{"product_id":"van-johnson-ronald-l-davis-9781496803856","title":"Van Johnson: Mgm's Golden Boy","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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e He won the nation's heart, too, by appearing in a series of blockbuster war films--\u003ci\u003eA Guy Named Joe\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThirty Seconds Over Tokyo\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWeekend at the Waldorf\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eBattleground\u003c\/i\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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e However, 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Although morose and reclusive by nature, Johnson maintained a happy-go-lucky fa軋de, 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 \u003ci\u003eState of the Union\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCommand Decision\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Last Time I Saw Paris\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Caine Mutiny\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e This solid, thoroughly researched biography traces the career and influence of a favorite star and narrates a fascinating, sometimes troubled life story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ronald L. Davis\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 149680385X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781496803856\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University Press of Mississippi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/17\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.91lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.63d","brand":"Ronald L. Davis","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43985884217599,"sku":"9781496803856","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_4487cb3d-4701-4ced-9846-8dd3c4e8b5bc.jpg?v=1683280108","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/van-johnson-ronald-l-davis-9781496803856","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}