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Russell Johnson

Russell Johnson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Russell David Johnson (November 10, 1924 – January 16, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Professor Roy Hinkley in Gilligan's Island. Military career After graduating from high school, Johnson enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet. On completing his training, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. He flew 44 combat missions in the Pacific Theater during World War II as a bombardier in B-25 twin-engined medium bombers. On March 4, 1945, while flying as a navigator in a B-25 with the 100th Bombardment Squadron, 42nd Bombardment Group, 13th Air Force, his B-25 and two others were shot down during a low-level bombing and strafing run against Japanese military targets in the Philippine Islands. The B-25s encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire, and all three had to ditch in the sea off Zamboanga. Johnson broke both ankles in the landing, and his bomber's co-pilot was killed. Johnson received a Purple Heart for his injuries. He was also awarded the Air Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one campaign star, and the World War II Victory Medal. After Japan's surrender, Johnson was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant on November 22, 1945. He joined the United States Air Force Reserve and used the G.I. Bill to pay for his acting studies at the Actors' Lab in Hollywood. While there, he met actress Kay Cousins (1923–1980), whom he married in 1949. His early roles were primarily in Westerns such as Rancho Notorious (1952, starring Marlene Dietrich), Seminole (1953), Law and Order (1953, opposite Ronald Reagan), and Badman's Country (1958), and science fiction films such as It Came from Outer Space (1953), This Island Earth (1955), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1956), and The Space Children (1958). He also appeared in a Ma and Pa Kettle vehicle, Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955), as well as in Roger Corman's rock-'n'-roll crime drama Rock All Night (1957). In 1955, he had a role in Many Rivers to Cross along with Alan Hale Jr., later as the Skipper from Gilligan's Island. "The Professor" on Gilligan's Island Johnson was best known for playing Professor Roy Hinkley (usually called the "Professor"), the very knowledgeable polymath who could build all sorts of inventions out of the most rudimentary materials available on the island. As Johnson himself pointed out, though, he could not fix the hole in the boat. In the first episode of the show, the radio announcer describes the Professor as a research scientist and well-known scoutmaster. Gilligan's Island aired from 1964-67, but has been shown in reruns continuously ever since. CLR

Personal information

Birthday

1924-11-10

Birth Place

Ashley, Pennsylvania, USA

Movies and TV shows :

poster

77 Sunset Strip

1958

6.7

TV
A Distant Trumpet

A Distant Trumpet

1964

5.2

Movie
poster

ABC Afterschool Special

1972

6.4

TV
poster

Adventures in Paradise

1959

5.7

TV
poster

Adventures of Superman

1952

6.7

TV
Adventures of the Queen

Adventures of the Queen

1975

4.8

Movie
poster

ALF

1986

7.7

TV
poster

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

1955

7.7

TV
Aloha Means Goodbye

Aloha Means Goodbye

1974

0.0

Movie
Attack of the Crab Monsters

Attack of the Crab Monsters

1957

5.1

Movie
Back at the Front

Back at the Front

1952

0.0

Movie
Badman's Country

Badman's Country

1958

5.4

Movie
Beg, Borrow...or Steal

Beg, Borrow...or Steal

1973

7.5

Movie
poster

Ben Casey

1961

5.7

TV
poster

Beyond Westworld

1980

5.4

TV
poster

Black Saddle

1959

6.0

TV
Black Tuesday

Black Tuesday

1954

5.9

Movie
Blue Movies

Blue Movies

1988

5.0

Movie
poster

Bosom Buddies

1980

6.4

TV
poster

Cannon

1971

6.5

TV
poster

Cavalcade of America

1952

3.5

TV
poster

City Detective

1953

0.0

TV
poster

Code R

1977

0.0

TV
Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur

Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur

1976

0.0

Movie
Column South

Column South

1953

6.0

Movie
Courage of Black Beauty

Courage of Black Beauty

1957

5.5

Movie
Cry for Poor Wally

Cry for Poor Wally

1969

0.0

Movie
poster

Dynasty

1981

6.5

TV
poster

E! True Hollywood Story

1996

8.0

TV
poster

Fame

1982

6.7

TV
poster

Felony Squad

1966

7.0

TV
For Men Only

For Men Only

1952

5.6

Movie
poster

General Electric True

1962

0.0

TV
poster

Gilligan's Island

1964

7.4

TV
poster

Gilligan's Planet

1982

5.7

TV
poster

Gunsmoke

1955

6.5

TV
poster

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

8.7

TV
poster

Hawaiian Eye

1959

5.2

TV
poster

Hawkins

1973

7.2

TV
Hitch Hike to Hell

Hitch Hike to Hell

1977

5.4

Movie
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!

Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!

2021

4.0

Movie
poster

Ironside

1967

6.9

TV
It Came from Outer Space

It Came from Outer Space

1953

6.3

Movie
poster

Jefferson Drum

1958

4.5

TV
Johnny Dark

Johnny Dark

1954

5.2

Movie
poster

Kings Row

1955

0.0

TV
poster

Knots Landing

1979

6.8

TV
poster

Lassie

1954

6.1

TV
Law and Order

Law and Order

1953

4.8

Movie
poster

Lawman

1958

5.4

TV
Loan Shark

Loan Shark

1952

5.8

Movie
poster

Lou Grant

1977

7.2

TV
poster

Lux Video Theatre

1950

6.0

TV
Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki

Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki

1955

6.8

Movie
MacArthur

MacArthur

1977

6.2

Movie
poster

MacGyver

1985

7.7

TV
poster

Mannix

1967

6.7

TV
Many Rivers to Cross

Many Rivers to Cross

1955

6.2

Movie
poster

McMillan & Wife

1971

7.3

TV
poster

Monsters

1988

7.0

TV
poster

Newhart

1982

7.2

TV
Nowhere to Hide

Nowhere to Hide

1977

5.0

Movie
Off the Wall

Off the Wall

1983

3.0

Movie
poster

Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law

1971

6.3

TV
poster

Police Story

1973

7.1

TV
Police Story: No Margin for Error

Police Story: No Margin for Error

1978

0.0

Movie
Rancho Notorious

Rancho Notorious

1952

6.5

Movie
poster

Rawhide

1959

7.1

TV
Rescue from Gilligan's Island

Rescue from Gilligan's Island

1978

4.7

Movie
poster

Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II

1976

8.6

TV
Ride Clear of Diablo

Ride Clear of Diablo

1954

5.7

Movie
poster

Ripcord

1961

6.5

TV
poster

Riverboat

1959

6.2

TV
Rock All Night

Rock All Night

1957

5.7

Movie
poster

Roseanne

1988

6.8

TV
poster

Route 66

1960

6.4

TV
Seminole

Seminole

1953

5.2

Movie
poster

Space Ghost Coast to Coast

1994

7.8

TV
poster

Steve Canyon

1958

6.0

TV
poster

Stevie and Zoya

0.0

TV
Strange Lady in Town

Strange Lady in Town

1955

4.5

Movie
Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History

Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History

2001

7.2

Movie
poster

Tales of Wells Fargo

1957

6.8

TV
poster

Temple Houston

1963

5.7

TV
poster

That Girl

1966

6.1

TV
poster

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

1954

6.9

TV
The Bastard

The Bastard

1978

5.0

Movie
The Castaways on Gilligan's Island

The Castaways on Gilligan's Island

1979

6.6

Movie
poster

The Dakotas

1963

5.7

TV
poster

The Deputy

1959

6.2

TV
poster

The Detectives

1959

5.6

TV
poster

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

1959

6.3

TV
poster

The F.B.I.

1965

5.4

TV
The Ghost of Flight 401

The Ghost of Flight 401

1978

5.7

Movie
The Gilligan Manifesto

The Gilligan Manifesto

2018

5.5

Movie
poster

The Great Adventure

1963

0.0

TV
The Great Skycopter Rescue

The Great Skycopter Rescue

1980

5.0

Movie
poster

The Greatest Show on Earth

1963

5.0

TV
The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Greatest Story Ever Told

1965

6.4

Movie
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island

The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island

1981

5.4

Movie
The Horror at 37,000 Feet

The Horror at 37,000 Feet

1973

5.1

Movie
poster

The Invaders

1967

6.8

TV
poster

The Jeffersons

1975

7.3

TV
poster

The Lone Ranger

1949

6.8

TV
The Man from Independence

The Man from Independence

1974

0.0

Movie
The Movie Murderer

The Movie Murderer

1970

6.5

Movie
poster

The New Adventures of Gilligan

1974

4.8

TV
poster

The Outer Limits

1963

7.8

TV
The Rebels

The Rebels

1979

0.0

Movie
The Saga of Hemp Brown

The Saga of Hemp Brown

1958

5.6

Movie
The Space Children

The Space Children

1958

4.0

Movie
The Stand at Apache River

The Stand at Apache River

1953

6.0

Movie
The Turning Point

The Turning Point

1952

6.2

Movie
poster

The Twilight Zone

1959

8.4

TV
This Island Earth

This Island Earth

1955

6.0

Movie
Three Days of the Condor

Three Days of the Condor

1975

7.3

Movie
poster

Thriller

1960

6.4

TV
Tumbleweed

Tumbleweed

1953

6.1

Movie
poster

Vanished

1971

5.0

TV
poster

Wagon Train

1957

6.4

TV
poster

Wonder Woman

1975

7.0

TV
poster

You Are There

1953

5.7

TV
You Lie So Deep, My Love

You Lie So Deep, My Love

1975

1.0

Movie