\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCommand Decision\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Last Time I Saw Paris\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Caine Mutiny\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the demise of the big studios, Johnson returned to the stage, where he had begun his career as a song-and-dance man. After this, he appeared frequently in television shows, performed in nightclubs, and became the legendary darling of older audiences on the dinner playhouse circuit. Johnson (1916-2008) spent his post-Hollywood years living in solitude in New York City.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis solid, thoroughly researched biography traces the career and influence of a favorite star and narrates a fascinating, sometimes troubled life story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55209481437558,"sku":"9781496803856","price":27.06,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_38248449_370d874c-ca9c-411f-aa0f-43798a48d682.jpg?v=1763862656","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781496803856-van-johnson","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}