Johnny Mack Brown
- Acting
- September 1, 1904 · Dothan, Alabama, USA
- November 14, 1974
Biography
An All-American halfback while attending the University of Alabama, Johnny Mack Brown chose the silver screen over the green grass of the football field when he graduated. Signed to a contract with MGM in 1926, Brown debuted in Slide, Kelly, Slide (1927) with William Haines in a film about - baseball. This was followed by The Bugle Call (1927), which starred the fading Jackie Coogan. In 1928 he appeared in the last Norma Shearer silent film, A Lady of Chance (1928). After that, he worked with Greta Garbo, Marion Davies and Mary Pickford. His muscular good looks only carried him so far in films, however, and by 1930 he had yet to find his place. At MGM Clark Gable was taking the roles that Brown was up for, so he went into a western for director King Vidor, Billy the Kid (1930). While Vidor did not want him for the part to begin with, the picture was successful; however, Brown's career at MGM soon ended. By 1933 he was still making westerns, but they were for low-rung studios like Mascot. More westerns at even lower-rung Supreme Pictures followed, as well as serials like Wild West Days (1937) at Universal. In 1943 Brown took his boots over to Monogram Pictures, where he made over 60 westerns. He started off as "Nevada Jack McKenzie" in the Rough Riders series, but the name soon changed to Johnny. As with most of the early cowboy stars, he was a hero to millions of young children and consistently among the top ten money-makers in westerns from 1942-50. The bubble burst, though, just as it did for Allan Lane, in 1953, as the days of the "B" western came to an end.
Known for
Filmography
- Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs · (archive footage)
- Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her · Self
- Legends of the West · Billy the Kid in 'Billy the Kid' (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch · (archive footage)
- It's Showtime · Self
- Apache Uprising · Sheriff Ben Hall
- The Bounty Killer · Sheriff Green
- Requiem for a Gunfighter · Enkoff
- Perry Mason · Warner Griffith
- Official Detective
- The Marshal's Daughter · Johnny Mack Brown - Poker-Game Player
- Canyon Ambush · Johnny Mack Brown
- This Is Your Life · Self
- Dead Man's Trail · Johnny Mack Brown
- Man from the Black Hills · Johnny Mack Brown
- Texas City · Johnny Mack Brown
- Texas Lawmen · Marshal Johnny Mack Brown
- Whistling Hills · Johnny Mack Brown
- Oklahoma Justice · Johnny Mack Brown
- Montana Desperado · Johnny Mack Brown
- Blazing Bullets · Johnny Mack Brown
- Man from Sonora · Johnny Mack Brown
- Colorado Ambush · Johnny Mack Brown
- Short Grass · Sheriff Ord Keown
- Outlaw Gold · Johnny Mack Brown
- Law of the Panhandle · U.S. Marshal Johnny Mack Brown
- Six Gun Mesa · Johnny Mack Brown
- Over the Border · Johnny Mack Brown
- West of Wyoming · Johnny Mack Brown
- Western Renegades · Johnny Mack Brown
- Range Justice · Johnny Mack Brown
- West of El Dorado · Johnny Mack
- Stampede · Sheriff Aaron Ball
- Trails End · Johnny Mack
- Law of the West · Federal Agent Johnny Mack
- Hidden Danger · Johnny Mack
- Gunning for Justice · Johnny Mack
- The Sheriff of Medicine Bow · Johnny Mack Brown
- The Fighting Ranger · Johnny Brown
- Back Trail · Johnny Mack
- Triggerman · Johnny Mack Brown
- Frontier Agent · Johnny Mack Brown
- Crossed Trails · Johnny Mack
- Overland Trails · Johnny Murdock
- Gun Talk · Johnny McVey
- Prairie Express · Johnny Hudson
- Valley of Fear · Johnny Williams
- Flashing Guns · Johnny Mack
- Code of the Saddle · John Macklin
- Trailing Danger · Johnny
- The Law Comes to Gunsight · Johnny Mackey
- Land of the Lawless · Johnny Mack
- Raiders of the South · Captain Brownell posing Johnny Langdon
- Silver Range · Johnny Bronton
- Shadows on the Range · Steve Mason posing as Steve Saunders
- Trigger Fingers · Sam Hurricane Benton
- The Gentleman from Texas · Johnny Macklin
- Under Arizona Skies · Dusty Smith
- The Haunted Mine · Nevada Jack McKenzie
- Drifting Along · Steve Garner
- Border Bandits · Marshal Nevada
- Frontier Feud · Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
- The Lost Trail · Marshal 'Nevada Jack' McKenzie
- Flame of the West · Dr. John Poore
- Stranger from Santa Fe · U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie, posing as Roy Ferris
- Gun Smoke · Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
- Forever Yours · Maj. Tex O'Connor
- The Navajo Trail · Marshal Nevada McKenzie
- Ghost Guns · Marshal Nevada McKenzie
- Law of the Valley · Marshal Nevada McKenzie
- Land of the Outlaws · Marshal Nevada McKenzie
- West of the Rio Grande · U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie
- Range Law · U. S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie
- Partners of the Trail · Jack McKenzie
- Law Men · U.S. Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
- Raiders of the Border · Nevada Jack McKenzie
- The Texas Kid · Jack McKenzie
- Outlaws of Stampede Pass · Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
- Crazy House · Johnny Mack Brown
- The Lone Star Trail · Blaze Barker