Rita Johnson

Rita Johnson

1913-08-13 – 1965-10-31 (age 52) Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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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.

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Known For

The Major and the Minor
The Major and the Minor

1942

as Pamela Hill

The Big Clock
The Big Clock

1948

as Pauline York

Sleep, My Love
Sleep, My Love

1948

as Barby

Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Here Comes Mr. Jordan

1941

as Julia Farnsworth

All Mine to Give
All Mine to Give

1957

as Katie Tyler

Edison, the Man
Edison, the Man

1940

as Mary Stilwell

The Naughty Nineties
The Naughty Nineties

1945

as Bonita Farrow

London by Night
London by Night

1937

as Patricia Herrick

The Affairs of Susan
The Affairs of Susan

1945

as Mona Kent

Susan Slept Here
Susan Slept Here

1954

as Dr. Rawley

Family Honeymoon
Family Honeymoon

1948

as Minna Fenster

Broadway Serenade
Broadway Serenade

1939

as Judith 'Judy' Tyrrell

The Golden Fleecing
The Golden Fleecing

1940

as Mary Blake

They Won't Believe Me
They Won't Believe Me

1947

as Greta Ballentine

Nick Carter, Master Detective
The Perfect Marriage
The Perfect Marriage

1947

as Mabel Manning

The Girl Downstairs
The Girl Downstairs

1938

as Rosalind Brown

Thunderhead: Son of Flicka
Thunderhead: Son of Flicka

1945

as Nelle McLaughlin

My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka

1943

as Nell McLaughlin

They All Come Out
They All Come Out

1939

as Kitty