John Lester Johnson (born John Leslie Johnson; August 13, 1893 – March 27, 1968) was an American

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...

and actor. He is perhaps best known for his 1916 boxing match against

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...

, and his 1933 performance as Bumbo, the titular character 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, who also pr ...

comedy short '' The Kid From Borneo''.

Early life and boxing career

Johnson was born in Aug. 13, 1893, in Suffolk, Virginia, one of 11 children. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Johnson served in the 367th Infantry, a Buffalo Soldier outfit of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. From 1912-1929, Johnson amassed a professional boxing record of 39-29-6, with 23 of his wins by

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

. In 1916 Johnson fought future world

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

champion

to a 10-round draw, during which Dempsey suffered several broken ribs. Although a draw, Dempsey later said, "I thought he ohnsonlicked me. I didn't know how to fight then and Johnson did. Yes, I think he won." Johnson also had fights against the notable boxers

Joe Jeanette Jeremiah "Joe" Jeannette (also JennetteHistorical marker on the corner of Summit Avenue and 27th Street in Union City, New Jersey. Dedicated April 17, 2009.) (August 26, 1879 – July 2, 1958) was an American boxer, considered one of the best hea ...

Harry Wills Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...

, Kid Norfolk, and Bill Tate.

Acting career

250px, Colorized image of John Lester Johnson as Bumbo, in '' The Kid From Borneo'' Johnson appeared in the 1933

comedy '' The Kid From Borneo'' as Bumbo, a circus attraction billed as a "Wild Man from Borneo." Garbed in elaborate tribal attire and repetitively saying "Yum Yum, eat 'em up!" at the sight of candy, Bumbo is mistaken by some of the

children as both a

cannibal Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecology, ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well ...

and their Uncle George, the latter earlier described by their mother as "the

black sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

of the family." A frenetic chase ensues when Bumbo attempts to take the children's candy, during which he and the children demolish much of a home's furnishings. Along with two

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

films, Johnson's other film credits include ''Radio Patrol'' (1932), '' A Scream in the Night'' (1934), '' The Glory Trail'' (1936), ''

Tarzan's Revenge ''Tarzan's Revenge'' is a 1938 American adventure film starring Glenn Morris in his only outing as Tarzan. Eleanor Holm, a popular swimming star, co-starred as Eleanor Reed. The film was produced by Sol Lesser, written by Robert Lee Johnson and ...

'' (1938), ''

Mr. Washington Goes to Town ''Mr. Washington Goes to Town'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and Jed Buell, and starring F. E. Miller, Mantan Moreland and Maceo Bruce Sheffield. The film was marketed primarily to black audiences and written and fil ...

'' (1942), and '' Professor Creeps'' (1942).

Illness and Death

In a 1960 article published in ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...

'', Johnson disclosed that following his acting career he worked as a special officer at Cheli Air Force Station, and that he suffered a series of disabling strokes in the late 1950s, resulting in partial paralysis. Johnson lived at the Veterans Administration Hospital in West Los Angeles until his death in 1968. Johnson is interred at the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, John Lester African-American boxers Light-heavyweight boxers American male film actors 1893 births Boxers from Virginia American male boxers 20th-century American male actors Buffalo Soldiers 1968 deaths Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles People from Suffolk, Virginia Actors from Virginia Boxers from Los Angeles