Rita Johnson
Rita Johnson
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.
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
39
Gender
Female
Birthday
1913-08-13 (111 years old)
Place of Birth
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
Acting

1957

All Mine to Give as Katie Tyler

1956

Emergency Hospital as Head Nurse Norma Mullen

1954

Susan Slept Here as Dr. Rawley

1952

Mr. & Mrs. North as Not available

1950

The Second Face as Claire Elwood

1949

The Art Director as Self - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)

1948

An Innocent Affair as Eve Lawrence

1948

The Big Clock as Pauline York

1948

Sleep, My Love as Barby

1948

Family Honeymoon as Minna Fenster

1947

They Won't Believe Me as Greta Ballentine

1947

The Perfect Marriage as Mabel Manning

1947

Michigan Kid as Sue Dawson

1945

The Naughty Nineties as Bonita Farrow

1945

The Affairs of Susan as Mona Kent

1945

Thunderhead: Son of Flicka as Nelle McLaughlin

1945

Pardon My Past as Mary Pemberton

1943

My Friend Flicka as Nell McLaughlin

1942

The Major and the Minor as Pamela Hill

1941

Here Comes Mr. Jordan as Julia Farnsworth

1941

Appointment for Love as Nancy Benson

1940

The Golden Fleecing as Mary Blake

1940

Edison, the Man as Mary Stilwell

1940

Forty Little Mothers as Marian Edwards

1940

Congo Maisie as Kay McWade

1939

6,000 Enemies as Anne Barry

1939

Broadway Serenade as Judith 'Judy' Tyrrell

1939

Nick Carter, Master Detective as Lou Farnsby

1939

They All Come Out as Kitty

1939

Honolulu as Cecelia Grayson

1939

Stronger Than Desire as Barbara Winter

1939

Within the Law as Agnes Lynch

1938

Smashing the Rackets as Leticia "Letty" Lane

1938

The Girl Downstairs as Rosalind Brown

1938

Man-Proof as Florence (dialogue scenes deleted)

1938

Rich Man, Poor Girl as Sally Harrison

1937

My Dear Miss Aldrich as Ellen Warfield

1937

London by Night as Patricia Herrick