Thank you all for watching the videos and a HUGE THANK YOU for those who support the channel on Patreon. Just as little as $5 a month helps the channel tremendously!!! click here: www.patreon.com/ageofvintage Thank you! 🙂
@Age Of Vintage You want five dollars from me in exchange for your claim that a dead man whom you never met cheated on his wife with another man? And you never met that other man, either? The Salvation Army can get five dollars from me. My donation will be a tribute to the musical Guys and Dolls.
He lived on Sutton Place and passed the restaurant I worked in every morning. When I recognized him I mouthed good morning and he smiled and said good morning also . This went on until one morning I said I love you and threw him a kiss . He did the same until one day he came into the restaurant and the owner greeted him and he said he came in to see his beautiful girl (me) .He picked me up, twirled me around and kissed me. I was thrilled and I’ll never forget it. This was the late 90’s . A lovely gentleman.
Thank you for sharing that lovely story! Van Johnson has always been such a favorite of mine. It’s so nice to know his bigger-than-life screen persona carried over into real life.
This was in the late 70s and I was walking down- I forgot which street- in NY. And a few feet nearby was Garbo. I only knew it because a tabloid had recently printed candid photos of her, and she was wearing the same bulky fur coat, brown knit cap, and sunglasses. Also, in her low-heeled shoes, she was about six feet tall. I thought, "What do you say to her?" I decided not to make a fool of myself, and let her be.
@Alvaro Pelayo. There is no proof Van Johnson ever had sex with a man. There is no proof James Dean ever had sex with a man. There is no proof Spencer Tracy ever had sex with a man. [new paragraph] With Mr. Dean, a man waited until he had been dead for 20 years and then claimed to have slept with him. No man came forward to link himself to Mr. Johnson or Mr. Tracy. People waited several decades then said other anonymous men had slept with the two actors. None of the above is reliable information. Nothing survives except classic movies.
Very good video 📹 👍 I really didn't know...but it really doesn't change my opinion of him. He was a great actor 🎬 and he should be remembered for that, if nothing else.
No matter what else was going on in his life, he was that rare commodity, a real movie star, his name brought people into a theatre, and he could act. There are very few real hollywood calibre movie stars.
A long time ago, I read a biography of Montgomery Clift (who was also gay). And the author wrote that in Clift they found someone to replace "the burn-outs like John Garfield and the *non-idols* like Van Johnson." (My main criticisms of your videos is that they do not follow a chronologically linear narrative and that you repeat details of the person's life two or three times.) Just my two-cents worth!
You are so right. This guys repeats two or three times and that confuses me in listening and watching the photos which are 'way off' in what he's talking. That's why I don't watch these things very much.
They all had to hide their homosexuality. Mayer made some actors get married! He wanted women to swoon over his leading men. He would arrange for a gay actor to attend the Oscars with a pretty starlet and all kinds of manipulative things. He'd give child stars speed if they were tired and petulant. Yup, men in power.
i've seen pictures of James Dean and Terry Moore attending some premier and Dean looked miserable, probably not at Terry Moore in particular but at the ritual of showing up in a tux all smiles and the whole hollywood charade.
@@haintedhouse2990 Homosexual twins from the Bronx who made low-budget camp movies. Kind of a cross between Warhol and Waters- but the Kuchars started as kids, using 8mm.
@@kathrynfauble9053 Ms. Taylor was not misquoted. She said that "word for word' on Whoopi Goldberg's talk show. Years ago - before Whoopi joined "The View", she had a late-night talk show. Elizabeth Taylor was one of her guests. You can even find that episode on UA-cam! I watched it "live" all those years ago and have watched it on UA-cam a couple of times now.
@@kathrynfauble9053 Elvis Was So Gay & Did Roles He Acted Gay & Women Loved Gay Men During Elvis Time. Women In The 1950's & 1960's Looked At Their Husbands & Wanted To Fan-Toe-Size They Looked Like Elvis. LOL🤣
He played a great comic foil to Rosalind Russell's Reverand Mother in his appearance as the head of the Catholic boy's school Father in "Where Angels go Trouble Follows" in the 60s!
I didn't remember that he was in that movie! I'm getting ready to rewatch it for the first time in many years. All I remember about it is how bad it was, so it will be nice to have some scenes with Van to look forward to.
I was a great fan of VAN JOHNSON when I was growing up and enjoyed his film roles. I didn't know he lived such a long life. I especially liked him in BRIGADOON, one of my favourite musicals So many wonderful stars all gone now but they have left us so many unforgettable films etc and because of this they will never be forgotten.
Oh, Brigadoon, yes!! One of my all time favourite movies, musical and otherwise, and Van Johnson was great in it. I love how he portrayed a good friend to Gene Kelly, even when Kelly's character wanted to go back to Brigadoon and stay there for true love.
@@CyclingM1867 I too love Brigadoon. It somehow gets eclipsed by other musicals, but then I could be biased as I simply adore Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse and Van Johnson.
Gene Kelly’s new wife Patricia Ward isolated him from his friends and children, a classic tactic of abuse. I saw a documentary about him, his kids were not happy about the situation.
Among all the Van Johnson performances, probably the most popular was simply when he was a guest star in I Love Lucy. It's one of the most popular I Love Lucy episodes ever. And he is wonderful. It's a must see
@@mr.blackhawk142 Broadway chorus boys was a very gay profession even way back when. His sexuality was known and mostly ignored even back then because EVERYBODY just LIKED him.
With that dysfunctional upbringing he had (no parental relationships...with his dad especially cold), I'm not surprised he went that way. More often than not with such people, something along that line turns out to have been the case.
@@noahhyde8769 Dysfunctional upbringing doesn't cause guys to be gay...if it did then there would be one hell of a huge population of gay men. Your thinking is old fashion & outdated. Being gay is genetic for males.
I checked out you channel. no subscribers and you have obviously not created anything at all in 9 years as a YT member. My advice to you is make something your selves or just STFU. Who are you to have opinions! 🤢🤮🤯🙈
From the title and content, you would think that Van Johnson was the only actor/actress during the age of the big studios who had to hide his/her homosexuality, and MGM the only studio that forced their stars to hide their sexual preferences. Come on! No actor or actress at that time was allowed to live an openly gay life.
Where exactly in the title and content was it remotely suggested that MGM was the only studio to suppress truth, and Van Johnson was the only actor affected? Also... "sexual preference?" Well, hubba-hubba... I'm not the oldest one here!
OK, I learned something new today. I did not know that he was Gay. Also, never noticed his scar till you showed those pictures. Wow, how did I miss that! Those make-up people were GREAT!
One of my favorite actors. I was unaware of his lifestyle but he's still one of my favorites. I thought you could have elaborated more on why he was estranged from his only child.
@Y'allAinRite The narrator / creator of this video never met Van Johnson or his alleged boyfriend. If Eve Abbott Wynn Johnson really said what she supposedly said, she said it in 2004. That was 38 years after her divorce from Van. So people should take her statement with a grain of salt.
I remember VanJohnson playing with Eliz.Taylor in "Last Time I saw Paris".... I was a young girl and I fell in love with them and the movie. Would like to see it again at my old age.
All the actors in "The Caine Mutiny" were much too old for their roles as junior Navy officers. There was a trend during the 1950's to cast actors in their forties in roles intended for younger actors. "The Sun Also Rises", for example, featured movie stars who had hit their peak in the 1940's such as Tyrone Power, Eddie Albert and Errol Flynn as young expatriates in Paris during the 1920's.
Very true how older performers were used to portray younger people. Even on early TV most performers cast as parents of very young children & infants were in their 40s.
I love cheapo monsterflix in the 1950's with 'high school kids' who are in their thirties. I saw a student in a Coronet educational film with male pattern baldness.
@@poetcomic1 1950s movies & TV were as you describe. The parents of very young children were often portrayed by actresses & actors who were in their 40s & 50s.
@mstrsims2 I once saw a stage production of Romeo & Juliet where the actress playing Juliet was 61 years old and the actor playing Romeo was 27!!! ...This 61 year old actress had played Juliet off & on for over 40 years!
I've seen most of Van's movies because I'm a classic movie buff. I never was a "fan" but this really threw me for a loop. I never knew any of this. Thank you.
Met Mr. Johnson in a Houston mall store when I was a teen and he was busy on the dinner theater circuit. Very friendly, funny and graciously gave me his autograph. And, yes, he was wearing his trademark red socks. Old school class act.
Very interesting, and good to show both sides of Van Johnson's life. My only criticism is that the timeline of the video is something of a mess--it goes back and forth in time. Perhaps the editing was not complete when it was put up on UA-cam.
His orientation apparently wasn't hidden all that well. My father used to imply with certain remarks that he thought Van Johnson was homosexual. My dad endorsed the more 'macho' Robert Preston's taking the role of Harold Hill in the movie version of ""The Music Man." I would be amused to know if my dad ever saw ""Victor Victoria."
I also remember seeing an interview with him in the 90s where he went on with a story about a long and secret affair he had with Joan Fontaine. I thought, "sure you did"
It doesn’t matter if an actor or actress is gay or lesbian their gift of acting and being good at it is what is important their personal life should stay personal I loved watching his movies especially brigadoon bless him x
A few days back I got a red heart from age of vintage on a 7 month old comment I left on their Robert Mitchum sd. In part of said comment I mentioned how Robert and Van Johnson appeared briefly in 30 seconds over Tokyo together. I completely missed the foreshadowing. Thanks for this one by the way.
The fact that so many of our favorite entertainers had a different lifestyle yet were still revered by most proves that America is indeed a great place to live.
All actors hid their homosexuality in that era, whether studios told them to do so or not, and if an actor had a predominantly female fan base, they had even more reason to conceal it. It wasn’t until the 1990s that actors started coming out. If an actor comes out today, their career will probably be boosted.
@@curtischildress9580 Zachary Quinto is as close as we've gotten. But it depends on how you define major star. To me, he is a great actor and as successful as an openly gay man has become, but no, he has not reached major star, bankable, above-the-title status.
@@akrenwinkle Your comment proves a point as to how many actors with major star status are probably gay & not telling. I won't out any man, famous or not.
I disagree. Times have changed. If anything, any celebrity who comes out is celebrated. Not a big deal anymore and it shouldn’t be. Gay or straight who cares?
@@patrickforrest4899 I partially agree. We have no idea of how many big actors are gay. I would wager many more than we think, particularly the really huge box office "rugged" action film actors.
@@patrickforrest4899 It is a big deal that deviancy is now celebrated. No one IS gay. People are tempted with deviant sex of many kinds and need to know that they don’t have to give into temptation. Society is sending the wrong message these days and leading people into the pits of hell.
@@ruthmaryrose Do you like lobster/shrimps? Is that top you're wearing a cotton mix? If it does/do, you're going to hell! Stop judging others because I think that's also a sin.Most sane people would disagree with you.
@@ruthmaryrose Being born gay is not deviancy! People like you are still living in the Middle Ages where everything is about guilt, sin, and deviance. You need to update your religious moralism and know that you are not God and your rules of behavior are not God's rules of behavior. Please know that young people are not buried in your Middle Ages sense of morality. If they are gay, they are not going to hide themselves because you think they are immoral! The young people of today are not going to be apologetic about being gay and you will not have a word to say. One is born gay and to hide it is stupid. God is my Father and He sustains me every day of my life and I am gay!
Van Johnson was my Mom's favorite Screen Actor. I remember growing up and hearing (more times that I can remember)... "MY Van Johnson"! I don't know if she ever knew he was gay (although she may have suspected). But, to be honest, I don't think she would have cared one bit!
James Brown - I don't think it makes a difference. I know Montgomery Clift was a homosexual but that doesn't change my attraction to him. More recently I said to a friend whilst watching 'Torchwood', that John Barrowman is so so so sexy I'll have him anytime. To which she replied, he's GAY! And I said what does that have to do with anything, I still find him extremely attractive! She was and still is puzzled with my finding John very attractive.
My mother contracted scarlet fever at about aged 10 and was bedridden for a year. Her wish was to have an autographed picture of Van Johnson. Sadly, her mother couldn't get one of Johnson, instead having to settle for an autographed photo of Frank Sinatra(!)
Van was a spectacular natural on the musical stage. He premiered the musical The Music Man in Britain and I have heard on good authority he was BETTER than Robert Preston. I saw him late in life on 5th Ave. and he was always touched and generous to fans who recognized him.
He couldn't have been better than Robert Preston who was absolutely the love of my life (I am 92 at present!), but he was always watchable and credible and an actor one could believe in as one viewed the film.
First of all, you need more photos instead of just putting the ones you have on a loop. There were so many places you could have illustrated Van Johnson with relevant photos or even movie clips. Second, you need to organize your narration better. It was all over the place and you repeated yourself over and over, to the point where I thought there was something wrong with my UA-cam feed because surely I’d just heard that a moment ago. Figure out what you’re going to say, organize the photos around the narration and then just go straight through without repetition. One way would be to start with his childhood and youth (instead of sticking it in after the first 5 minutes or so), moving on to his theatre and Broadway career, and then moving him to Hollywood. Then you could go into his acting, his homosexuality and Louis B. Mayer, and his enforced lavender marriage to Evie Wynn. Why no photos of Keenan Wynn? Why not identify who they photos you did use depicted? This was a messy, disorganized, unimaginative video. C- : Could do better.
Sarah Hearn, Agree. What he's going to say should be a written (and edited) script. Some viewers have noted that our suggestions for improving the videos fall on deaf ears.
Homosexuality and any other "deviation" from heterosexuality was not acceptable in general society back then at all. When I was growing up, people assumed to be gay would be shunned or worse. It was illegal in the UK, as well.
Have to agree with other comments here. The subject matter is interesting, but the lack of organization of the narrative text and the frustrating repetitions make these less pleasurable to watch than they should be. As others have suggested, a good editor could easily solve these problems.
I don't like how often you repeat the same facts. It's annoying I wouldn't subscribe to your channel. In some past videos there were errors in facts & photos, I don't think you do due diligence. I'm not a fan of yours.
because there was money to be made from his movies? That was always the case. Robert Taylor, Burt Lancaster, Farley Granger, Barbara Stanwyck, you name it. The same thing. It isn't called showbusiness for nothing.
I agree with others when I say your narrations are always confusing. You repeat statements that are out of place in the sequence of events. An exact sequence of events is never your hallmark anyway. You make it worse by skipping explanations for important points. In this video you state Van Johnson married Keenan Wynn’s wife? Prior to that you stated Keenan and his wife were friends, while your emphasis at that moment was on homosexuality. This made me think that Keenan Wynn and his wife were in someway part of a coverup for Johnson’s attraction to men. Was Keenan also homosexual? I didn’t stick around for any possible explanation, as having listened to several of your narrations in the past proved they get more confusing as they go along.
ALL the actors had to hide their homosexuality, so this is not exactly an unusual situation. Being in my 70s, it's clear that actors of the 50s and 60s (until the star system vanished) had no choice except to pretend to be heterosexual. Just look at Rock Hudson or Randolph Scott. The video is interesting, but does not contain any new insights into male Hollywood actors' lives.
Also contains some misinformation -- Johnson played The Music Man in London (as the video points out), then says Evie accompanied him to London to make a FILM of The Music Man. He never made a film of The Music Man. The narrative here is repetitive and stale. Not worth the time.
They should make a movie about his forced marriage to Eve Wynn. How did Kenan Wynn feel about that? Why did he choose career over marriage? Did they remain friends? Wow, what a movie that would make! Truth stranger than fiction.
To state the obvious, we don't all see everyone the same way. I never thought of Van Johnson as a caricature, but then, I never thought much about him. No insult intended. Rumor has it, Jerry Lewis was a huge star in France. Really??? To each is own.
@@thomaswilson7538 The narrator said his (VJ) role in The Caine Mutiny wasn't 'major' - like W-h-a-t? He was the "Star" along w/ Humphrey B. In fact, he was the one being court-martialed for mutiny. (Not up on military regs so don't beat me up on it.) He probably had more screen time than anyone else in it. (Inconsequential.) In Cleopatra, I would say R Burton was the star along w/Liz Taylor (and Rex H--don't overlook Julius). But, the narrator using his own weird measuring stick would say Burton's role wasn't major. Probably the asp had a major role and Marc Antony was a supporting player. (My mother never liked my sarcasm.)
I remember Van Johnson. I wasn't a screaming bobby soxer, I was too young. I loved watching him perform. Especially in musicals. Back then it was hard to distinguish between reality and what you saw on the screen. I was always aware that actors are just that--actors. Knowing that helped me not to be traumatized as a kid when Superman died. I knew Christopher Reeves couldn't fly and wasn't bullet proof. Nothing about Hollywood surprises me or disillusions me.
@@akrenwinkle They scream to scream. Have you ever seen a Beatles concert? The screaming was so severe at their Shea Stadium that Beatles stopped touring. They couldn't even hear themselves over the monitor speakers on stage with them. Using the powerful PA system was useless. Fans who came to hear them couldn't. In an interview Paul McCartney said that they weren't sure if they were even playing together. ` You don't hear that kind screaming anymore at concerts. It's probably because they come in stoned.
@@robertcuminale1212 When the Beatles first came to the US there were about 5 to 10 young girls paid to scream for them (there are professionally paid screamers) which I was never surprised; screaming during concerts is surprisingly contagious. All this catapulted the Beatles to fame in the US. I know because one of those screamers admitted to it during an interview.
Yep, disappointing to 90% of his fans, especially his male fans. But, this profound topic is the major reason we have tuned in, fair or not. And I do see it as too enticing along with little class.
I enjoy your videos, but why did you say Van Johnson played an unsympathetic minor role in “Cain Mutiny?” He played a starring role and was the main protagonist. Of course Bogart stole the show, but had far less screen time than Johnson. Johnson played the good guy who saved his ship from a mentally ill ship’s captain.
@@hijodelaisla275 that was an autocorrect typo. I wasn’t being nit picky like you. I was curious why the actor was depicted in ax way that made me think the narrator has never seen the movie. Can Johnson was not an unsympathetic character. Quite the opposite.
@@taccs27570 I see, when you make corrections it's valuable, and when I do, it's nit picky. Why bother, then, to give a dishonest explanation? Surely auto-correct didn't delete the word "The" and I find it highly suspect that it dropped the "e" at the end of "Caine." But, since this is just being nit picky, it's probably best if you ignore this comment.
@@joesimon2029 I understand that while not strictly gay, Mr Gable had numerous "encounters" with men that could help his career. Did the same with many women also, from what I have read.
He was a great actor and had a commanding voice. But, there was a lot of anger in his eyes in some movies, like he had checked out. Sad, but his choice in love life probably wore on him terrible. RIP
Why would anyone choose to be ostracized by society if sexual orientation was really something to control? A person knows they are gay the same way someone else knows they are hetero. It occurs in every species and always has, and it should be considered not only normal, but no threat to you or anyone else. 🙄
Thank you all for watching the videos and a HUGE THANK YOU for those who support the channel on Patreon. Just as little as $5 a month helps the channel tremendously!!!
click here: www.patreon.com/ageofvintage
Thank you! 🙂
Rather repetitive
@Age Of Vintage You want five dollars from me in exchange for your claim that a dead man whom you never met cheated on his wife with another man? And you never met that other man, either? The Salvation Army can get five dollars from me. My donation will be a tribute to the musical Guys and Dolls.
@@kathrynfauble9053
Guys & Dolls, 42nd Street. Kismet, Etc. Yaaay ! 🤠
U are Lovely, Ms. Kathryn !
He lived on Sutton Place and passed the restaurant I worked in every morning. When I recognized him I mouthed good morning and he smiled and said good morning also . This went on until one morning I said I love you and threw him a kiss . He did the same until one day he came into the restaurant and the owner greeted him and he said he came in to see his beautiful girl (me) .He picked me up, twirled me around and kissed me. I was thrilled and I’ll never forget it. This was the late 90’s . A lovely gentleman.
WoW! How fun! What a great experience and memory!
Thank you for sharing that lovely story! Van Johnson has always been such a favorite of mine. It’s so nice to know his bigger-than-life screen persona carried over into real life.
This was in the late 70s and I was walking down- I forgot which street- in NY. And a few feet nearby was Garbo. I only knew it because a tabloid had recently printed candid photos of her, and she was wearing the same bulky fur coat, brown knit cap, and sunglasses. Also, in her low-heeled shoes, she was about six feet tall. I thought, "What do you say to her?" I decided not to make a fool of myself, and let her be.
Wow how great .
How wonderful for you. He was so excellent in his movies.
I gladly saw him in whatever movies he was in. I don't care about his private life. It was his life, rip
@Alvaro Pelayo. There is no proof Van Johnson ever had sex with a man. There is no proof James Dean ever had sex with a man. There is no proof Spencer Tracy ever had sex with a man. [new paragraph]
With Mr. Dean, a man waited until he had been dead for 20 years and then claimed to have slept with him. No man came forward to link himself to Mr. Johnson or Mr. Tracy. People waited several decades then said other anonymous men had slept with the two actors. None of the above is reliable information. Nothing survives except classic movies.
Of course you don't care! That is the problem in today's society.
Very good video 📹 👍
I really didn't know...but it really doesn't change my opinion of him. He was a great actor 🎬 and he should be remembered for that, if nothing else.
No matter what else was going on in his life, he was that rare commodity, a real movie star, his name brought people into a theatre, and he could act. There are very few real hollywood calibre movie stars.
Van Johnson always look youthful and contemporary his whole life. Never miss his movies.
A long time ago, I read a biography of Montgomery Clift (who was also gay). And the author wrote that in Clift they found someone to replace "the burn-outs like John Garfield and the *non-idols* like Van Johnson." (My main criticisms of your videos is that they do not follow a chronologically linear narrative and that you repeat details of the person's life two or three times.) Just my two-cents worth!
Sad what happened to Montgomery Clift, not the same person after the devastating car crash.
@@davidbrims5825 Sad, yes but he was already well on the road to self-destruction.
Garfield was stressed by the blacklist. Johnson was hardly a replacement.
You are so right. This guys repeats two or three times and that confuses me in listening and watching the photos which are 'way off' in what he's talking. That's why I don't watch these things very much.
I agree!
They all had to hide their homosexuality. Mayer made some actors get married! He wanted women to swoon over his leading men.
He would arrange for a gay actor to attend the Oscars with a pretty starlet and all kinds of manipulative things. He'd give child stars speed if they were tired and petulant. Yup, men in power.
i've seen pictures of James Dean and Terry Moore attending some premier and Dean looked miserable, probably not at Terry Moore in particular but at the ritual of showing up in a tux all smiles and the whole hollywood charade.
@@haintedhouse2990 Maybe bc Terry Moore had 'monkey toes', or so the Kuchar brothers said.
@@esmeephillips5888 who are the Kuchar brothers?
@@haintedhouse2990 Homosexual twins from the Bronx who made low-budget camp movies. Kind of a cross between Warhol and Waters- but the Kuchars started as kids, using 8mm.
As Elizabeth Taylor once said in an interview "without homosexuals - there would be no Hollywood".
Or Broadway.
Goddess Elizabeth knew we males (Martians).
It is a terrible shame that SO few others do.
@jimmydaves Ms. Taylor could have been misquoted. Elvis Presley never said the only good thing a black man can do for him is shine his (Elvis’) shoes.
@@kathrynfauble9053 Ms. Taylor was not misquoted. She said that "word for word' on Whoopi Goldberg's talk show. Years ago - before Whoopi joined "The View", she had a late-night talk show. Elizabeth Taylor was one of her guests. You can even find that episode on UA-cam! I watched it "live" all those years ago and have watched it on UA-cam a couple of times now.
@@kathrynfauble9053 Elvis Was So Gay & Did Roles He Acted Gay & Women Loved Gay Men During Elvis Time. Women In The 1950's & 1960's Looked At Their Husbands & Wanted To Fan-Toe-Size They Looked Like Elvis. LOL🤣
He played a great comic foil to Rosalind Russell's Reverand Mother in his appearance as the head of the Catholic boy's school Father in "Where Angels go Trouble Follows" in the 60s!
Also Yours, mine, and ours 1968
I didn't remember that he was in that movie! I'm getting ready to rewatch it for the first time in many years. All I remember about it is how bad it was, so it will be nice to have some scenes with Van to look forward to.
I was a great fan of VAN JOHNSON when I was growing up and enjoyed his film roles. I didn't know he lived such a long life. I especially liked him in BRIGADOON, one of my favourite musicals So many wonderful stars all gone now but they have left us so many unforgettable films etc and because of this they will never be forgotten.
Oh, Brigadoon, yes!! One of my all time favourite movies, musical and otherwise, and Van Johnson was great in it. I love how he portrayed a good friend to Gene Kelly, even when Kelly's character wanted to go back to Brigadoon and stay there for true love.
@@CyclingM1867 I too love Brigadoon. It somehow gets eclipsed by other musicals, but then I could be biased as I simply adore Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse and Van Johnson.
Gene Kelly’s new wife Patricia Ward isolated him from his friends and children, a classic tactic of abuse. I saw a documentary about him, his kids were not happy about the situation.
Yup, "only the good die young."
No one mentions Keenan Wynn. Devastating to loose your wife to your best friend and under those circumstances.
I have always loved watching Van Johnson. Enjoyed the dance scene on 'I Love Lucy'.
If his wife was LOOSE, then..."Take my wife....please."
Especially when both of them were in the car crash with Van, but I don't think Van had anything to
do with the Wynn's divorce!
Among all the Van Johnson performances, probably the most popular was simply when he was a guest star in I Love Lucy. It's one of the most popular I Love Lucy episodes ever. And he is wonderful. It's a must see
He was a young Broadway chorus boy, a hoofer and enjoyed showing that side of himself on that episode.
@@poetcomic1 They sang and danced to "HOW ABOUT YOU?" in that episode.
@@poetcomic1 , I'll guess a hoofer is a DANCER? NOT surprising he was 'light in the loafers'.
@@robertgold3868 Wadaboot me??? :P
@@mr.blackhawk142 Broadway chorus boys was a very gay profession even way back when. His sexuality was known and mostly ignored even back then because EVERYBODY just LIKED him.
WOW
I NEVER KNEW HE WAS GAY!
A big surprise to me!
I loved him!
With that dysfunctional upbringing he had (no parental relationships...with his dad especially cold), I'm not surprised he went that way. More often than not with such people, something along that line turns out to have been the case.
@@noahhyde8769 Dysfunctional upbringing doesn't cause guys to be gay...if it did then there would be one hell of a huge population of gay men. Your thinking is old fashion & outdated. Being gay is genetic for males.
@@noahhyde8769 Also: men who grew up in a "houseful of women" (lots of sisters ,etc.) Especially if the son/boy is younger.
Have you ever considered hiring an editor so that you don't keep repeating the same facts over and over and over and over?
I checked out you channel. no subscribers and you have obviously not created anything at all in 9 years as a YT member. My advice to you is make something your selves or just STFU. Who are you to have opinions! 🤢🤮🤯🙈
Exactly it’s bizarre every one of these I have watched is done in such an odd manner
I totally agree. I lost interest in it because of so much repetition.
@@J.M.Chadwick6 Me too. Boring.
The speech sounds robot generated and I suspect a lot of the words are too
From the title and content, you would think that Van Johnson was the only actor/actress during the age of the big studios who had to hide his/her homosexuality, and MGM the only studio that forced their stars to hide their sexual preferences. Come on! No actor or actress at that time was allowed to live an openly gay life.
Where exactly in the title and content was it remotely suggested that MGM was the only studio to suppress truth, and Van Johnson was the only actor affected? Also... "sexual preference?" Well, hubba-hubba... I'm not the oldest one here!
Cary Grant, Randolph Scott , Charles Laughton to many to list
@@stevenford1963 Rock Hudson, Sal Mineo, Monty Clift... offhand. I'm too lazy right now to look it up.
@@akrenwinkle I was just referring to the fact that the title singled out Van Johnson and MGM.
James Dean. Tab Hunter. Roddy Mcdowall. Raymond Burr. Anthony Perkins. ...So many fellows.
OK, I learned something new today. I did not know that he was Gay. Also, never noticed his scar till you showed those pictures. Wow, how did I miss that! Those make-up people were GREAT!
One of my favorite actors. I was unaware of his lifestyle but he's still one of my favorites. I thought you could have elaborated more on why he was estranged from his only child.
@Y'allAinRite The narrator / creator of this video never met Van Johnson or his alleged boyfriend. If Eve Abbott Wynn Johnson really said what she supposedly said, she said it in 2004. That was 38 years after her divorce from Van. So people should take her statement with a grain of salt.
@@kathrynfauble9053 EVERYTHING from Spin City should be taken with a grain of salt.
He was a great actor. I really liked him in "Battleground". One of the great movies about WW2.
I Got the DVD, Good Movie.
I remember VanJohnson playing with Eliz.Taylor in "Last Time I saw Paris".... I was a young girl and I fell in love with them and the movie. Would like to see it again at my old age.
This was the only Van Johnson movie I liked.
The first time
I watched this movie I cried like a baby. What a performance from both Van Johnson and Liz Taylor. ❤it.
Butch, I'm watching "Last Time I saw Paris". now, which brought me here. (research)
The video, after an ad break, and halfway through the video, proceeded to repeat everything that went before. ???
These are always excellent presentations. Thanks for your hard work and excellent production values.
Never knew he was gay. Keep up the good work.
Van Johnson was one of my favorite movie stars, he was amazing actor and made me always smile and he was so funny.
All the actors in "The Caine Mutiny" were much too old for their roles as junior Navy officers. There was a trend during the 1950's to cast actors in their forties in roles intended for younger actors. "The Sun Also Rises", for example, featured movie stars who had hit their peak in the 1940's such as Tyrone Power, Eddie Albert and Errol Flynn as young expatriates in Paris during the 1920's.
Very true how older performers were used to portray younger people. Even on early TV most performers cast as parents of very young children & infants were in their 40s.
I love cheapo monsterflix in the 1950's with 'high school kids' who are in their thirties. I saw a student in a Coronet educational film with male pattern baldness.
@mstrsims2 Zeffirelli's film with its really young lovers was a breath of fresh air.
@@poetcomic1 1950s movies & TV were as you describe. The parents of very young children were often portrayed by actresses & actors who were in their 40s & 50s.
@mstrsims2 I once saw a stage production of Romeo & Juliet where the actress playing Juliet was 61 years old and the actor playing Romeo was 27!!! ...This 61 year old actress had played Juliet off & on for over 40 years!
Love him, and I feel like I've always known...my Mom seemed to know everything about those old stars..
One of the nicest actors of his day
I've seen most of Van's movies because I'm a classic movie buff. I never was a "fan" but this really threw me for a loop. I never knew any of this. Thank you.
Corine, get used to it bc it is RAMPANT in HollyWEIRD.
Met Mr. Johnson in a Houston mall store when I was a teen and he was busy on the dinner theater circuit. Very friendly, funny and graciously gave me his autograph. And, yes, he was wearing his trademark red socks. Old school class act.
Doesn't the maker of this video know how repetitive the narration is?
Very interesting, and good to show both sides of Van Johnson's life. My only criticism is that the timeline of the video is something of a mess--it goes back and forth in time. Perhaps the editing was not complete when it was put up on UA-cam.
His orientation apparently wasn't hidden all that well. My father used to imply with certain remarks that he thought Van Johnson was homosexual. My dad endorsed the more 'macho' Robert Preston's taking the role of Harold Hill in the movie version of ""The Music Man." I would be amused to know if my dad ever saw ""Victor Victoria."
I always thought his orientation was pretty obvious too
I also remember seeing an interview with him in the 90s where he went on with a story about a long and secret affair he had with Joan Fontaine. I thought, "sure you did"
Preston originated the role of Harold Hill on Broadway. Presumably, Johnson was his replacement after Preston left the long-running show.
@djdissi Unless you met or contacted Joan Fontaine, unless you asked her about Van Johnson, you are speculating.
A FEW of us can SEE through the veil of deceit.
Oh wow didn't know this at all interesting very informative thanks for sharing the info and news great video
It doesn’t matter if an actor or actress is gay or lesbian their gift of acting and being good at it is what is important their personal life should stay personal I loved watching his movies especially brigadoon bless him x
Deb, so, entertainment trumps MORALITY? I find that troubling.
A few days back I got a red heart from age of vintage on a 7 month old comment I left on their Robert Mitchum sd. In part of said comment I mentioned how Robert and Van Johnson appeared briefly in 30 seconds over Tokyo together. I completely missed the foreshadowing. Thanks for this one by the way.
Andy, I get hearts and likes and snark over things I wrote YEARS ago. And I'm like "who... what? did I say that?" Completely forgotten.
@@akrenwinkle Lol nice.
You did not mention The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Johnson plays a double role. A childhood favorite film of mine. Also starring Claude Rains.
The fact that so many of our favorite entertainers had a different lifestyle yet were still revered by most proves that America is indeed a great place to live.
really???
@@mr.blackhawk142 Would you prefer they be tossed off a building like other certain societies do?
All actors hid their homosexuality in that era, whether studios told them to do so or not, and if an actor had a predominantly female fan base, they had even more reason to conceal it. It wasn’t until the 1990s that actors started coming out. If an actor comes out today, their career will probably be boosted.
Really? Name one single major name-above-the-title bankable male film star who is openly gay.
@@akrenwinkle Zachary Quinto who plays Spock in the newer Star Trek films...Gay.
@@curtischildress9580 Zachary Quinto is as close as we've gotten. But it depends on how you define major star. To me, he is a great actor and as successful as an openly gay man has become, but no, he has not reached major star, bankable, above-the-title status.
@@akrenwinkle Your comment proves a point as to how many actors with major star status are probably gay & not telling. I won't out any man, famous or not.
@@curtischildress9580 I sure would, and do, if they're hypocrites and eff with my rights.
Re: the tag to the video was/is rhetorical and the answer is axiomatic. NO leading man could be gay, even today.
I disagree. Times have changed. If anything, any celebrity who comes out is celebrated. Not a big deal anymore and it shouldn’t be. Gay or straight who cares?
@@patrickforrest4899 I partially agree. We have no idea of how many big actors are gay. I would wager many more than we think, particularly the really huge box office "rugged" action film actors.
@@patrickforrest4899 It is a big deal that deviancy is now celebrated. No one IS gay. People are tempted with deviant sex of many kinds and need to know that they don’t have to give into temptation. Society is sending the wrong message these days and leading people into the pits of hell.
@@ruthmaryrose Do you like lobster/shrimps? Is that top you're wearing a cotton mix? If it does/do, you're going to hell! Stop judging others because I think that's also a sin.Most sane people would disagree with you.
@@ruthmaryrose
Being born gay is not deviancy!
People like you are still living in the Middle Ages where everything is about guilt, sin, and deviance.
You need to update your religious moralism and know that you are not God and your rules of behavior are not God's rules of behavior.
Please know that young people are not buried in your Middle Ages sense of morality.
If they are gay, they are not going to hide themselves because you think they are immoral!
The young people of today are not going to be apologetic about being gay and you will not have a word to say.
One is born gay and to hide it is stupid.
God is my Father and He sustains me every day of my life and I am gay!
Do you get paid by the word
Probably because he wouldn't have had a career, had he admitted the truth of what he was.
There are no words for Louis B Mayer.
Donna, there ARE words, but they are just NOT ALLOWED on here!
Very informative! TYVM!
Van Johnson was my Mom's favorite Screen Actor. I remember growing up and hearing (more times that I can remember)... "MY Van Johnson"! I don't know if she ever knew he was gay (although she may have suspected). But, to be honest, I don't think she would have cared one bit!
James Brown - I don't think it makes a difference. I know Montgomery Clift was a homosexual but that doesn't change my attraction to him.
More recently I said to a friend whilst watching 'Torchwood', that John Barrowman is so so so sexy I'll have him anytime. To which she replied, he's GAY! And I said what does that have to do with anything, I still find him extremely attractive! She was and still is puzzled with my finding John very attractive.
I gladle saw him in whatever movies he was in. I don't care about his private life. Is his life.
Thanks A.O.V.🤍
The narrator repeats information. Very annoying.
Too many repetitions.
I watch all your videos so well done, could you do one of Gracie Fields? many thanks for all your uploads.
His mother abandoned the family.
Whether you were a movie star or not, all homosexuals were forced to hide their homosexuality back then. Van Johnson was not alone.
My mother contracted scarlet fever at about aged 10 and was bedridden for a year. Her wish was to have an autographed picture of Van Johnson. Sadly, her mother couldn't get one of Johnson, instead having to settle for an autographed photo of Frank Sinatra(!)
"sadly"
Lol.
Great video..I Love your channel
I like your vids but WOW they are terribly repetitive. i can watch the first 2 mins and the last 2 mins and not miss anything.
He was good in 23 paces from Baker Street playing a blind man who over hears a murder plan
Van was a spectacular natural on the musical stage. He premiered the musical The Music Man in Britain and I have heard on good authority he was BETTER than Robert Preston. I saw him late in life on 5th Ave.
and he was always touched and generous to fans who recognized him.
I actually saw him in The Music Man in London, and no he was not as good as Preston, but he was wonderful in the role.
He couldn't have been better than Robert Preston who was absolutely the love of my life (I am 92 at present!), but he was always watchable and credible and an actor one could believe in as one viewed the film.
Preston is that character . He was the same in Victor Victoria. Van was more like a Tom Hanks type. He seems sincere, with a large side of ham.
First of all, you need more photos instead of just putting the ones you have on a loop. There were so many places you could have illustrated Van Johnson with relevant photos or even movie clips. Second, you need to organize your narration better. It was all over the place and you repeated yourself over and over, to the point where I thought there was something wrong with my UA-cam feed because surely I’d just heard that a moment ago. Figure out what you’re going to say, organize the photos around the narration and then just go straight through without repetition. One way would be to start with his childhood and youth (instead of sticking it in after the first 5 minutes or so), moving on to his theatre and Broadway career, and then moving him to Hollywood. Then you could go into his acting, his homosexuality and Louis B. Mayer, and his enforced lavender marriage to Evie Wynn. Why no photos of Keenan Wynn? Why not identify who they photos you did use depicted? This was a messy, disorganized, unimaginative video. C- : Could do better.
Gee, you sound a lot like a bossy, Louie B. ;)
Sarah Hearn, Agree. What he's going to say should be a written (and edited) script. Some viewers have noted that our suggestions for improving the videos fall on deaf ears.
To me....he was the Tom Hanks of his time. The "Everyman" and unlikely hero. But always connected to the audience.
He surprised me. My gaydar did not react at all to him. I remember seeing him in an interview in the 90's wearing eyeliner and thought hmmm....
I heard he was a regular at "Goldies" in NY...where the numerous actors would relax , sing, and play the piano...Fancy place!!
Handsome gentleman. Rip greatness Amen 🙏.
Another gay Star Hollywood is full of them, and they seam to make the best Actors, and we love them for it .👍
need to edit the text before taping - you repeat facts - sometimes out of order.
Homosexuality and any other "deviation" from heterosexuality was not acceptable in general society back then at all. When I was growing up, people assumed to be gay would be shunned or worse. It was illegal in the UK, as well.
Yep. It was actually classified as a mental illness until the 1970's. Some people still consider it a "sickness."
Have to agree with other comments here. The subject matter is interesting, but the lack of organization of the narrative text and the frustrating repetitions make these less pleasurable to watch than they should be. As others have suggested, a good editor could easily solve these problems.
You revealed many things I was unaware of about him. Thank you for sharing this video. I liked him as did my father.
I don't like how often you repeat the same facts. It's annoying I wouldn't subscribe to your channel.
In some past videos there were errors in facts & photos, I don't think you do due diligence.
I'm not a fan of yours.
because there was money to be made from his movies? That was always the case. Robert Taylor, Burt Lancaster, Farley Granger, Barbara Stanwyck, you name it. The same thing. It isn't called showbusiness for nothing.
Never my idea of a heartthrob.
I agree with others when I say your narrations are always confusing. You repeat statements that are out of place in the sequence of events. An exact sequence of events is never your hallmark anyway. You make it worse by skipping explanations for important points. In this video you state Van Johnson married Keenan Wynn’s wife? Prior to that you stated Keenan and his wife were friends, while your emphasis at that moment was on homosexuality. This made me think that Keenan Wynn and his wife were in someway part of a coverup for Johnson’s attraction to men. Was Keenan also homosexual? I didn’t stick around for any possible explanation, as having listened to several of your narrations in the past proved they get more confusing as they go along.
Very interesting facts. A very handsome man, I loved the movie “The Last Time I Saw Paris”.🌹
So He was gay.
ALL the actors had to hide their homosexuality, so this is not exactly an unusual situation. Being in my 70s, it's clear that actors of the 50s and 60s (until the star system vanished) had no choice except to pretend to be heterosexual. Just look at Rock Hudson or Randolph Scott.
The video is interesting, but does not contain any new insights into male Hollywood actors' lives.
Also contains some misinformation -- Johnson played The Music Man in London (as the video points out), then says Evie accompanied him to London to make a FILM of The Music Man. He never made a film of The Music Man. The narrative here is repetitive and stale. Not worth the time.
I am glad I never knew that Van Johnson was gay until my later years..He was a real WW2 He-Man.
Ever try syncing pictures with the dialogue?
They should make a movie about his forced marriage to Eve Wynn. How did Kenan Wynn feel about that? Why did he choose career over marriage? Did they remain friends?
Wow, what a movie that would make! Truth stranger than fiction.
I wish the pictures on this channel related more to the narration, instead of just random shots of the subject.
Only Americans could idolize a "What Me Worry?" caricature of a human like Van. Or Mickey Rooney. Or... the list is endless.
To state the obvious, we don't all see everyone the same way. I never thought of Van Johnson as a caricature, but then, I never thought much about him. No insult intended. Rumor has it, Jerry Lewis was a huge star in France. Really??? To each is own.
How people will live, in order to be an actor, has puzzled me for years. I can understand why though.
Johnson would also have had to conceal his gay sexual orientation in almost any other profession in those days.
Never knew he was a homosexual. Many of the actors hid it well.
I always enjoyed watching him. I also had no idea he was gay. But I don't care about that - that was his business.
It is odd that in a previous video you refered to Brando as being unattractive but consider Van Johnson to be attractive? UK
gladly, that is
Never liked him. What a phony.
Why was he a phony?
I've read Scotty Bowers' book "Full Service" twice. And this piece of information was NEVER mentioned.
Love your videos but wish the narration was chronological and photos would try to match the audio better.
His role in The Caine Mutiny wasn't major!!!!!!! Neither was Richard Burton's in Cleopatra.
Say what, again please?
@@thomaswilson7538 The narrator said his (VJ) role in The Caine Mutiny wasn't 'major' - like W-h-a-t? He was the "Star" along w/ Humphrey B. In fact, he was the one being court-martialed for mutiny. (Not up on military regs so don't beat me up on it.) He probably had more screen time than anyone else in it. (Inconsequential.) In Cleopatra, I would say R Burton was the star along w/Liz Taylor (and Rex H--don't overlook Julius). But, the narrator using his own weird measuring stick would say Burton's role wasn't major. Probably the asp had a major role and Marc Antony was a supporting player. (My mother never liked my sarcasm.)
Funny story. Van Johnson hit on my brother back in the 80s when my bro was a young stand up comedian in NYC
My God!!!...1min and 40s seconds into this video, Van Johnson with Taylor, his hand is massive?...lol the UK
I remember Van Johnson. I wasn't a screaming bobby soxer, I was too young. I loved watching him perform. Especially in musicals. Back then it was hard to distinguish between reality and what you saw on the screen. I was always aware that actors are just that--actors. Knowing that helped me not to be traumatized as a kid when Superman died. I knew Christopher Reeves couldn't fly and wasn't bullet proof. Nothing about Hollywood surprises me or disillusions me.
I've often seen bobby soxers in archival footage, often at Sinatra events. I wonder: do they come in non-screaming?
@@akrenwinkle They scream to scream. Have you ever seen a Beatles concert? The screaming was so severe at their Shea Stadium that Beatles stopped touring. They couldn't even hear themselves over the monitor speakers on stage with them. Using the powerful PA system was useless. Fans who came to hear them couldn't. In an interview Paul McCartney said that they weren't sure if they were even playing together. `
You don't hear that kind screaming anymore at concerts. It's probably because they come in stoned.
@@robertcuminale1212 I screamed at Rudy Vallee. Okay, so I'm old.
@@robertcuminale1212
When the Beatles first came to the US there were about 5 to 10 young girls paid to scream for them (there are professionally paid screamers) which I was never surprised; screaming during concerts is surprisingly contagious. All this catapulted the Beatles to fame in the US. I know because one of those screamers admitted to it during an interview.
HYPHENS join 2 words together.
He was a good actor but I just can't picture Van Johnson as Elliot Ness.
Um, because it was illegal in most states and countries and everyone would hate you back then?
He was a good actor
Great actor no matter what his sexual preference was.
nope
Oh man he was gay!?
How did they find out?
What a Bummer
Yep, disappointing to 90% of his fans, especially his male fans. But, this profound topic is the major reason we have tuned in, fair or not. And I do see it as too enticing along with little class.
Laugh, Ms Felix, I thought I'd never start!
No don’t believe it!
I enjoy your videos, but why did you say Van Johnson played an unsympathetic minor role in “Cain Mutiny?” He played a starring role and was the main protagonist. Of course Bogart stole the show, but had far less screen time than Johnson.
Johnson played the good guy who saved his ship from a mentally ill ship’s captain.
As long as we're correcting, the movie is called "The Caine Mutiny."
@@hijodelaisla275 that was an autocorrect typo. I wasn’t being nit picky like you. I was curious why the actor was depicted in ax way that made me think the narrator has never seen the movie. Can Johnson was not an unsympathetic character. Quite the opposite.
@@taccs27570 I see, when you make corrections it's valuable, and when I do, it's nit picky. Why bother, then, to give a dishonest explanation? Surely auto-correct didn't delete the word "The" and I find it highly suspect that it dropped the "e" at the end of "Caine." But, since this is just being nit picky, it's probably best if you ignore this comment.
One of my favorite putdowns was by the British critic Caroline Lejeune. She did not care for VJ, and once wrote 'Van Johnson does his best; appears.'
What a nasty remark!
Christopher
Australia
Everyone knew he was!
But he was very handsome and talented! 🏳️🌈
So like were there any actors in the Golden age of hollywood that were *not* gay?
Clarke Gable .
@@joesimon2029 I understand that while not strictly gay, Mr Gable had numerous "encounters" with men that could help his career. Did the same with many women also, from what I have read.
He was a great actor and had a commanding voice. But, there was a lot of anger in his eyes in some movies, like he had checked out. Sad, but his choice in love life probably wore on him terrible. RIP
Choice in love life? Are you that stupid? Did you choose?
Being gay is not a 'choice'.
Why would anyone choose to be ostracized by society if sexual orientation was really something to control? A person knows they are gay the same way someone else knows they are hetero. It occurs in every species and always has, and it should be considered not only normal, but no threat to you or anyone else. 🙄