Biography: Chubby Johnson was born Charles Rutledge Johnson on August 13, 1903, in Terre Haute, Indiana. Johnson made a living as a journalist and did not become a movie actor until he was in his forties, making his debut in the Randolph Scott oater "Abilene Town (1946)" in support of Scott, Ann Dvorak, and Edgar Buchanan. He continued to practice his craft as a member of the press, serving as a radio annou ... show all Chubby Johnson was born Charles Rutledge Johnson on August 13, 1903, in Terre Haute, Indiana. Johnson made a living as a journalist and did not become a movie actor until he was in his forties, making his debut in the Randolph Scott oater "Abilene Town (1946)" in support of Scott, Ann Dvorak, and Edgar Buchanan. He continued to practice his craft as a member of the press, serving as a radio announcer as well as pounding the keys as a columnist, until he was nearly 50. Chubby appeared in the 1950 Errol Flynn horse opera "Rocky Mountain (1950)" as part of an army of quirky character actors, including 'Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams'and Slim Pickens . Chubby then quit the Fourth Estate for a Hollywood career. When Republic Pictures sought a replacement for Eddy Waller to play sidekick to B-movie cowboy star Allan Lane in the Rocky Lane series, Chubby filled in for most of 1951-52. Chubby also starred in the TV series "Sky King" (1951)" as ranch foreman Jim Bell. The low-budget series, a spin-off from a five-year-old radio show in which individual episodes were made for approximately $9,000 each, ran on NBC from Sept 16, 1951, until Oct 26, 1952. The series was then picked up by ABC, which ran the same NBC episodes from November 8, 1952, until September 12, 1954. A season of new episodes was aired in 1955. Chubby freelanced as a character actor after these stints on the boob tube, appearing in support of James Stewart in the Anthony Mann classic "Bend of the River (1952)", and in their "The Far Country (1954)", which also featured character actor par excellence Walter Brennan, the movies' first triple-Oscar threat. Chubby then went on to appear in support of Doris Day in "Calamity Jane (1953)", Audie Murphy in "Gunsmoke (1953)", Ronald Reagan in "Law and Order (1953)", Barbara Stanwyck and Ronnie again in "Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)", and James Cagney in "Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)", one of the legend's rare forays into the western. Other stars Chubby supported were Richard Chamberlain and Claude Rains in "Twilight of Honor (1963)" the 1963 trial film that won the ill-fated Nick Adams a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, James Garner in "Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)", and Burt Reynolds in his audacious debut as a big-screen star as the eponymous "Sam Whiskey (1969)". He also appeared uncredited in the classic "High Noon (1952)". After appearing as a regular in the short-lived TV series "Frontier Doctor" (1958)", Chubby appeared as Concho on another TV western, "Temple Houston" (1963)", which starred Jeffrey Hunter . He also guested on many other TV westerns, including "Bonanza" (1959)", "Gunsmoke" (1955)", and "The Rifleman" (1958)". Chubby Johnson continued to appear in films until 1969, with "Sam Whiskey (1969)" serving as the nightcap to his career. He died on Halloween Day 1974 from complications from a leg infection. hide |
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