Rita Johnson
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. From Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 1957 · All Mine to Give as Katie Tyler
- 1956 · Emergency Hospital as Head Nurse Norma Mullen
- 1954 · Susan Slept Here as Dr. Rawley
- 1952 · Mr. & Mrs. North as
- 1950 · The Second Face as Claire Elwood
- 1949 · The Art Director as Self - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1948 · Family Honeymoon as Minna Fenster
- 1948 · An Innocent Affair as Eve Lawrence
- 1948 · The Big Clock as Pauline York
- 1948 · Sleep, My Love as Barby
- 1947 · Michigan Kid as Sue Dawson
- 1947 · They Won't Believe Me as Greta Ballentine
- 1947 · The Perfect Marriage as Mabel Manning
- 1945 · Pardon My Past as Mary Pemberton
- 1945 · The Affairs of Susan as Mona Kent
- 1945 · The Naughty Nineties as Bonita Farrow
- 1945 · Thunderhead: Son of Flicka as Nelle McLaughlin
- 1943 · My Friend Flicka as Nell McLaughlin
- 1942 · The Major and the Minor as Pamela Hill
- 1941 · Appointment for Love as Nancy Benson
- 1941 · Here Comes Mr. Jordan as Julia Farnsworth
- 1940 · The Golden Fleecing as Mary Blake
- 1940 · Edison, the Man as Mary Stilwell
- 1940 · Forty Little Mothers as Marian Edwards
- 1940 · Congo Maisie as Kay McWade
- 1939 · Nick Carter, Master Detective as Lou Farnsby
- 1939 · They All Come Out as Kitty
- 1939 · Stronger Than Desire as Barbara Winter
- 1939 · 6,000 Enemies as Anne Barry
- 1939 · Broadway Serenade as Judith 'Judy' Tyrrell
- 1939 · Within the Law as Agnes Lynch
- 1939 · Honolulu as Cecelia Grayson
- 1938 · The Girl Downstairs as Rosalind Brown
- 1938 · Rich Man, Poor Girl as Sally Harrison
- 1938 · Smashing the Rackets as Leticia "Letty" Lane
- 1938 · Letter of Introduction as Honey
- 1938 · Man-Proof as Florence (dialogue scenes deleted)
- 1937 · My Dear Miss Aldrich as Ellen Warfield
- 1937 · London by Night as Patricia Herrick