Ben Johnson

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    That went more quickly than expected. The One-Eyed Jacks screencaps (all 1,175 of them) are now up at http://benjohnscreencaps.shutterfly.com. Just click on the "Movies" section and you'll see my write-up after which you'll find the screencaps. I always welcome corrections to any mistakes you find on my webpage and all screencaps are available for -- well, doing whatever you'd like with them. I love Bob Amory -- he's such a deliciously nasty snake!


    Thanks, Oliver, I'm glad you liked the page. I'm working on Breakheart Pass right now.



    After that I'm going to do the Have Gun, Will Travel episode "A Head of Hair," in which Ben made the first of his three guest appearances on that show. I decided to do that episode after reading Steve Bowie's wonderful description of it in his most recent post to his Classic TV History Blog. Bowie wrote this about Ben:


    "Johnson delivers what may be his finest performance prior to the Oscar-winning turn in The Last Picture Show: understated, unadorned, just barely hinting at a deep well of sadness and self-loathing. Imagine that line – 'maybe even me, seven, eight years ago' – in Johnson’s voice and then picture the flicker of a weary smile that goes with it."


    Here's the link to Bowie's blog in case anyone didn't see it at my website:


    http://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/

    Hello! I have now posted my screencaps of Ben's scenes from Breakheart Pass. Very enjoyable movie and it has a great Jerry Goldsmith score.


    The screencaps do have spoilers though so SPOILER WARNING in case you haven't seen the movie, which is a murder mystery set on a train headed towards a U.S. cavalry fort.


    Go here: http://benjohnsonscreencaps.shutterfly.com/


    and click on the "Movies" section to get to the screencaps.


    ben johnson is one of my favourite actors.he was great in all john wayne westerns.he was also great in shane as the bad guy turned good.he had a good presents on screen.tough as nail's.you sure do learn a lot on this board about all the actors and their films and their lives.

    I just posted this on my webpage but I'll post it here too:



    Western Heritage Weekend takes place in Dewey, Oklahoma on September 18 and 19. Co-grand marshals for the Tom Mix Festival Parade will be Gordon Hill, Tom Mix’s grandson and Helen Christenson, the daughter of Ben Johnson (Sr.) who made his first appearance in the Dewey Roundup in 1920.


    Helen and her husband, Dale Christenson, will be at the Tom Mix museum during the festival. Richard Jensen, actor, author, lawyer and cowboy will also be at the museum and signing his books “The Nicest Fellow” (a biography of Ben Johnson, Jr.) and “The Amazing Tom Mix.” The 101 Ranch Old Timers Association from Ponca City will have a display and items for sale in the museum.


    More information at http://www.examiner-enterprise…11/news/dewey/dewey01.txt


    and here: http://www.cityofdewey.com/Abo…_is_fast_approaching.aspx

    Excellent work Paula. I appreciate the opportunity to see Ben without hearing Brando in Jacks (I just vented about Brando in another post).
    Any chance in the future of screencaps of Ben in "The Wild Bunch" or "Dillinger"?



    We deal in lead, friend.

    Hi, Gorch! Yes, I read your comments about Brando earlier today. :) Poor Marlon, no love for him here at dukewayne.com. To be honest, I don't like his acting either. My fave guy when it comes to 50s Methods types is Montgomery Clift -- now there's a wonderful actor.


    However, I'll always have a soft (if small) spot in my heart for the big lug if only because he made One-Eyed Jacks with Ben Johnson and directed Ben in what is one of his best performances IMHO. From what I've read, Ben got along fine with Brando and they worked very hard together on their scenes and wrote or improvised a lot of the dialogue. Karl Malden, Katy Jurado and Miriam Colon are great too, the cinematography is gorgeous and it has a terrific score (and that 1,200 Kritzerland pressing of the score sold out in a twinkling!)


    As for Dillinger and The Wild Bunch -- and Mighty Joe Young and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and The Last Picture Show, and so much more -- they're ALL on the "to do" list. It's going to take a long long time to get around to everything but eventually it will happen. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle The Wild Bunch, though. The editing of that is so precise, so split-second, that screencapping the entire thing seems kind of ridiculous. But to do only Ben's scenes seems equally ridiculous. So I'll just stew over that one for a while.

    I read somewhere that when Brando and/or Kubrick were interviewing actors to hire, Ben was an early candidate. Brando was looking for authenticity and was determined to avoid movie cliches. I think they were talking about Shane because Ben was featured in it. Brando asked Ben what he would have done differently in that movie. Ben replied to the effect that he sure wouldn't have pulled gloves on before a gunfight (referring to Wilson). Brando said to put Ben on the payroll.


    Can't recall where I picked that up. If anyone can assist an old man with a fading memory, I'll take all the help I can get.


    Paula, Clift was the best of that bunch. Keep up the great work.


    We deal in lead, friend.

    Hello everyone! I just updated my Ben Johnson page with the following:


    1. Screencaps from Smoky



    and 2. A new memorabilia section. I finally found time to scan in some of my Ben Johnson collection. More to come but why wait with what I already managed to scan in? :)



    Just go to http://benjohnsonscreencaps.shutterfly.com and click on the Stunts and Memorabilia sections respectively. I hope you enjoy!

    Just added screencaps of Ben's scenes in a cute 1957 movie-biz comedy, Slim Carter. Jock Mahoney plays a country singer who is discovered and turned into a Westerns star by producer Julie Adams. Jock, a former horse breeder and stuntman in real life, does all his own stunts and singing -- it even says so in the credits! :) (The real credits, not movie within a movie credits.)


    Ben has a supporting role as Jock's stunt double. He doesn't actually do any stunts but he has a scene that all Ben fans will love, when he shows off his roping skills roping a chair. Not as difficult as a calf, I expect, :) but still done with consummate grace.


    All at http://www.benjohnsonscreencaps.shutterfly.com



    That little boy watching Ben is Tim Hovey, who grew up to be a road manager for The Grateful Dead and also an audio engineer. Sadly, he died at age 44 from a drug overdose, possibly a suicide. :(



    I remember Tim Hovey. He co-starred in a movie with Charlton Heston called The Private War Of Major Benson back in the early 50's.

    That's right... that is probably the movie Tim Hovey is most well known for.


    Just posted screencaps from Tall in the Saddle. Ben Johnson doubled for John Wayne in the stagecoach scene and also got to play one of the townsmen rushing into Wayne's room after that big fight with Ward Bond. He actually was prominently featured as an extra and got to exchange a glance with one of the main supporting actors, Elisabeth Risdon. Also couldn't resist screencapping some shots from my favorite non-Ben scenes -- Duke whopping a bad guy on the head with his pistol, baking biscuits, and of course kissing Ella Raines. ;) And Risdon breaking a vase over Ward Bond's head. ;)


    The Tall in the Saddle screencaps are at http://benjohnsonscreencaps.shutterfly.com in the Stunts section


    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the first shot ever of John Wayne and Ben Johnson together on screen. You can see Ben behind Gabby Hayes.


    Elisabeth Risdon and Ben

    Edited once, last by Paula ().

    Thanks, Keith! By the way, that's Ward Bond under the toppled bookcase, so I guess that is also the first time that Ben and Ward Bond appeared together on screen. :)


    Ward has a close enounter with Elisabeth Risdon near the end of the movie. :)


    Ben Johnson was a great addition to any movie. Too bad Ford was so spiteful. He would have been great in "The Searchers"