Johnny Mack Brown
Born September 01, 1904 (Age: 121)
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Dothan, Alabama, USA
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.
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.
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Filmography
Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs
2000
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as (archive footage)
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Age: 95
Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her
1994
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as Self (archive footage)
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Age: 89
Legends of the West
1992
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as Billy the Kid in 'Billy the Kid' (archive footage) (uncredited)
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Age: 88
Apache Uprising
1965
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as Sheriff Ben Hall
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Age: 61
The Bounty Killer
1965
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as Sheriff Green
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Age: 60
Requiem for a Gunfighter
1965
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as Enkoff
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Age: 60
The Marshal's Daughter
1953
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as Johnny Mack Brown - Poker-Game Player
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Age: 48
Short Grass
1950
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as Sheriff Ord Keown
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Age: 46
Outlaw Gold
1950
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as Johnny Mack Brown
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Age: 46
Law of the Panhandle
1950
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as U.S. Marshal Johnny Mack Brown
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Age: 46
Six Gun Mesa
1950
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as Johnny Mack Brown
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Age: 45
Over the Border
1950
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as Johnny Mack Brown
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Age: 45
West of Wyoming
1950
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as Johnny Mack Brown
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Age: 45
Frontier Feud
1945
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as Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
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Age: 41
The Lost Trail
1945
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as Marshal 'Nevada Jack' McKenzie
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Age: 41
Flame of the West
1945
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as Dr. John Poore
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Age: 40
Stranger from Santa Fe
1945
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as U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie, posing as Roy Ferris
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Age: 40
Gun Smoke
1945
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as Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
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Age: 40
Forever Yours
1945
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as Maj. Tex O'Connor
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Age: 40
The Navajo Trail
1945
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as Marshal Nevada McKenzie
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Age: 40
The Old Chisholm Trail
1942
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as Dusty Gardner
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Age: 38
Little Joe, the Wrangler
1942
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as Neal Wallace
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Age: 38
Deep in the Heart of Texas
1942
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as Jim Mallory
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Age: 38
Boss of Hangtown Mesa
1942
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as Steve Collins
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Age: 37
The Silver Bullet
1942
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as Silver Jim Donovan
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Age: 37
Stagecoach Buckaroo
1942
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as Steve Hardin
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Age: 37
Fighting Bill Fargo
1941
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as Bill Fargo
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Age: 37
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1941
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as Alabam' Brewster
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Age: 37
Arizona Cyclone
1941
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as Tom Baxter
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Age: 37
The Masked Rider
1941
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as Larry Prescott
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Age: 37
Man from Montana
1941
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as Sheriff Bob Dawson
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Age: 37
Rawhide Rangers
1941
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as Brand Calhoun
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Age: 36
Law of the Range
1941
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as Steve Howard
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Age: 36
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
1941
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as Joe Henderson
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Age: 36
No Image
Malay Nights
1932
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as Jim Wilson
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Age: 28
70,000 Witnesses
1932
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as Wally Clark
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Age: 28
Flames
1932
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as Charlie
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Age: 27
No Image
Hollywood Halfbacks
1931
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as
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Age: 27
No Image
Lasca of the Rio Grande
1931
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as Miles Kincaid
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Age: 27
The Last Flight
1931
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as Bill Talbot
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Age: 26
The Secret Six
1931
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as Hank Rogers
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Age: 26
The Great Meadow
1931
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as Berk Jarvis (as John Mack Brown)
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Age: 26
Billy the Kid
1930
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as Billy the Kid
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Age: 26
Montana Moon
1930
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as Larry
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Age: 25
Undertow
1930
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as Paul Whalen
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Age: 25