Churi Gossip – The Celeb Blog

Van Johnson, Hollywood celeb star of the movies golden age, has died. Family friend of the old celebrity Van Johnson name Wendy Bleiweiss says Van Johnson died Friday at an assisted living center in Nyack. He was at age 92.

Johnson was known for his boy-next-door wholesomeness and was a major heartthrob in the 1940s. Van Johnson, who appeared in films such as “The Caine Mutiny” and “30 Seconds Over Tokyo,” “Brigadoon,” ”A Guy Named Joe” and his co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor and June Allyson. Many of his early films had World War II themes, including “30 Seconds Over Tokyo.”

The red-haired former heartthrob died around 11 a.m. of natural causes at the Tappan Zee Manor, where he had lived for seven years, said Bleiweiss, who said he considered her to be his surrogate daughter. Bleiweiss said Johnson told her that he was 16 years old when he left Rhode Island, where he was born to a plumber and a housewife, to go to New York City and forge a career in acting. A few years later, he got his break from Lucille Ball, she said. “He had come to New York from Newport, and she saw this redhead kid and said, ‘Let’s give him a break. He seems like he can do some acting.’”

Johnson made his Broadway debut in 1936 and was starring in films by 1944.

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