ACTOR

Van Johnson

1916 - 2008

Photo of Van Johnson

Icon of person Van Johnson

Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II. Johnson was described as the embodiment of the "boy-next-door wholesomeness" which made him a popular Hollywood star in the 1940s and 1950s, playing "the red-haired, freckle-faced soldier, sailor, or bomber pilot who used to live down the street" in MGM films during the war years, with such films as Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, A Guy Named Joe, and The Human Comedy. He made occasional World War II films through the end of the 1960s, and he played a military officer in one of his final feature films in 1992. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Van Johnson has received more than 3,090,302 page views. His biography is available in 28 different languages on Wikipedia. Van Johnson is the 3,877th most popular actor (down from 3,724th in 2019), the 5,785th most popular biography from United States (down from 5,662nd in 2019) and the 1,750th most popular American Actor.

Memorability Metrics

  • 3.1M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 49.40

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 28

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 1.95

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.44

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Page views of Van Johnsons by language

Over the past year Van Johnson has had the most page views in the with 355,087 views, followed by Italian (15,442), and Spanish (11,387). In terms of yearly growth of page views the top 3 wikpedia editions are Simple English (101.32%), Korean (48.39%), and Russian (39.98%)

Among ACTORS

Among actors, Van Johnson ranks 3,877 out of 13,578. Before him are Anthony Andrews, Krista Allen, Ewa Aulin, Shabana Azmi, Mikhail Shchepkin, and Dick Powell. After him are N. T. Rama Rao, Josh Hutcherson, Enrico Maria Salerno, Carlo Verdone, Josh Lucas, and Jason Beghe.

Most Popular Actors in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1916, Van Johnson ranks 180. Before him are Olga Lepeshinskaya, James B. Donovan, Pruden, David White, Robert H. Dicke, and Lou Thesz. After him are Pierre Emmanuel, Ralph Nelson, David Douglas Duncan, Josef Gauchel, S. Yizhar, and Rong Yiren. Among people deceased in 2008, Van Johnson ranks 207. Before him are Nadezhda Rumyantseva, Mikhail Pugovkin, Odetta, Nikola Kljusev, Olga Lepeshinskaya, and Christodoulos of Athens. After him are Badri Patarkatsishvili, Buck Adams, William Wharton, Ricardo Infante, Károly Németh, and Abdulah Gegić.

Others Born in 1916

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Others Deceased in 2008

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Van Johnson ranks 5,785 out of 20,380. Before him are Jennifer Capriati (1976), Godfrey Reggio (1940), Kenneth Appel (1932), Krista Allen (1971), Sylvester (1947), and Dick Powell (1904). After him are Connie Willis (1945), Linda Perry (1965), Josh Hutcherson (1992), Marion Donovan (1917), Gil Scott-Heron (1949), and Josh Lucas (1971).

Others born in United States

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Among ACTORS In United States

Among actors born in United States, Van Johnson ranks 1,750. Before him are David Spade (1964), Laura Hope Crews (1879), Marcia Wallace (1942), Rooney Mara (1985), Krista Allen (1971), and Dick Powell (1904). After him are Josh Hutcherson (1992), Josh Lucas (1971), Jason Beghe (1960), James Read (1953), Jonah Falcon (1970), and Alice Joyce (1890).

American born Actors

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Television and Movie Roles

The Purple Rose of Cairo
Larry
Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey, living a dreary life during the Great Depression. Her only escape from her mundane reality is the movie theatre. After losing her job, Cecilia goes to see 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' in hopes of raising her spirits, where she watches dashing archaeologist Tom Baxter time and again.
Mar 1o 19857.392 / 10
Battleground
Holley
Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues, perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.
Nov 9o 19496.669 / 10
The Caine Mutiny
Lt. Stephen Maryk
When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardize his ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny.
Jun 23o 19547.188 / 10