John Morey Downs (October 10, 1913 – June 6, 1994) was an American child actor, singer, and dancer. He began his career as a
child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...
, most notably playing Johnny in the ''
Our Gang
''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...
'' short series from 1923 to 1926. He remained active in films, television, and theatre up through the early 1960s.
Early life
Downs was born in New York City on October 10, 1913. His father was Lt. Morey Downs, a naval aviator with the U.S. Navy. When he was 8 years old the family moved to San Diego due to his father's transfer. Johnny's mother took him to Hollywood for an audition with the
Hal Roach Studios
Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and business partners Dan Linthicum and I.H. Nance as the Rolin Film Company on Ju ...
. He appeared in a silent film, then was cast as Johnny in the ''Our Gang'' series. He was a regular in the series from 1923 until 1927, appearing in 24 episodes.
Adult career
Outgrowing the ''Our Gang'' series at the age of 14, he and fellow ''Our Gang'' alumnus
Mary Kornman
Mary Kornman (born Mary Agnes Evans, December 27, 1915 – June 1, 1973) was an American child actress who was the leading female star of the ''Our Gang'' series during the Pathé silent era.
''Our Gang''
She was born as Mary Agnes Evans, the ...
performed on college campuses and the vaudeville circuit, where he polished his singing and dancing skills.
In 1934 he returned to Hollywood and landed a small part in the musical '' Babes in Toyland''. He found his niche in the "college musical" movies of the late 1930s, starting with '' College Scandal'' (1935) and '' College Holiday'' (1936). With his boy-next-door good looks, he was often cast as a team captain or a cheerleader. Other movie musicals followed, ending in 1944 with '' What a Man!''. He had a notable cameo in the 1945 film ''
Rhapsody in Blue
''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...
'' where he danced to Robert Alda's piano playing of "Swanee". For the remainder of the 1940s and early 1950s he had a few bit parts in films, including ''Cruisin' Down the River''. He spent most of his time on the stage in summer stock and Broadway, scoring a hit in '' Are You With It?''. Altogether he has almost 100 movie credits to his name.
''The Johnny Downs Show''
He settled in Coronado, California where he sold real estate and became a respected amateur tennis player. From 1953 to 1968 he hosted an after-school kids' television show, ''The Johnny Downs Show,'' on Channel 10 (call letters KFSD until 1961, subsequently KOGO). The theme started as an airport hangar with Downs playing a former
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
pilot, "Johnny Jet". Between reruns of ''
The Little Rascals
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', Downs entertained and informed studio audiences and viewers. Later, it was trains, and he was shown getting off or on a locomotive at the show's beginning and end. As the show changed to feature more ''
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Starlight Opera production of '' The Wizard Of Oz''.
Theater
According to
Carleton Carpenter
Carleton Upham Carpenter Jr. (July 10, 1926 – January 31, 2022) was an American film, television and stage actor, magician, songwriter, and novelist.
Early and personal life
Carpenter was born in Bennington, Vermont, where he attended Benni ...
's autobiography, Downs worked as a choreographer in the theater in the late 1950s on a production called ''Lock Up Your Daughters''. He "did our dances, and they were really foolish. It wasn't choreography; I don't know what it was. I do know it wasn't good, and it became a great source of amusement for all the company-- behind Johnny's back, of course, but we were about a subtle as a bus wreck. It bonded the cast completely together."
Death
Downs died of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
Holy Cross Cemetery Holy Cross Cemetery may refer to:
United States
California
* Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California)
*Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California
* Holy Cross Cemetery (Menlo Park, California)
* Holy Cross Cemetery (Pomona, California)
*Holy ...
in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
. Downs and wife June had five children: Mary, Claudia, John Jr., Mollie and Maureen.
Partial filmography
* ''
Circus Fever
''Circus Fever'' is a 1925 American short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 35th ''Our Gang'' short subject released.
Plot
As described in a review in a film magazine, Farina contacts "speckled fever," and, in orde ...
'' (1925, Short) - Johnny
* ''
Dog Days
The dog days or are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden ...
'' (1925, Short) - Rich Kid
* ''
The Love Bug
''The Love Bug'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and the first in a franchise by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 19 ...
'' (1925, Short) - Johnny
* ''
Ask Grandma
''Ask Grandma'' is a 1925 American short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 39th ''Our Gang'' short subject released.
Plot
Mickey's overprotective mother is trying to raise her son as a gentleman by dressing him li ...
45 Minutes from Hollywood
''45 Minutes From Hollywood'' (1926) is an American two-reel silent film released by Pathé Exchange. The runtime is 15 minutes.
At the time, it was known as a Glenn Tryon vehicle, but today it is best remembered as the second instance of Stan ...
'' (1926, Short) - Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
* ''
Seeing the World
''Seeing the World'' (also known as ''A Roamin' Holiday'') is a 1927 silent ''Our Gang'' film, directed by Robert F. McGowan and Anthony Mack. It was the 57th ''Our Gang'' short subject released. The film features James Finlayson and also a br ...
'' (1927, Short) - Johnny
* ''
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained st ...
'' (1927) - Jesse James as a boy (uncredited)
* ''
Chicken Feed
Poultry feed is food for farm poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic birds.
Before the twentieth century, poultry were mostly kept on general farms, and foraged for much of their feed, eating insects, grain spilled by catt ...
'' (1927, Short) - Prof. Presto Misterio
* '' The Valley of the Giants'' (1927) - Bryce, as a Boy (uncredited)
* '' The Crowd'' (1928) - John - Age 12 (uncredited)
* ''
The Trail of '98
''The Trail of '98'' is a 1928 American silent action-adventure/drama film featuring Harry Carey and Dolores del Río about the Klondike Gold Rush. The film was originally released by MGM in a short-lived widescreen process called “Fantom S ...
Everybody's Old Man
''Everybody's Old Man'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by James Flood and written by Patterson McNutt and A.E. Thomas. The film stars Irvin S. Cobb, Rochelle Hudson, Johnny Downs, Norman Foster, Alan Dinehart, Sara Haden, Donald Meek an ...
'' (1936) - Tommy Sampson
* '' The First Baby'' (1936) - Johnny Ellis
* ''
The Arizona Raiders
''The Arizona Raiders'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Buster Crabbe and Marsha Hunt. It was based on a Zane Grey novel and released by Paramount Pictures.
The film is also known as ''Bad Men of Arizo ...
'' (1936) - Lonesome Alonzo Q. Mulhall
* ''
Pigskin Parade
''Pigskin Parade'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film which tells the story of husband-and-wife college football coaches who convince a backwoods player to play for their team so they can go to the big game. It was written by William M. Consel ...
'' (1936) - Chip Carson
* '' College Holiday'' (1936) - Johnny Jones
* ''
Clarence Clarence may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division
* Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow
* Clarence River (New South Wales)
* Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)
* City of Clarence, a l ...
Thrill of a Lifetime
''Thrill of a Lifetime'' is a television reality series (before that term was coined) created by Sidney M. Cohen (who also directed many of the episodes) and Willie Stein. It was telecast from 1981 to 1988 in Canada on the CTV network. ''Thril ...
'' (1937) - Stanley
* ''
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...
'' (1938) - Pierrot
* '' Hunted Men'' (1938) - Frank Martin
* ''
Hold That Co-ed
''Hold That Co-ed'' is a 1938 comedy film directed by George Marshall, starring John Barrymore, George Murphy and Marjorie Weaver.
Plot summary
Former star quarterback Rusty Stevens believes he is being hired to be prosperous Clayton University ...
'' (1938) - Dink
* ''
Swing, Sister, Swing
''Swing, Sister, Swing'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and written by Charles Grayson. The film stars Ken Murray, Johnny Downs, Kathryn Kane, Eddie Quillan, Ernest Truex and Edna Sedgewick. The film was released on ...
'' (1938) - Johnny Bennett
* '' First Offenders'' (1939) - Fred Gray
* '' Bad Boy'' (1939) - John Fraser
* '' Hawaiian Nights'' (1939) - Ted Hartley
* ''
Parents on Trial
''Parents on Trial'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Sam Nelson and starring Jean Parker, Johnny Downs and Noah Beery Jr.Lyons p.35
Plot
Cast
* Jean Parker as Susan Wesley
* Johnny Downs as Don Martin
* Noah Beery Jr. as Jerry Kear ...
Slightly Tempted
''Slightly Tempted'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Lew Landers and written by Arthur T. Horman. The film stars Hugh Herbert, Peggy Moran, Johnny Downs, Elisabeth Risdon, George E. Stone and Gertrude Michael. The film was released on ...
'' (1940) - Jimmy Duncan
* '' Honeymoon for Three'' (1941) - Chester T. Farrington III
* '' Adam Had Four Sons'' (1941) - David Stoddard (older)
* '' Redhead'' (1941) - Ted Brown
* ''
Sing Another Chorus
''Sing Another Chorus'' is a 1941 American film starring Jane Frazee.
Plot
Andy Peyton comes home from college, wanting not to work for his father's failing garment business but to be involved in stage shows and entertainment. A former burlesqu ...
'' (1941) - Andy Peyton
* ''
Moonlight in Hawaii
''Moonlight in Hawaii'' is a 1941 American musical film comedy starring Jane Frazee.
Maria Montez has a small role, with her hair dyed blonde.
'' (1941) - Pete Fleming
* '' All-American Co-Ed'' (1941) - Bob Sheppard / Bobbie DeWolfe
* ''
Freckles Comes Home
''Freckles Comes Home'' is a 1942 American film directed by Jean Yarbrough based on the novel by Jeannette Stratton-Porter that was a sequel to ''Freckles'' by her mother Gene Stratton-Porter.
Plot summary
Freckles Winslow (Johnny Downs) is on ...
'' (1942) - 'Freckles' Winslow
* ''
The Mad Monster
''The Mad Monster'' is a 1942 American black and white horror film, produced and distributed by "Poverty Row" studio Producers Releasing Corporation. The melodrama was produced by Sigmund Neufeld, directed by Sam Newfield, written by Fred Myton, a ...
Campus Rhythm
''Campus Rhythm'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and starring Johnny Downs, Gale Storm and Robert Lowery.Tucker p.75
Cast
* Johnny Downs as 'Scoop' Davis
* Gale Storm as Joan Abbott, aka Susie Smith
* Robert Lower ...
'' (1943) - 'Scoop' Davis
* '' Harvest Melody'' (1943) - Tommy Nelson
* '' What a Man!'' (1944) - Henry M. Burrows
* '' Trocadero'' (1944) - Johnny Edwards
* ''
Twilight on the Prairie
''Twilight on the Prairie'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by Jean Yarbrough and written by Clyde Bruckman. The film stars Johnny Downs, Vivian Austin, Leon Errol, Connie Haines, Eddie Quillan, Milburn Stone and Jimmie Dodd. The fil ...
Rhapsody in Blue
''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...
Hills of Oklahoma
''Hills of Oklahoma'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Olive Cooper and Victor Arthur. The film stars Rex Allen, Elisabeth Fraser, Elisabeth Risdon, Robert Karnes, Fuzzy Knight and Roscoe Ates. T ...
'' (1950) - Square Dance Caller
* ''
Call Me Madam
''Call Me Madam'' is a musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.
The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to ...
The Caddy
''The Caddy'' is a 1953 American semi- musical-comedy- sports film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. It is noteworthy for Dean Martin introducing the hit song "That's Amore".
Plot
Harvey Miller, whose father was a famous golf pro, is ...
'' (1953) - Shipping Clerk (uncredited)
* '' Here Come the Girls'' (1953) - Bob (uncredited) (final film role)
Growing Pains
''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes. The series followed the misadventures of the ...
'' (1933)
*''
Strike Me Pink
"Strike Me Pink" is a song by American singer-songwriter Debbie Harry, released in 1993 as the second single from her fourth solo album, '' Debravation'' (1993). The song was written by Harry, Anne Dudley and Jonathan Bernstein, and produced by ...
'' (1933)
References
Bibliography
* John Holmstrom, ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 60.
* Carleton Carpenter ''The Absolute Joy of Work: From Vermont to Broadway, Hollywood, and Damn Near 'Round the World'', United States, Bear Manor Media, 2016, p. 203.