{"product_id":"van-johnson-book-ronald-l-davis-9781578063772","title":"Van Johnson","description":"Van Johnson's dazzling smile, shock of red hair, and suntanned freckled cheeks made him a movie-star icon. Among teenaged girls in the 1940s, he was popularized as the bobbysoxer's heartthrob.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe won the nation's heart, too, by appearing in a series of blockbuster war films--\u003cem\u003eA Guy Named Joe\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThirty Seconds Over Tokyo\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eWeekend at the Waldorf\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eBattleground\u003c\/em\u003e. Perennially a leading man opposite June Allyson, Esther Williams, Judy Garland, and Janet Leigh, he rose to fame radiating the sunshine image Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer chose for him, that of an affable, wholesome boy-next-door. Legions of adoring moviegoers were captivated by this idealized persona that generated huge box-office profits for the studio.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, Johnson's off-screen life was not so sunny. His mother had rejected him in childhood, and he lived his adult life dealing with sexual ambivalence. A marriage was arranged with the ex-wife of his best friend, the actor Keenan Wynn. During the waning years of Hollywood's Golden Age, she and Johnson lived amid the glow of Hollywood's A-crowd. Yet their private life was charged with tension and conflict.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough morose and reclusive by nature, Johnson maintained a happy-go-lucky façade, even among co-workers who knew him as a congenial, dedicated professional. Once free of the golden-boy stereotype, he became a respected actor assigned stellar roles in such acclaimed films as \u003cem\u003eState of the Union\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCommand Decision\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Last Time I Saw Paris\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Caine Mutiny\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the demise of the big studios, Johnson returned to the stage, where he had begun his career as a song-and-dance man. After this, he appeared frequently in television shows, performed in nightclubs, and became the legendary darling of older audiences on the dinner playhouse circuit. Johnson (1916-2008) spent his post-Hollywood years living in solitude in New York City.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis solid, thoroughly researched biography traces the career and influence of a favorite star and narrates a fascinating, sometimes troubled life story.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50135098720529,"sku":"CIN1578063779G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50591725781265,"sku":"CIN1578063779VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50669904068881,"sku":"GOR007944352","price":6.6,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51469608911121,"sku":"GOR006037179","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1578063779.jpg?v=1750958939","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/products\/van-johnson-book-ronald-l-davis-9781578063772","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}