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Van Johnson

Van Johnson

Actor · Died December 12, 2008, aged 92 · Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Van Johnson (1916–2008) was an American film, television theatre and radio actor, singer, and dancer. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 25, 1916
Died
December 12, 2008 (aged 92)
From
Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
66 on MovieCove · 121 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 44% in 30 days

What are Van Johnson's films like?

Across their 54 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy19 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Morality
29%
Self
11%
Society
9%
Survival
8%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love20 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty10 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 54 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 29 · Serious 16 · Dark 9

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 35 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 24 · Charged 21 · Intense 9

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 30 · Shifting 24 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 28 · Some laughs 20 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 27 · Even-paced 25 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 30 · Engaged 22 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 46 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

41 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 22 of 41 analyzed roles.

Hero
22 of 41
Shapeshifter
6 of 41
Ally
5 of 41
Trickster
2 of 41
Threshold guardian
2 of 41
Mentor
2 of 41
Herald
1 of 41
Shadow
1 of 41
Show the 41 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
28
Warm
20
Romantic
18
Melancholic
18
Joyful
13
Other
41

How their films linger

Feel-good26 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy29
  • Bittersweet20
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Van Johnson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 66 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Van Johnson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

121 credits, 66 with a MovieCove page; 22 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Boy from Mercury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Game Show Contestant (Archive Footage)

  • Three Days to a Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Comm. Howard

  • MGM: When the Lion Roars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Clowning Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Mr. Ranthow

  • Clowning Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 8 episodes · as Mr. Ranthow

  • Delta Force Commando II: Priority Red One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Gen. McCailland

  • Flight from Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Erzähler

  • Killer Crocodile(1989)

    as Judge

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Going Hollywood: The War Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Down There in the Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as The professor

  • Taxi Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Captain

  • The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Art Bellasco

  • The Purple Rose of Cairo(1985)

    as Larry

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Daniel Hannigan · as Daniel O'Brien · as Elliot Robinson

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Showbiz Goes to War(1982)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Scorpion with Two Tails(1982)

    as Mulligan - Joan's father

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Aloha Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Kidnapping of the President(1980)

    as Vice President Ethan Richards

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • From Corleone to Brooklyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Lieutenant Sturges

  • Tales of the Unexpected(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Gerry T. Armstrong

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Concorde Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Captain Scott

  • Getting Married(1978)

    as Phil Lawrence

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Black Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 5 episodes · as Horace Tompkins

  • Superdome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Chip Green

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Bert Wilder · as Victor Moncrief

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Quincy, M.E. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 2 episodes · as Al Ringerman

  • Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 2 episodes · as Marsh Goodwin

  • Rich Man, Poor Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 12 episodes · as Marsh Goodwin

  • One Day at a Time(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Gus Webster

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Girl on the Late, Late Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Johnny Leverett

  • Maude(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Henry

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Call Her Mom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as President Hardgrove

  • Eye of the Spider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Prof. Orson Krüger

  • McMillan & Wife(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Jerome

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • San Francisco International (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Lester Scott

  • Company of Killers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Sam Cahill

  • McCloud(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Nanny and the Professor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Price of Power(1969)

    as President James A. Garfield

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Eagles Over London(1969)

    as Air Marshal George Taylor

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Here's Lucy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Van Johnson

  • The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Newell · as Sullivan

  • Yours, Mine and Ours(1968)

    as Darrel Harrison

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Where Angels Go Trouble Follows!(1968)

    as Father Chase: The 'In' Group

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Divorce American Style(1967)

    as Al Yearling

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Doomsday Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Capt. Anderson

  • Batman(1966)

    Show 2 episodes · as The Minstrel

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • American in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as James Devlin

  • Wives and Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Bill Austin

  • Vacation Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Enemy General(1960)

    as Allan Lemaire

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Subway in the Sky(1959)

    as Major Baxter Grant

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Joe Robertson

  • Web of Evidence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Paul Mathry

  • The Last Blitzkrieg(1959)

    as Hans Von Kroner / Leonard Richardson

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Ann Sothern Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Terry Tyler

  • The Pied Piper of Hamelin(1957)

    as Pied Piper / Truson

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Action of the Tiger(1957)

    as Carson

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Kelly and Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Len Carmody

  • Slander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Scott Ethan Martin

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank Gilette

  • 23 Paces to Baker Street(1956)

    as Phillip Hannon

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Miracle in the Rain(1956)

    as Pvt. Arthur 'Art' Hugenon

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Bottom of the Bottle(1956)

    as Donald Martin / Eric Bell

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The End of the Affair(1955)

    as Maurice Bendrix

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Last Time I Saw Paris(1954)

    as Charles Wills

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Brigadoon(1954)

    as Jeff Douglas

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Caine Mutiny(1954)

    as Lt. Stephen Maryk

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Men of the Fighting Lady(1954)

    as Lt. Thayer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Siege at Red River(1954)

    as Capt. James S. Simmons / Jim Farraday

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Easy to Love(1953)

    as Ray Lloyd

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Remains to Be Seen(1953)

    as Waldo Williams

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Confidentially Connie(1953)

    as Joe Bedloe

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Jimmy Devlin

  • Plymouth Adventure(1952)

    as John Alden

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Washington Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Joseph T. Gresham

  • When in Rome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Father John X. Halligan

  • Invitation(1952)

    as Dan Pierce

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Too Young to Kiss(1951)

    as Eric Wainwright

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • It's a Big Country: An American Anthology(1951)

    as Rev. Adam Burch

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • I Love Lucy(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Van Johnson

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Go for Broke!(1951)

    as Michael Grayson

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Three Guys Named Mike(1951)

    as Michael Lawrence

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Grounds for Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Dr. Lincoln I. Bartlett

  • Duchess of Idaho (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Dick Layne

  • The Big Hangover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as David Maldon

  • Battleground(1949)

    as Holley

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • In the Good Old Summertime(1949)

    as Andrew Delby Larkin

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Scene of the Crime(1949)

    as Mike Conovan

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Mother Is a Freshman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Professor Richard Michaels

  • Command Decision(1948)

    as Technical Sergeant Immanuel T. Evans

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • State of the Union(1948)

    as Spike McManus

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Bride Goes Wild(1948)

    as Greg Rawlings

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Romance of Rosy Ridge(1947)

    as Henry Carson

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • High Barbaree(1947)

    as Alec Brooke

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Till the Clouds Roll By(1946)

    as Bandleader in Elite Club

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Easy to Wed(1946)

    as Bill Chandler

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • No Leave, No Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Michael Hanlon

  • Week-End at the Waldorf(1945)

    as James Hollis

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Thrill of a Romance(1945)

    as Thomas Milvaine

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Between Two Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Dr. Randall Adams

  • Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo(1944)

    as Ted Lawson

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Two Girls and a Sailor(1944)

    as John Dyckman Brown III

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • 3 Men in White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Dr. Randall Adams

  • The White Cliffs of Dover(1944)

    as Sam Bennett

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • A Guy Named Joe(1943)

    as Ted Randall

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Twenty Years After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as (archive footage)

  • Madame Curie(1943)

    as Reporter

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Pilot #5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Everett Arnold

  • Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case(1943)

    as Dr. Randall Adams

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Human Comedy(1943)

    as Marcus Macauley

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Dr. Randall Adams

  • Somewhere I'll Find You(1942)

    as Wade Hall

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The War Against Mrs. Hadley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Michael Fitzpatrick

  • For the Common Defense! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Agent Pritchard

  • Murder in the Big House(1942)

    as Bert Bell

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Personalities (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as (uncredited)

  • Too Many Girls(1940)

    as Chorus Boy (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 122 titles from 1940 to 1996; peak year 1967.

Biggest box office

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

$22M worldwide

Highest rated

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19401996

Peak 1967 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 9 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting122 of 122: 122 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score56th

By decade

1940s32 · acting1950s36 · acting1960s15 · acting1970s21 · acting1980s11 · acting1990s7 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 20% of 20 roles
434863

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Van Johnson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 57; across their 54 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Midcredits score across 66 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th25
  • 25th to 49th17
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

33 of their 66 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser33
  • Broadly Agreed14
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

Getting Married (1978)

60th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Midcredits 95th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 53 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Van Johnson's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 18 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 17 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Van Johnson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Van Johnson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; June Allyson shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles