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Russell Johnson
1924-
Updated 6/30/2008.
biography
Born in Ashley, Pennsylvania, on November 10, 1924, Russell Johnson came from a large family. In the early 1930s, his father passed away, at which time he was sent to a boarding school. Upon graduating from high school, Johnson served his country in World War II. Following the war, Johnson studied acting while supporting his family by working menial jobs and serving in the Air Force Reserve Corp. His big break came in the 1952 film For Men Only, and his performance impressed Universal-International talent scouts who signed him to a contract soon after his film debut. Universal cast him in often villainous roles in a string of westerns, including Seminole (1953), The Stand at Apache River (1954), and Ride Clear of Diablo (1954).
Early 1950s Universal-International photos of Russell Johnson
Johnson also acted in several science fiction films, such as It Came From Outer Space (1953; with Richard Carlson), This Island Earth (1955; with Rex Reason and Faith Domergue), and Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957; with Richard Crane). But his most famous role came when he was cast as Professor Roy Hinkley, Jr. in the 1964-1967 CBS comedy series Gilligan's Island. Unfortunately, after the series ended Johnson was so identified with the Professor that he had trouble finding good roles. However, he kept his career going by guesting on a number of TV series and appearing in made-for-TV films.
the films of russell johnson
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
From Universal's classic science fiction flick It Came from Outer Space. LEFT: With character actor Joe Sawyer. RIGHT: With Barbara Rush and Richard Carlson
Tumbleweed (1953)
Images from the western Tumbleweed. LEFT: Johnson as Lam Blandon. CENTER: With Lori Nelson and Roy Roberts. RIGHT: With Lori Nelson, Audie Murphy, and Chill Wills
Ride Clear of Diablo (1954)
Promotional photo from Ride Clear of Diablo
This Island Earth (1955)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
From Roger Corman's Attack of the Crab Monsters. LEFT: As Hank Chapman. CENTER: With Richard Garland and Pamela Duncan. RIGHT:
Gilligan's Island (1964-1967 CBS TV series)
Images from Gilligan's Island. LEFT: Johnson as Professor Roy Hinkley Jr. RIGHT: Cast photo. Pictured are Russell Johnson, Dawn Wells, Bob Denver, Tina Louise, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, and Alan Hale Jr.
russell johnson today
The enduring popularity of Gilligan's Island led to several TV reunion films in the 1970s and 1980s. Johnson returned to the role of the Professor in the made-for-TV films Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978), The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979), and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981). In addition, he lent his vocal talents to the animated series The New Adventures of Gilligan (1974-1977) and Gilligan's Planet (1982-1983).
Johnson's first wife passed away in the early 1980s, and he has since remarried. Now mostly retired from acting, Johnson often grants interviews and attends autograph conventions. For more information about Russell Johnson today, visit his official web site, The Professor's Place.
Gilligan's Island: The Complete First Season [DVD](1964) DVD
All 36 episodes from season one--including "Two on a Raft," "Good Night, Sweet Skipper," "Wrongway Feldman," "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy" and "Voodoo Something to Me"--as well as the original unaired pilot, are featured in a three-disc set. 15 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary on pilot; trivia; more.
Gilligan's Island: The Complete Second Season [DVD](1965) DVD
All 32 episodes from season two--including "Gilligan's Mother-in-Law," "Don't Bug the Mosquitoes," "Erika Tiffany Smith to the Rescue," "Ship Ahoax," and "Meet the Meteor"--are featured in a three-disc set. 13 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary on selected episodes.
Gilligan's Island: The Complete Third Season [DVD](1966) DVD
All 30 episodes from season three--including "Up at Bat," "Voodoo," "And Then There Were None," "Our Vines Have Tender Apes," and "Gilligan, The Goddess"--are featured in a three-disc set. 13 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary on one episode; documentary.
Adventures Of Superman: The Complete First Season [DVD](1952) DVD
All 26 episodes from the debut season--including "Superman on Earth," "The Monkey Mystery," "The Runaway Robot," "Riddle of the Chinese Jade," and the two-part "The Unknown People"--are featured in a five-disc set. Russell Johnson guest stars in "The Runaway Robot. Also includes Supes' first feature, "Superman and the Mole-Men" (1951), which finds the Man of Steel battling a race of dwarfish subterranean creatures. 11 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish.
Wonder Woman: The Complete Third Season [DVD](1978) DVD
All 24 episodes from season three--including "My Teenage Idol Is Missing," "Disco Devil," "Gault's Brain," "Amazon Hot Wax," and the two-part "Phantom of the Roller Coaster"--are collected on a four-disc set. Watch for Russell Johnson in "Disco Devil." 19 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary on one episodes; featurette.
ALF: Season Two [DVD](1987) DVD
All 26 episodes from the second season--including "Working My Way Back to You," "Isn't It Romantic," the two-part "ALF's Special Christmas," "I'm Your Puppet," and "Varsity Drag"--are featured in a four-disc set. Russell Johnson guest stars in episode "Somewhere Over the Rerun." 9 1/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo Surround; bonus "ALF" cartoons.
The Outer Limits: Season 1 [DVD](1995) DVD
All 21 episodes from the first season--including the two-part "The Sandkings," "Blood Brothers," "Under the Bed," "I, Robot," and "Caught in the Act"--have been collected in a five-disc set. 16 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English, French; documentaries.
The Twilight Zone: The Definitive Edition: Season 2 [DVD](1960) DVD
All 29 episodes from the second season--including "King Nine Will Not Return," "The Howling Man," "Eye of the Beholder," "Night of the Meek," "The Invaders," and "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?"--are featured in a five-disc set. 12 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; interviews; promos; DVD-ROM content; more.
The Twilight Zone, Vol. 25 [DVD] DVD
Includes "Execution," "The Hunt," "The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross" and "Number Twelve Looks Just Like You."
The Twilight Zone, Vol. 22 [DVD] DVD
Includes "A World of Difference," "Back There," "One More Pallbearer" and "Ring-a-Ding Girl."
Loan Shark (1952)/Arson, Inc. [DVD](1949) DVD
George Raft is an ex-con hired by the "Loan Shark" whose racket was responsible for his brother's murder. What the crook doesn't know is that Raft's an undercover man working to bust the ring. Dorothy Hart, Paul Stewart and Larry Dobkin co-star. Next, rookie fireman Robert Lowery goes incognito to infiltrate and then extinguish a fire-for-hire gang in "Arson, Inc.," co-starring Anne Gwynne and Edward Brophy. 137 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
It Came From Outer Space [DVD](1953) DVD
Fifties sci-fi classic with Richard Carlson as an astronomer who can't convince anyone of the UFO crash he sighted...and the aliens who have taken human form while repairing their ship aren't making it any easier. Excellent adaptation of Ray Bradbury's story co-stars Barbara Rush, Russell Johnson. Not in 3-D. 81 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer; documentary; audio commentary; photo gallery.
Law And Order [DVD](1953) DVD
Western drama stars Ronald Reagan as a marshal looking to retire with lady love Dorothy Malone, but forced to strap on his six-irons one last time to free a frontier town from the grip of outlaw leader Preston Foster, the man responsible for Reagan's brother's death. 80 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.
The Adventures Of Ma And Pa Kettle, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride lead the hilarious backwoods brood to the county fair with hopes of winning some tuition money for their college-bound daughter in "Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair" (1952). Jim Backus co-stars. Next, the Kettles wind up in the middle of an espionage plot involving secret plans during a trip to Paris in "Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation" (1953). Then, Ma and Pa try to help Elwin, one of their 15 kids, win a scholarship to an agricultural college in "Ma and Pa Kettle at Home" (1954). And, when their cousin becomes ill in Hawaii, Ma and Pa head to the islands to help out in her pineapple factory in "Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki" (1955). 5 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Sp
This Island Earth [DVD](1955) DVD
Classic science-fiction drama of two Earth scientists who are abducted by white-haired, big-foreheaded aliens and taken to their war-ravaged homeworld of Metaluna in hopes of saving it. Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason, Russell Johnson, and the bug-eyed Metalunan Mutants star. 86 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH); theatrical trailer.
Warner Home Video Western Classics Collection [DVD] DVD
Six-disc set includes "Escape from Fort Bravo," "Many Rivers to Cross," "The Law and Jake Wade," "Saddle the Wind," "Cimarron" (1960), and "The Stalking Moon."
Attack Of The Crab Monsters [DVD](1957) DVD
Roger Corman's sci-fi favorite tells of a group of scientists studying the effects of atomic radiation on a Pacific island. Eventually, they encounter monstrous crustaceans with the ability to communicate using the voices of their human victims. Richard Garland, Pamela Duncan, Mel Welles, Russell Johnson and Ed Nelson star. 66 min. Soundtrack: English; photo gallery; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Invitation To A Gunfighter [DVD](1964) DVD
Yul Brynner is a half-Creole/half-black, poker-playing, poetry-reciting gunslinger hired to kill Confederate veteran George Segal, who has disrupted a town by killing a man and barricading himself in a house. Offbeat western also stars Janice Rule and Pat Hingle. 93 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
The Greatest Story Ever Told [DVD](1965) DVD
Magnificent account of the Gospel story, filled with majestic settings and a cast list that reads like a "Who's Who" of film. Max Von Sydow essays the role of Jesus; Jose Ferrer, Charlton Heston, David McCallum, Dorothy McGuire, Sidney Poitier, Telly Savalas and John Wayne also appear. George Stevens directs. 199 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo Surround, French Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: French, Spanish.
Hitchhike To Hell (1968)/Kidnapped Coed [DVD](1978) DVD
Sordid tale of a disturbed young man who kills hitchhiking young women because they remind him of his sister, who ran away from home. With Robert Gribbin, Kippi Bell and Russell Johnson (the Professor on "Gilligan's Island") as a cop on the case. Next, a man in debt to the mob abducts a young woman for $250,000 in ransom. But his devious plan takes some strange turns, from a pair of hoods who tie him up and rape the woman and a showdown with a deranged, pitchfork-wielding farmer to a blossoming romance between the couple. Jack Canon, Leslie Ann Rivers star; look for Larry Drake ("L.A. Law"). AKA: "Date with a Kidnapper," "The Kidnapper." 164 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; bonus shorts; theatrical trailers
MacArthur [DVD](1977) DVD
An impressive, action-packed account of one of the most controversial public figures of the century. Gregory Peck is superb as the general who defied the enemy in World War II and Korea and the White House at home. With Ed Flanders, Russell Johnson, Ward Costello. 130 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; production notes; biographies; theatrical trailer.
Rescue From Gilligan's Island [DVD](1978) DVD
After 14 years on their "uncharted desert isle," the crew and passengers of the S.S. Minnow return to civilization, thanks to a tidal wave and some timely bumbling by Gilligan. Feature-length follow-up to the perennially popular TV series stars Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Russell Johnson, Dawn Wells, and Judith Baldwin as Ginger. 95 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono.
russell johnson films available from amazon.com
filmography
FILM
Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History (2001)
With a Vengeance (1992) with Melissa Gilbert and Jack Scalia
Blue Movies (1988) with Larry Linville
Robotech II: The Sentinels (1986)
Off the Wall (1983) with Paul Sorvino and Rosanna Arquette
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981) with Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Dawn Wells, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, and Barbara Bain
The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979) with Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Dawn Wells, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, and Tom Bosley
The Great Skycopter Rescue (1978) with Aldo Ray
Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978) with Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Dawn Wells, Jim Backus, and Natalie Schafer
The Bastard (1978) with Andrew Stevens, Tom Bosley, Cameron Mitchell, and Donald Pleasence
The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978) with Ernest Borgnine, Kim Basinger, and Howard Hesseman
MacArthur (1977) with Gregory Peck and Nicholas Coster
Sammy (1977) with Alan Hale Jr.
Hewitt's Just Different (1977) with Moosie Drier and Peggy McKay
Nowhere to Hide (1977) with Lee Van Cleef
Collision Course (1976) with Henry Fonda
You Lie So Deep, My Love (1975) with Don Galloway
Adventures of the Queen (1975) with Robert Stack, Bradford Dillman, Francine York, and Ralph Bellamy
Aloha Means Goodbye (1974) with Sally Struthers and James Franciscus
Beg, Borrow, or Steal (1973) with Kent McCord, Mike Connors, and Michael Cole
Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973) with Chuck Connors and Tammy Grimes
Vanished (1971) with Richard Widmark, James Farentino, Tom Bosley, and Sheree North
The Movie Murderer (1970) with Warren Oates, Tom Selleck, and Nita Talbot
Hitch Hike to Hell (1968)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) with Shelley Winters and an all-star cast
Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964) with Yul Brynner
A Distant Trumpet (1964) with Troy Donahue, Suzanne Pleshette, Diane McBain, and William Reynolds
The Space Children (1958) with Peggy Webber, Jackie Coogan, and Johnny Crawford
The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958) with Rory Calhoun, Beverly Garland, Yvette Vickers, and Allan 'Rocky' Lane
Badman's Country (1958) with George Montgomery, Buster Crabbe, and Neville Brand
Courage of Black Beauty (1957) with Johnny Crawford, Ziva Rodann, and Diane Brewster
Rock All Night (1957) with Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Bruno VeSota, Abby Dalton, and the Platters
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) with Richard Garland, Beach Dickerson, and Mel Welles
Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955) with Marjorie Main, Lori Nelson, and Percy Kilbride
This Island Earth (1955) with Rex Reason, Faith Domergue, Jeff Morrow, and Lance Fuller
Strange Lady in Town (1955) with Greer Garson, Adele Jergens, Dana Andrews, Cameron Mitchell, and Nick Adams
Many Rivers to Cross (1955) with Robert Taylor, Jeff Richards, Russ Tamblyn, Rosemary DeCamp, and Alan Hale Jr.
Black Tuesday (1954) with Edward G. Robinson, Peter Graves, and Jack Kelly
Johnny Dark (1954) with Piper Laurie and Tony Curtis
Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) with Audie Murphy and Susan Cabot
Tumbleweed (1953) with Audie Murphy, Lori Nelson, Lee Van Cleef, and Roy Roberts
The Stand at Apache River (1953) with Julie Adams, Hugh O'Brian, Hugh Marlowe, and Jack Kelly
Column South (1953) with Audie Murphy, Jack Kelly, and James Best
It Came from Outer Space (1953) with Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush
Law and Order (1953) with Ronald Reagan, Dorothy Malone, and Jack Kelly
Seminole (1953) with Rock Hudson, Hugh O'Brian, Richard Carlson, and Barbara Hale
Back at the Front (1952) with Mari Blanchard, Tom Ewell, Richard Long, and Harvey Lembeck
For Men Only (1952) with Paul Henreid, Margaret Field, and Vera Miles
The Turning Point (1952) with William Holden, Edmond O'Brien, and Alexis Smith
Loan Shark (1952) with George Raft
TELEVISION SERIES
Santa Barbara, 1984-1993 daytime drama. Johnson portrayed Roger Wainwright during the 1991 season
Gilligan's Planet, 1982 animated series. Johnson lent his vocal talents to this Saturday morning cartoon
The New Adventures of Gilligan, 1974-1977 animated series. Johnson lent his vocal talents to this Saturday morning cartoon
Gilligan's Island, 1964-1967 CBS TV series. Johnson portrayed Professor Roy Hinkley Jr. Also in the cast were Tina Louise, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Dawn Wells, Bob Denver, and Natalie Schafer
Black Saddle, 1959-1960 TV series. Johnson portrayed Marshal Gib Scott
TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
The Outer Limits, episode Specimen: Unknown, originally aired February 24, 1964
The Twilight Zone, episode Back There, originally aired January 13, 1961
The Twilight Zone, episode Execution, originally aired April 1, 1960
Russell Johnson has made scores of guest appearances on other series, including Big Valley, That Girl, Hawaiian Eye, Rawhide, and many more.
russell johnson links
Check out Russell Johnson's official web site for biographical information, a complete filmography, and more. Don't forget to see the great selection of autographed photos and other memorabilia!
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This page premiered February 1, 2003.
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