Tor Johnson
Encyclopedia
Tor Johansson better known by the stage name Tor Johnson, was a Swedish
professional wrestler (billed as The Super Swedish Angel) and actor.
He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in a number of B-movie
s, including police inspector turned zombie
Daniel Clay in Plan 9 from Outer Space
and playing the role of a recurring lab assistant often named "Lobo".
, the son of Karl J. Johansson and Lovisa Petersson. He was a large man, weighing 400 pounds (181 kg) at his biggest. He had a full head of blond hair, but he shaved it to maintain an imposing, villainous appearance in wrestling and acting appearances. He began getting bit parts in movies upon his move to California
- usually as the strongman or weightlifter - as early as 1934. His film career ended in the early 1960s after appearing in a string of poorly-rated movies. However, he continued to make appearances on television and made a number of commercials. Due to his work in early B-horror movies, Tor developed a small but enthusiastic cult following after his death in 1971. To this day, he is considered a horror icon.
A number of Johnson's peers had commented that he was a very friendly man and easy to work with on movie sets. Valda Hansen
, who worked with Johnson in the 1959 movie Night of the Ghouls
said that "Tor was like a big sugar bun." Johnson befriended Bela Lugosi
during the time both worked with director Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Hospital in San Fernando, California
, from heart failure, at the age of 67. He was buried at the Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall, California
.
Since his death, Johnson has amassed a cult following
due in part to his appearances in the comics of Drew Friedman. Johnson made many appearances in these comics, all of which depicted Johnson acting like his hulking moron movie persona in real life.
A Tor Johnson Halloween
mask was created and sold by famous Hollywood maskmaker Don Post
. This same mask, with an eyepatch, was later used by wrestler Duke Myers to compete as the Colossus of Death, acting as Andy Kaufman
's henchman during Kaufman's feud with Memphis wrestling mainstay Jerry Lawler
.
George "The Animal" Steele
portrayed Johnson in Tim Burton
's biopic
about cult director Edward D. Wood, Jr..
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
professional wrestler (billed as The Super Swedish Angel) and actor.
He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in a number of B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s, including police inspector turned zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
Daniel Clay in Plan 9 from Outer Space
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Plan 9 from Outer Space is a 1959 science fiction film written and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film features Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson and Maila "Vampira" Nurmi...
and playing the role of a recurring lab assistant often named "Lobo".
Early life and career
Tor Johansson was born in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the son of Karl J. Johansson and Lovisa Petersson. He was a large man, weighing 400 pounds (181 kg) at his biggest. He had a full head of blond hair, but he shaved it to maintain an imposing, villainous appearance in wrestling and acting appearances. He began getting bit parts in movies upon his move to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- usually as the strongman or weightlifter - as early as 1934. His film career ended in the early 1960s after appearing in a string of poorly-rated movies. However, he continued to make appearances on television and made a number of commercials. Due to his work in early B-horror movies, Tor developed a small but enthusiastic cult following after his death in 1971. To this day, he is considered a horror icon.
A number of Johnson's peers had commented that he was a very friendly man and easy to work with on movie sets. Valda Hansen
Valda Hansen
Valda Hansen was an American actress, known for her performances in a number of B-movies in the 1950s and -70s....
, who worked with Johnson in the 1959 movie Night of the Ghouls
Night of the Ghouls
Night of the Ghouls is a 1959 horror film written and directed by Ed Wood. It is a sequel of sorts to the 1955 film Bride of the Monster...
said that "Tor was like a big sugar bun." Johnson befriended Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
during the time both worked with director Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Death
Johnson died on 12 May 1971 at the San Fernando ValleySan Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
Hospital in San Fernando, California
San Fernando, California
San Fernando is a city located in the San Fernando Valley, in northwestern region of Los Angeles, California, United States. The population was 23,645 at the 2010 census, up from 23,564 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, from heart failure, at the age of 67. He was buried at the Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall, California
Newhall, California
Newhall is the southernmost and oldest district of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Valencia, Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, and other geographically proximate settlements into the conglomerate city of Santa Clarita, it was an independent but unincorporated town...
.
Legacy
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
due in part to his appearances in the comics of Drew Friedman. Johnson made many appearances in these comics, all of which depicted Johnson acting like his hulking moron movie persona in real life.
A Tor Johnson Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
mask was created and sold by famous Hollywood maskmaker Don Post
Don Post
Donald Post is dubbed by many as The Godfather of Halloween for creating and selling some of the first latex masks, which are still commonly used in the entertainment industry today...
. This same mask, with an eyepatch, was later used by wrestler Duke Myers to compete as the Colossus of Death, acting as Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
's henchman during Kaufman's feud with Memphis wrestling mainstay Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
.
George "The Animal" Steele
George Steele
William James Myers , better known by his ring name George "The Animal" Steele is a former American professional wrestler and actor...
portrayed Johnson in Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's biopic
Ed Wood (film)
Ed Wood is a 1994 American comedy-drama biopic directed and produced by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film concerns the period in Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bela Lugosi, played by Martin Landau...
about cult director Edward D. Wood, Jr..
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1934 | Registered Nurse | Sonnevich | Uncredited |
| Kid Millions Kid Millions Kid Millions is an American film directed by Roy Del Ruth, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and starring Eddie Cantor.-Plot:The story features Eddie, a kid from Brooklyn, New York,... |
Torturer | ||
| 1935 | Man on the Flying Trapeze Man on the Flying Trapeze Man on the Flying Trapeze is a 1935 comedy film starring W. C. Fields as a henpecked husband. As with his other roles of this nature, Fields is put-upon throughout the film, but triumphs in the end.-Plot:... |
Tosoff | |
| 1936 | Under Two Flags | Bidou | |
| 1941 | Shadow of the Thin Man Shadow of the Thin Man Shadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of the six The Thin Man films. It was released in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this film their son Nick Jr. is old enough to figure in the comic subplot... |
Jack the Ripper | |
| 1943 | The Meanest Man in the World | Vladimir Pulasky | |
| Swing Out the Blues | Weightlifter | ||
| 1944 | Ghost Catchers | Mug | |
| The Canterville Ghost The Canterville Ghost (1944 film) The Canterville Ghost is a 1944 fantasy/comedy film directed by Jules Dassin, loosely based on the short story of the same title by Oscar Wilde... |
Bold Sir Guy | ||
| Lost in a Harem Lost in a Harem -Plot:When a traveling vaudeville show becomes stranded in the Middle East, their singer, Hazel Moon , takes a job at a local cafe. Two of the show's prop men, Peter Johnson and Harvey Garvey , are hired as comedy relief, but their act unfortunately initiates a brawl... |
Majordomo | ||
| 1945 | Sudan | Slaver | |
| 1947 | Road to Rio Road to Rio Road to Rio is a 1947 comedy film, directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Bing Crosby as Scat Sweeney, Bob Hope as "Hot Lips" Barton, and Dorothy Lamour as Lucia Maria de Andrade. It was the fifth of the "Road to …" series.-Plot:... |
Sandor | |
| 1948 | State of the Union State of the Union (film) State of the Union is a 1948 film adaptation written by Myles Connolly and Anthony Veiller of the Russel Crouse, Howard Lindsay play of the same name. Directed by Frank Capra and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, the film is Capra's first and only project for MGM Pictures... |
Wrestler | |
| Behind Locked Doors Behind Locked Doors Behind Locked Doors is a 1948 black-and-white B-movie starring Lucille Bremer. The movie, directed by Budd Boetticher, runs a scant 63 minutes. The film also stars Richard Carlson and features Tor Johnson as 'The Champ'.-Plot:... |
The Champ | ||
| 1950 | Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion is a 1950 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.-Plot:Bud Jones and Lou Hotchkiss are wrestling promoters. Their star, Abdullah , no longer wishes to follow the script for their crooked matches, especially since he is supposed to lose his... |
Abou Ben | |
| The Reformer and the Redhead | Guest at Finnish-American Rally | Uncredited | |
| 1951 | The Lemon Drop Kid The Lemon Drop Kid The Lemon Drop Kid is a 1951 comedy film based on the short story of the same name by Damon Runyon, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell, and directed by Sidney Lanfield.The song "Silver Bells," sung by Hope and Maxwell, was introduced in the film... |
Super Swedish Angel | |
| Dear Brat | Uncredited | ||
| Angels in the Outfield Angels in the Outfield (1951 film) Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 American black-and-white film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer... |
Wrestler on TV | ||
| 1952 | The San Francisco Story | Buck | |
| Lady in the Iron Mask | Renac | Uncredited | |
| 1953 | Houdini Houdini (film) Houdini is a 1953 biographical film about the life of the magician and escapologist Harry Houdini. It was made by Paramount Pictures, directed by George Marshall and produced by George Pal from a screenplay by Philip Yordan, based on the book Houdini by Harold Kellock. The music score was by Roy... |
Strong man | |
| 1955 | Bride of the Monster Bride of the Monster Bride of the Monster is a 1955 sci-fi horror film starring Bela Lugosi, along with Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy and Loretta King Hadler. It was produced, directed and co-written by Edward D. Wood, Jr.... |
Lobo | Alternative title: Bride of the Atom |
| 1956 | Carousel Carousel (film) Carousel is a 1956 film adaptation of the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name which, in turn, was based on Ferenc Molnár's non-musical play Liliom. The 1956 Carousel film stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, and was directed by Henry King... |
Strongman | Uncredited |
| The Black Sleep | Mr. Curry | Alternative title: Dr. Cadman's Secret | |
| 1957 | Journey to Freedom | Giant Turk | |
| The Unearthly The Unearthly The Unearthly is a science fiction/horror film written by Jane Mann and John D.F. Black, with characters originally created by Edward D. Wood, Jr.... |
Lobo | ||
| 1959 | Night of the Ghouls Night of the Ghouls Night of the Ghouls is a 1959 horror film written and directed by Ed Wood. It is a sequel of sorts to the 1955 film Bride of the Monster... |
Alternative title: Revenge of the Dead | |
| Plan 9 from Outer Space Plan 9 from Outer Space Plan 9 from Outer Space is a 1959 science fiction film written and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film features Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson and Maila "Vampira" Nurmi... |
Inspector Daniel Clay | Former title: Grave Robbers from Outer Space | |
| 1961 | The Beast of Yucca Flats The Beast of Yucca Flats The Beast of Yucca Flats is a B horror film released in 1961. The film stars Swedish former wrestler Tor Johnson and was both written and directed by Coleman Francis... |
Joseph Javorsky/The Beast | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1953–1954 | You Are There | 2 episodes | |
| 1954 | General Electric Theater General Electric Theater General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:... |
Bald-headed Man | 1 episode |
| Rocky Jones, Space Ranger Rocky Jones, Space Ranger Rocky Jones, Space Ranger is a syndicated science fiction television serial originally broadcast in 1954. The show lasted for only two seasons and, though syndicated sporadically, dropped into obscurity. But because it was recorded on film rather than being broadcast live as were most other TV... |
Naboro | ||
| 1956 | The Adventures of Hiram Holliday The Adventures of Hiram Holliday Adventures of Hiram Holliday is a 1939 novel by Paul Gallico, later adapted to a TV series, The Adventures of Hiram Holliday, a half-hour filmed comedy/adventure series which ran for 20 episodes on the NBC Television Network and is now better known than the literary original.-Broadcast dates:The... |
Bandini the Strongman | |
| 1959 | Adventures in Paradise Adventures in Paradise Adventures in Paradise is an American television series which ran on ABC from 1959 until 1962. It starred Gardner McKay as Adam Troy, the captain of the schooner Tiki III which sailed the South Pacific looking for passengers and adventure. The show was created by James Michener... |
||
| 1960 | Peter Gunn Peter Gunn Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards... |
Bruno | |
| Bonanza Bonanza Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the... |
Busthead Brannigan | ||
| 1961 | Shirley Temple's Storybook Shirley Temple's Storybook Shirley Temple's Storybook is an American children's anthology series hosted and narrated by Shirley Temple. The series features adaptations of fairy tales and other family-oriented stories performed by well-known actors, although one episode, an adaptation of The House of the Seven Gables, was... |
Strong Man | |
External links
- Tor Johnson bio on (re)Search my Trash