Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor and

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

who has appeared in and directed many television shows and

movies A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

. He won two

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

Early years

Johnson was born in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquired Rancho Campo de los Franceses. The city is named after R ...

, the son of Ruth Alice (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Fairchild) and Ernest Lamont Johnson, who was a realtor. He attended

Pasadena Junior College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a public community college in Pasadena, California. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. From 1928 to 1953, it operated as a four-year junior college, combining the las ...

and

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

and was active in theatrical productions at both schools.

Acting

When he was 16, Johnson began his career in radio, eventually playing the role of

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

in a popular syndicated series in 1951. He also worked as a newscaster and a disc jockey. Johnson was also one of several actors to play Archie Goodwin in ''

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe ''The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe'' is a 1950–51 American radio drama series starring Sydney Greenstreet as Rex Stout's fictional armchair detective Nero Wolfe. Based on Stout's principal characters but not his stories, the series aired Octobe ...

'', opposite Sydney Greenstreet on NBC Radio. He then turned to films and television, first as an actor, then as a director.

Directing

Johnson's directing debut came in 1948 with the play ''Yes Is For a Very Young Man'' in New York. His television directing debut was on an episode of ''

NBC Matinee Theater ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. E ...

''. Johnson also directed productions of the

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

s ''The Man in the Moon'' (1959), ''

Iphigénie en Tauride ''Iphigénie en Tauride'' (, ''Iphigenia in Tauris'') is a 1779 opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. It was his fifth opera for the French stage. The libretto was written by Nicolas-François Guillard. With ''Iphigénie,'' Gluck to ...

'' (1962), and '' Orfeo'' (1990), and he directed an installment of the series '' Felicity'' plus the TV movie ''The Man Next Door'' (1996).

Recognition

Johnson was nominated for nine

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s, winning twice, for '' Wallenberg: A Hero's Story'' (1985) and '' Lincoln'' (1988) — both for Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries Movie Or A Dramatic Special. He was nominated in the same category for '' Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232'' (1992), '' Unnatural Causes'' (1987), ''Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter'' (1984), ''

Fear on Trial ''Fear on Trial'' is a 1975 American television film about the blacklisting of 1950s broadcast personality John Henry Faulk, based on Faulk's 1964 memoir of the same title.Article 11 o TitleSmith, Cecil. ''Los Angeles Times''. September 28, 1975 ...

'' (1975), '' The Execution of Private Slovik'' (1974) and '' That Certain Summer'' (1972). His other Emmy nomination was for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, also for ''Wallenberg: A Hero's Story''. Johnson won five Directors Guild of America Awards, winning in the category Movies for Television and Mini-Series for ''Lincoln'' (1988) and for ''That Certain Summer'' (1972). He also won DGA Awards for Most Outstanding TV Director (1972) and for Television — ''My Sweet Charlie'' (1970) and "Oscar Underwood Story": ''Profiles in Courage'' (1964). Additionally, he was nominated for DGA Awards for Movies for Television and Mini-Series for ''Wallenberg: A Hero's Story'' (1985), ''Fear on Trial'' (1975) and ''The Execution of Private Slovik'' (1974). Another DGA Award nomination was for Dramatic Series for ''Birdbath'' (1971).

Personal life

Johnson married actress Toni Merrill in Paris in 1945. They had three children: Jeremy, Carolyn, and Christopher Anthony.

Death

Johnson died of heart failure in Monterey, California, October 24, 2010.

Filmography

Actor

*'' Up Front'' (1951) - Miller (uncredited) *'' Retreat, Hell!'' (1952) - Capt. 'Tink' O'Grady *''

Sally and Saint Anne ''Sally and Saint Anne'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Ann Blyth, Edmund Gwenn and John McIntire. Plot Sally O’Moyne is a schoolgirl who lives with three generations of an eccentric Irish family, includi ...

'' (1952) - Willie O'Moyne *''

The Glory Brigade ''The Glory Brigade'' is a 1953 American war film directed by Robert D. Webb. It stars Victor Mature and Alexander Scourby. The film was referred to in ''M*A*S*H'' (1970), directed by Robert Altman. Plot US Army engineer Lt. Pryor's detachment ...

'' (1953) - Capt. Adams (uncredited) *''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in ...

'' (1954, TV Series) *'' The Human Jungle'' (1954) - Det. Lannigan *'' Goodyear Television Playhouse'' (1955, TV Series) *''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'' (1956, TV Series) - David Schaffner *''

Please Murder Me ''Please Murder Me!'' is a 1956 American film noir directed by Peter Godfrey and starring Angela Lansbury, Raymond Burr and Dick Foran. The film contains an incomplete copyright notice omitting mention of its claimant and has fallen into the pub ...

'' (1956) - Carl Holt *''Crusader'' (1956, TV Series) - Lt. Joseph Balta *'' The Brothers Rico'' (1957) - Peter Malaks *'' Jet Pilot'' (1957) - Sergeant (uncredited) *''

Alcoa Theatre ''Alcoa Theatre'' is a half-hour American anthology series telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960. The program also aired under the title ''Turn of Fate''. ''Alcoa Theatre'' was syndicated together ...

'' (1959, TV Series) - Col. von Schlabrendorff *''

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

'' (1961, TV Series) - Lazlo *''

Blue Light Blue Light or Blue light may refer to: Science and technology * Portion of the visible spectrum related to the blue color ** Blue laser ** Blue LED * Cherenkov radiation, the physical phenomenon responsible for the characteristic blue glow in nuc ...

'' (1966, Episode: "Jet Trail") - Col. Von Kreuzer *''

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour ...

'' (1966, TV Series) - Anson Cross *''

Felony Squad ''The Felony Squad'' is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966, to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes. Overview The program starred Howard Duff (as Sergeant ...

'' (1967, TV Series) - Col. Bix Gabriel *''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' (1967, TV Series) - Stoner *'' The McKenzie Break'' (1970) - PT Boat Captain (uncredited) *'' The Last American Hero'' (1973) - Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited) *'' One on One'' (1977) - Barry Brunz *''

Shogun Assassin ''Shogun Assassin'' is a 1980 ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Robert Houston. ''Shogun Assassin'' was edited and compiled from the first two films in the ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' series, using 12 minutes of the first film, '' Lone Wolf and Cub: Sw ...

'' (1980) - (voice) (final film role)

Director

*'' Have Gun – Will Travel'' (1958-1959) *''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

'' (1958-1959) *'' Mr. Lucky'' (1959-1960) *'' Naked City'' (1960) *'' Dr. Kildare'' (1961-1963) *''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' (1961-1963) *''

A Covenant with Death ''A Covenant with Death'' is a 1967 American legal drama film directed by Lamont Johnson (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus and Saul Levitt, based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Stephen Becker. The ...

'' (1967) *'' The Name of the Game'' (1968-1969) *''

Judd for the Defense ''Judd, for the Defense'' is an American legal drama originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967, to March 21, 1969. Synopsis The show stars Carl Betz, who had previously spent eight years in the role of Dr. Al ...

'' (1968) *'' The McKenzie Break'' (1970) *'' My Sweet Charlie'' (1970) *'' A Gunfight'' (1971) *''

The Groundstar Conspiracy ''The Groundstar Conspiracy'' is a 1972 American neo noir crime film directed by Lamont Johnson. It stars George Peppard and Michael Sarrazin. Douglas Heyes' screenplay (written under his frequent pseudonym, Matthew Howard) was adapted very fr ...

'' (1972) *'' That Certain Summer'' (1972) *'' You'll Like My Mother'' (1972) *'' The Last American Hero'' (1973) *'' The Execution of Private Slovik'' (1974) *'' Visit to a Chief's Son'' (1974) *''

'' (1975) *''

Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates bac ...

'' (1976) *'' One on One'' (1977) *'' Cattle Annie and Little Britches'' (1981) *'' Crisis At Central High'' (1981) *'' Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone'' (1983) *'' Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase'' (1990)

References

External links

*
Lamont Johnson at the TV Museum
*
''New York Times'' bio

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Lamont 1922 births 2010 deaths American male film actors American male radio actors American television directors Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Stockton, California German-language film directors Film directors from California University of California, Los Angeles alumni