Johnny Mack Brown
Acting
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.
Bad Man from Red Butte
as Gils Brady / Buck Halliday
Age 35 (now 70)
Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs
as (archive footage)
Age 95 (now 70)
Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her
as Self (archive footage)
Age 89 (now 70)
Legends of the West
as Billy the Kid in 'Billy the Kid' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Age 88 (now 70)
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
as (archive footage)
Age 71 (now 70)
The Marshal's Daughter
as Johnny Mack Brown - Poker-Game Player
Age 48 (now 70)
The Sheriff of Medicine Bow
as Johnny Mack Brown
Age 44 (now 70)
Raiders of the South
as Captain Brownell posing Johnny Langdon
Age 42 (now 70)
Shadows on the Range
as Steve Mason posing as Steve Saunders
Age 42 (now 70)
Stranger from Santa Fe
as U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie, posing as Roy Ferris
Age 40 (now 70)
West of the Rio Grande
as U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie
Age 39 (now 70)
Outlaws of Stampede Pass
as Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
Age 39 (now 70)
Raiders of San Joaquin
as Rocky Morgan aka The Black Rider
Age 38 (now 70)
Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground
as Wade Benson
Age 38 (now 70)
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
as Joe Henderson
Age 36 (now 70)
Son of Roaring Dan
as Jim Reardon (Posing as Horace McPhail)
Age 35 (now 70) Bad Man from Red Butte
as Gils Brady / Buck Halliday
Age 35 (now 70)
Land of Liberty
as Billy the Kid (edited from 'Billy the Kid')
Age 34 (now 70)
Gathering insights...
Also Known As
John Mack Brown, Johnnie Mack Brown, The Dothan Antelope, John Brown
IMDB
nm0113902