Rita Johnson
Acting • Born 1913-08-13 – Died 1965-10-31
Biography
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.
Filmography
39 credits
Man-Proof
Movie • 1938
Florence (dialogue scenes deleted)
The Naughty Nineties
Movie • 1945
Bonita Farrow
They Won't Believe Me
Movie • 1947
Greta Ballentine
Within the Law
Movie • 1939
Agnes Lynch
Edison, the Man
Movie • 1940
Mary Stilwell
Honolulu
Movie • 1939
Cecelia Grayson
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Movie • 1941
Julia Farnsworth
Nick Carter, Master Detective
Movie • 1939
Lou Farnsby
The Major and the Minor
Movie • 1942
Pamela Hill
My Friend Flicka
Movie • 1943
Nell McLaughlin
The Big Clock
Movie • 1948
Pauline York
Congo Maisie
Movie • 1940
Kay McWade
All Mine to Give
Movie • 1957
Katie Tyler
Susan Slept Here
Movie • 1954
Dr. Rawley
Thunderhead: Son of Flicka
Movie • 1945
Nelle McLaughlin
Sleep, My Love
Movie • 1948
Barby
Family Honeymoon
Movie • 1948
Minna Fenster
Forty Little Mothers
Movie • 1940
Marian Edwards
The Second Face
Movie • 1950
Claire Elwood
Broadway Serenade
Movie • 1939
Judith 'Judy' Tyrrell
The Golden Fleecing
Movie • 1940
Mary Blake
My Dear Miss Aldrich
Movie • 1937
Ellen Warfield
The Affairs of Susan
Movie • 1945
Mona Kent
Stronger Than Desire
Movie • 1939
Barbara Winter
Smashing the Rackets
Movie • 1938
Leticia "Letty" Lane
The Girl Downstairs
Movie • 1938
Rosalind Brown
Pardon My Past
Movie • 1945
Mary Pemberton
Rich Man, Poor Girl
Movie • 1938
Sally Harrison
They All Come Out
Movie • 1939
Kitty
London by Night
Movie • 1937
Patricia Herrick
An Innocent Affair
Movie • 1948
Eve Lawrence
Appointment for Love
Movie • 1941
Nancy Benson
Letter of Introduction
Movie • 1938
Honey
6,000 Enemies
Movie • 1939
Anne Barry
Emergency Hospital
Movie • 1956
Head Nurse Norma Mullen
The Perfect Marriage
Movie • 1947
Mabel Manning
The Art Director
Movie • 1949
Self - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Michigan Kid
Movie • 1947
Sue Dawson
Mr. & Mrs. North
TV • 1952