Lamont Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson in an episode ofTreasury Men in Action (1955) | |
| Born | Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (1922-09-30)September 30, 1922 Stockton, California, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 2010(2010-10-24) (aged 88) Monterey, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1951–2000 |
| Spouse | Toni Merrill (m. 1945) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television forMy Sweet Charlie (1970) Shared with Ralph Ferrin (assistant director) (plaque) |
Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr.[1] (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor andfilm director who appeared in and directed many television shows andmovies. He won twoEmmy Awards.
Johnson was born inStockton, California.[2] He attendedPasadena Junior College andUCLA and was active in theatrical productions at both schools.[3]
When he was 16,[2] Johnson began his career in radio, eventually playing the role ofTarzan in a popularsyndicated series in 1951.[4] He also worked as a newscaster and a disc jockey.[2] Johnson was also one of several actors to playArchie Goodwin inThe New Adventures of Nero Wolfe, oppositeSydney Greenstreet on NBC Radio. He then turned to films and television, first as an actor, then as a director.
Johnson's directing debut came in 1948 with the playYes Is For a Very Young Man in New York.[5] His television directing debut was on an episode ofNBC Matinee Theater.[3]Johnson also directed productions of theoperasThe Man in the Moon (1959),Iphigénie en Tauride (1962), andOrfeo (1990), and he directed an installment of the seriesFelicity plus the TV movieThe Man Next Door (1996).
Johnson was nominated for nineEmmy Awards, winning twice, forWallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985) andLincoln (1988) — both for Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries Movie Or A Dramatic Special. He was nominated in the same category forCrash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 (1992),Unnatural Causes (1987),Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter (1984),Fear on Trial (1975),The Execution of Private Slovik (1974) andThat Certain Summer (1972). His other Emmy nomination was for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, also forWallenberg: A Hero's Story.[6]
Johnson won fiveDirectors Guild of America Awards, winning in the category Movies for Television and Mini-Series forLincoln (1988) and forThat Certain Summer (1972). He also won DGA Awards for Most Outstanding TV Director (1972) and for Television —My Sweet Charlie (1970) and "Oscar Underwood Story":Profiles in Courage (1964). Additionally, he was nominated for DGA Awards for Movies for Television and Mini-Series forWallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985),Fear on Trial (1975) andThe Execution of Private Slovik (1974). Another DGA Award nomination was for Dramatic Series forBirdbath (1971).[7]
Johnson married actress Toni Merrill in Paris in 1945.[1] They had three children: Jeremy, Carolyn, and Christopher Anthony.[2]
Johnson died of heart failure in Monterey, California, October 24, 2010.[1]
