Summary
William S. Johnstone (1908[1] – November 1, 1996[citation needed]) was an American radio and screen actor. He is best known for his voice work as the title character on The Shadow for five seasons from 1938–1943.[2]
William Johnstone | |
|---|---|
 Johnstone in the trailer for Down Three Dark Streets (1953) | |
| Born | William S. Johnstone 1908 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 1, 1996 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1927–1978 |
| Spouse(s) | Georgia Brady Johnstone (m. 19??) |
| Children | 1 |
Early years edit
William S. Johnstone was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Scottish-born father and a German-born mother.[3][1] Some newspaper publicity said he was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and came to the United States at age three.[4] He worked as a newspaper reporter before he became an actor.[5]
Career edit
Johnstone acted on stage with the Theatre Guild at the beginning of his career, appearing in a number of bit parts.[6][7] He had supporting roles in 1927 in Fog-Bound[8] and The Manhatters.[9] In 1928, he played the title role in Him, written by E.E. Cummings.[10] Cummings later commented, "William Johnstone made a marvelously attractive unhero ..."[10][7] He also appeared that year in a lead role in Kate Clugston's These Days.[9]: 284
In 1938, he was selected over 45 other actors to replace Orson Welles as The Shadow on radio.[11] He also starred as Ben Guthrie in the radio version of The Lineup,[12]: 201-202 and became one of the most prolific radio actors of his time, with many supporting roles. He had a memorable role in the ".22 Rifle for Christmas" episode of Dragnet on radio, and reprised it on the television series. In film, he portrayed John Jacob Astor IV in Titanic, and had a supporting role in Down Three Dark Streets. He played Judge James T. Lowell in As The World Turns on television in a long run from 1956 to 1978.[13][14][unreliable source?][15][16][17][18][19]
Johnstone's other roles in radio included those shown in the table below.
| Program | Character |
|---|---|
| The Casebook of Gregory Hood | Sanderson "Sandy" Taylor[12]: 66 |
| Five Star Jones | Editor[12]: 119 |
| Inspector Mark Sabre | Mark Sabre[12]: 163-164 |
| Maudie's Diary | Maudie's father[12]: 221 |
| Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch | Bob Redding[12]: 236 |
| The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe | Inspector Cramer[12]: 254-255 |
| Pepper Young's Family | Sam Young[12]: 268 |
| Six-Gun Justice | Jim Dance[20] |
| Valiant Lady | Jim Barrett[12]: 346 |
| The Whistler | The Whistler[21]: 273 |
| Wilderness Road | Simon Weston[12]: 356 |
| The Woman from Nowhere | Eric Wolfe[22] |
He also had supporting roles in Pursuit,[21]: 206 Nick Carter, Master Detective,[21] Calamity Jane[12] and Woman from Nowhere.[12]: 358
Personal life edit
Johnstone was married to Georgia Brady Johnstone, a former dancer who became friend and secretary to his The Shadow co-star Agnes Moorehead.[1]
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | All My Sons | Attorney | Uncredited |
| 1948 | The Decision of Christopher Blake | President's Aide in Dream | Uncredited |
| 1948 | Enchantment | Narrator | Voice |
| 1950 | Military Academy with That Tenth Avenue Gang | Col. Jamison | |
| 1950 | The Magnificent Yankee | Lawyer | Uncredited |
| 1951 | Half Angel | Minister | Uncredited |
| 1951 | My Favorite Spy | Prentice | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Titanic | John Jacob Astor | |
| 1953 | Beneath the 12-Mile Reef | Crewman of 'Snapper' | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Riding Shotgun | Col. Flynn | |
| 1954 | Down Three Dark Streets | FBI Chief Frank Pace |
References edit
- ^ a b c Nissen, Axel (October 13, 2017). Agnes Moorehead on Radio, Stage and Television. McFarland. pp. 8–10. ISBN 978-1-4766-3035-9.
- ^ "Shadow: Bill Johnstone Returns In Lead Character". The Pittsburgh Press. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. September 27, 1942. p. 57. Retrieved August 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "United States Census 1930", United States census, 1930; New York, New York; page 10B, line 89, enumeration district 0001-0250.
- ^ Biggs, Beatrice (August 28, 1939). "Radio News". The Daily Clintonian. Indiana, Clinton. p. 2. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dial Lines". The Des Moines Register. Iowa, Des Moines. April 30, 1936. p. 11. Retrieved August 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mutual Folks Turn Talents to the Stage". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. February 19, 1939. p. 47. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Norman, Charles (1958). The magic-maker, E.E. Cummings. Macmillan. pp. 233–234.
- ^ "William Johnstone". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ a b Hischak, Thomas S. (2012). Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows through 2007. McFarland. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-7864-5309-2. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ a b Sawyer-Lauçanno, Christopher (2004). E.E. Cummings: A Biography. Sourcebooks, Inc. p. 318. ISBN 978-1-57071-775-8. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "(photo caption)". Wisconsin State Journal. Wisconsin, Madison. October 17, 1938. p. 22. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
- ^ Tranberg, Charles (August 31, 2007). I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead. BearManor Media. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-59393-095-0.
- ^ "Radio Spirits » Blog Archive » Happy Birthday, William Johnstone!". www.radiospirits.info. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ Reinehr, Robert C.; Swartz, Jon D. (2010). The A to Z of Old Time Radio. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (September 16, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 383. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7.
- ^ Kear, Lynn; Rossman, John (February 13, 2008). The Complete Kay Francis Career Record: All Film, Stage, Radio and Television Appearances. McFarland. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-7864-3198-4.
- ^ Shimeld, Thomas J. (August 25, 2011). Walter B. Gibson and The Shadow. McFarland. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-7864-9005-9.
- ^ Cox, Jim (2006). The Daytime Serials of Television, 1946–1960. McFarland. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-7864-2429-0.
- ^ Byrd, Boarman (June 3, 1935). "Between Broadcasts". The Miami News. Florida, Miami. p. 6. Retrieved August 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Cox, Jim (2002). Radio Crime Fighters: Over 300 Programs from the Golden Age. McFarland. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-0-7864-4324-6.
- ^ "Irene Rich Stars in New Dramatic Series". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. January 15, 1944. p. 13. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
External links edit
- William Johnstone at IMDb