Rita Johnson photo

Rita Johnson

Acting

  • Born
  • August 13, 1913
  • Died
  • October 31, 1965
  • Place of birth
  • Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

Biography

Rita Ann Johnson (August 13, 1913 – October 31, 1965) was an American actress.

Early in her career, Johnson was busy in radio.

Johnson began acting on Broadway in 1935 and started her film career two years later. She played a murderer in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) and a doomed wife in the RKO film noir They Won't Believe Me (1947).

In an incident that was never fully explained, Johnson suffered a head trauma on September 6, 1948 that required brain surgery. Unsubstantiated rumors promulgated by gossip columnists such as Walter Winchell suggested she might have been abused by a boyfriend, but the only explanation she offered was that a large, industrial-grade hair dryer at her apartment had fallen on her. She was in a coma for two weeks and it was reported it took her a year to recover. Her left side was paralyzed temporarily and for a while she couldn't walk. The injury put a virtual halt to her film career. Her screen time in movies after that was limited due to her reduced mobility and powers of concentration. Johnson suffered from alcoholism from the time of her injuries until her death of a brain hemorrhage at age 52.

From Wikipedia.

As actor 39

Mr. & Mrs. North poster
Mr. & Mrs. North
1952
Emergency Hospital poster
Emergency Hospital
1956
The Naughty Nineties poster
The Naughty Nineties
1945
The Big Clock poster
The Big Clock
1948
The Major and the Minor poster
The Major and the Minor
1942
Here Comes Mr. Jordan poster
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
1941
Edison, the Man poster
Edison, the Man
1940
Within the Law poster
Within the Law
1939
Sleep, My Love poster
Sleep, My Love
1948
All Mine to Give poster
All Mine to Give
1957
The Perfect Marriage poster
The Perfect Marriage
1947
Nick Carter, Master Detective poster
Nick Carter, Master Detective
1939
My Friend Flicka poster
My Friend Flicka
1943
Susan Slept Here poster
Susan Slept Here
1954
The Golden Fleecing poster
The Golden Fleecing
1940
Pardon My Past poster
Pardon My Past
1945
They All Come Out poster
They All Come Out
1939
Letter of Introduction poster
Letter of Introduction
1938
They Won't Believe Me poster
They Won't Believe Me
1947
Family Honeymoon poster
Family Honeymoon
1948
6,000 Enemies poster
6,000 Enemies
1939
Rich Man, Poor Girl poster
Rich Man, Poor Girl
1938
Congo Maisie poster
Congo Maisie
1940
Appointment for Love poster
Appointment for Love
1941
Honolulu poster
Honolulu
1939
Forty Little Mothers poster
Forty Little Mothers
1940
Broadway Serenade poster
Broadway Serenade
1939
Stronger Than Desire poster
Stronger Than Desire
1939
Man-Proof poster
Man-Proof
1938
The Girl Downstairs poster
The Girl Downstairs
1938
Smashing the Rackets poster
Smashing the Rackets
1938
My Dear Miss Aldrich poster
My Dear Miss Aldrich
1937
The Affairs of Susan poster
The Affairs of Susan
1945
An Innocent Affair poster
An Innocent Affair
1948
Thunderhead: Son of Flicka poster
Thunderhead: Son of Flicka
1945
London by Night poster
London by Night
1937
Michigan Kid poster
Michigan Kid
1947
The Art Director poster
The Art Director
1949
The Second Face poster
The Second Face
1950