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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0113902
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q913975
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Filmography (Movies)
Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/2000
Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:09/08/1994
Legends of the West
Character:Billy the Kid in 'Billy the Kid'
Release Date:08/09/1992
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/05/1976
It's Showtime
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:31/03/1976
Apache Uprising
Character:Sheriff Ben Hall
Release Date:29/12/1965
The Bounty Killer
Character:Sheriff Green
Release Date:30/07/1965
Requiem for a Gunfighter
Character:Enkoff
Release Date:30/06/1965
The Marshal's Daughter
Character:Johnny Mack Brown - Poker-Game Player
Release Date:25/06/1953
Canyon Ambush
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:12/10/1952
Dead Man's Trail
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:19/07/1952
Man from the Black Hills
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:30/03/1952
Texas City
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:27/01/1952
Texas Lawmen
Character:Marshal Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:02/12/1951
Whistling Hills
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:06/10/1951
Oklahoma Justice
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:18/08/1951
Montana Desperado
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:17/06/1951
Blazing Bullets
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:05/05/1951
Man from Sonora
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:11/03/1951
Colorado Ambush
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:14/01/1951
Short Grass
Character:Sheriff Ord Keown
Release Date:24/12/1950
Outlaw Gold
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:26/11/1950
Law of the Panhandle
Character:U.S. Marshal Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:17/09/1950
Six Gun Mesa
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:30/04/1950
Over the Border
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:12/03/1950
West of Wyoming
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:19/02/1950
Western Renegades
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:08/10/1949
Range Justice
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:16/07/1949
West of El Dorado
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:04/06/1949
Stampede
Character:Sheriff Aaron Ball
Release Date:01/05/1949
Trails End
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:02/04/1949
Law of the West
Character:Federal Agent Johnny Mack
Release Date:20/02/1949
Hidden Danger
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:12/12/1948
Gunning for Justice
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:06/11/1948
The Sheriff of Medicine Bow
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:02/10/1948
The Fighting Ranger
Character:Johnny Brown
Release Date:15/08/1948
Back Trail
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:18/07/1948
Triggerman
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:19/06/1948
Frontier Agent
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:16/05/1948
Crossed Trails
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:10/04/1948
Overland Trails
Character:Johnny Murdock
Release Date:31/01/1948
Gun Talk
Character:Johnny McVey
Release Date:20/12/1947
Prairie Express
Character:Johnny Hudson
Release Date:24/10/1947
Valley of Fear
Character:Johnny Williams
Release Date:14/09/1947
Flashing Guns
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:16/07/1947
Code of the Saddle
Character:John Macklin
Release Date:28/06/1947
Trailing Danger
Character:Johnny
Release Date:29/05/1947
The Law Comes to Gunsight
Character:Johnny Mackey
Release Date:24/05/1947
Land of the Lawless
Character:Johnny Mack
Release Date:25/04/1947
Raiders of the South
Character:Captain Brownell posing Johnny Langdon
Release Date:18/01/1947
Silver Range
Character:Johnny Bronton
Release Date:16/11/1946
Shadows on the Range
Character:Steve Mason posing as Steve Saunders
Release Date:15/10/1946
Trigger Fingers
Character:Sam Hurricane Benton
Release Date:20/09/1946
The Gentleman from Texas
Character:Johnny Macklin
Release Date:08/06/1946
Under Arizona Skies
Character:Dusty Smith
Release Date:27/05/1946
The Haunted Mine
Character:Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:02/03/1946
Drifting Along
Character:Steve Garner
Release Date:26/01/1946
Border Bandits
Character:Marshal Nevada
Release Date:12/01/1946
Frontier Feud
Character:Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:24/11/1945
The Lost Trail
Character:Marshal 'Nevada Jack' McKenzie
Release Date:19/10/1945
Flame of the West
Character:Dr. John Poore
Release Date:25/06/1945
Stranger from Santa Fe
Character:U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie, posing as Roy Ferris
Release Date:14/05/1945
Gun Smoke
Character:Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:16/02/1945
Forever Yours
Character:Maj. Tex O'Connor
Release Date:26/01/1945
The Navajo Trail
Character:Marshal Nevada McKenzie
Release Date:15/01/1945
Ghost Guns
Character:Marshal Nevada McKenzie
Release Date:17/11/1944
Law of the Valley
Character:Marshal Nevada McKenzie
Release Date:04/11/1944
Land of the Outlaws
Character:Marshal Nevada McKenzie
Release Date:16/09/1944
West of the Rio Grande
Character:U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie
Release Date:05/08/1944
Range Law
Character:U. S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie
Release Date:24/06/1944
Partners of the Trail
Character:Jack McKenzie
Release Date:28/04/1944
Law Men
Character:U.S. Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:25/04/1944
Raiders of the Border
Character:Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:31/01/1944
The Texas Kid
Character:Jack McKenzie
Release Date:26/11/1943
Outlaws of Stampede Pass
Character:Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:15/10/1943
Crazy House
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:08/10/1943
The Lone Star Trail
Character:Blaze Barker
Release Date:06/08/1943
Six Gun Gospel
Character:Marshal Jack McKenzie
Release Date:03/08/1943
The Stranger From Pecos
Character:Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:10/07/1943
Raiders of San Joaquin
Character:Rocky Morgan aka The Black Rider
Release Date:01/05/1943
Cheyenne Roundup
Character:Buck Brandon & Gils Brandon
Release Date:12/04/1943
The Ghost Rider
Character:Nevada Jack McKenzie
Release Date:02/04/1943
Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground
Character:Wade Benson
Release Date:05/02/1943
The Old Chisholm Trail
Character:Dusty Gardner
Release Date:11/12/1942
Little Joe, the Wrangler
Character:Neal Wallace
Release Date:13/11/1942
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Character:Jim Mallory
Release Date:25/09/1942
Boss of Hangtown Mesa
Character:Steve Collins
Release Date:21/08/1942
The Silver Bullet
Character:Silver Jim Donovan
Release Date:05/08/1942
Stagecoach Buckaroo
Character:Steve Hardin
Release Date:13/02/1942
Fighting Bill Fargo
Character:Bill Fargo
Release Date:09/12/1941
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Character:Alabam' Brewster
Release Date:17/11/1941
Arizona Cyclone
Character:Tom Baxter
Release Date:14/11/1941
The Masked Rider
Character:Larry Prescott
Release Date:24/10/1941
Man from Montana
Character:Sheriff Bob Dawson
Release Date:05/09/1941
Rawhide Rangers
Character:Brand Calhoun
Release Date:18/07/1941
Law of the Range
Character:Steve Howard
Release Date:20/06/1941
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
Character:Joe Henderson
Release Date:21/03/1941
Pony Post
Character:Cal Sheridan
Release Date:01/12/1940
Law and Order
Character:Bill Ralston
Release Date:28/11/1940
Ragtime Cowboy Joe
Character:Steve Logan
Release Date:19/09/1940
Son of Roaring Dan
Character:Jim Reardon (Posing as Horace McPhail)
Release Date:25/07/1940
Bad Man from Red Butte
Character:Gils Brady / Buck Halliday
Release Date:01/06/1940
Riders of Pasco Basin
Character:Lee Jamison
Release Date:04/04/1940
Boss of Bullion City
Character:Tom Bryant
Release Date:01/03/1940
West of Carson City
Character:Jim Bannister
Release Date:19/01/1940
Chip of the Flying U
Character:'Chip' Bennett
Release Date:29/11/1939
Oklahoma Frontier
Character:Jeff McLeod
Release Date:09/10/1939
Desperate Trails
Character:Steve Hayden
Release Date:30/09/1939
The Oregon Trail
Character:Jeff Scott
Release Date:04/07/1939
Land of Liberty
Character:Billy the Kid (edited from 'Billy the Kid')
Release Date:15/06/1939
Flaming Frontiers
Character:Tex Houston
Release Date:05/07/1938
Wells Fargo
Character:Talbot Carter
Release Date:31/12/1937
Born to the West
Character:Tom Fillmore
Release Date:10/12/1937
Boothill Brigade
Character:Lon Cardigan
Release Date:02/08/1937
Wild West Days
Character:Kentucky Wade
Release Date:05/07/1937
A Lawman Is Born
Character:Tom Mitchell
Release Date:21/06/1937
Guns in the Dark
Character:Johnny Darrel
Release Date:13/05/1937
Bar-Z Bad Men
Character:Jim Waters
Release Date:21/04/1937
Lawless Land
Character:Ranger Jeff Hayden
Release Date:06/04/1937
Trail of Vengeance
Character:Dude Ramsay
Release Date:28/03/1937
The Gambling Terror
Character:Jeff Hayes
Release Date:15/02/1937
Undercover Man
Character:Steve McLain
Release Date:23/09/1936
The Crooked Trail
Character:Jim Blake
Release Date:25/07/1936
Everyman's Law
Character:Johnny- aka The Dog Town Kid
Release Date:10/06/1936
Rogue of the Range
Character:Dan Doran
Release Date:24/04/1936
Desert Phantom
Character:Billy Donovan
Release Date:09/03/1936
Valley of the Lawless
Character:Bruce Reynolds
Release Date:25/01/1936
The Courageous Avenger
Character:Kirk Baxter
Release Date:12/12/1935
Between Men
Character:Johnny Wellington Jr.
Release Date:29/10/1935
Starlit Days at the Lido
Character:Self
Release Date:28/09/1935
Branded a Coward
Character:Johnny Hume
Release Date:01/07/1935
Rustlers of Red Dog
Character:Jack Wood
Release Date:01/01/1935
Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove
Character:Self
Release Date:01/12/1934
Against the Law
Character:Steve Wayne
Release Date:25/10/1934
Belle of the Nineties
Character:Brooks Clayburn
Release Date:21/09/1934
Cross Streets
Character:Adam Blythe
Release Date:05/07/1934
Marrying Widows
Character:The Husband
Release Date:18/05/1934
St. Louis Woman
Character:Jim Warren
Release Date:14/04/1934
Three on a Honeymoon
Character:Chuck Wells
Release Date:22/03/1934
Son of a Sailor
Character:'Duke'
Release Date:29/11/1933
Female
Character:George P. Cooper
Release Date:11/11/1933
Saturday's Millions
Character:Alan Barry
Release Date:30/09/1933
Fighting With Kit Carson
Character:Kit Carson
Release Date:01/07/1933
The Vanishing Frontier
Character:Kirby Tornell
Release Date:13/03/1933
Malay Nights
Character:Jim Wilson
Release Date:03/11/1932
70,000 Witnesses
Character:Wally Clark
Release Date:09/09/1932
Flames
Character:Charlie
Release Date:29/05/1932
Hollywood Halfbacks
Character:
Release Date:23/12/1931
Lasca of the Rio Grande
Character:Miles Kincaid
Release Date:01/12/1931
The Last Flight
Character:Bill Talbot
Release Date:29/08/1931
The Secret Six
Character:Hank Rogers
Release Date:18/04/1931
The Great Meadow
Character:Berk Jarvis (as John Mack Brown)
Release Date:24/01/1931
Billy the Kid
Character:Billy the Kid
Release Date:16/10/1930
Montana Moon
Character:Larry
Release Date:20/03/1930
Undertow
Character:Paul Whalen
Release Date:23/02/1930
Jazz Heaven
Character:Barry Holmes
Release Date:03/11/1929
Hurricane
Character:Dan
Release Date:30/09/1929
The Single Standard
Character:Tommy Hewlett
Release Date:27/07/1929
The Valiant
Character:Robert Ward
Release Date:19/05/1929
Coquette
Character:Michael Jeffery
Release Date:30/03/1929
A Woman of Affairs
Character:David Furness
Release Date:15/12/1928
A Lady of Chance
Character:Steve Crandall
Release Date:01/12/1928
Annapolis
Character:Bill
Release Date:18/11/1928
Our Dancing Daughters
Character:Ben Blaine
Release Date:01/09/1928
The Play Girl
Character:Bradley Lane
Release Date:22/04/1928
Soft Living
Character:Stockney Webb
Release Date:05/02/1928
The Divine Woman
Character:Jean Lery
Release Date:13/01/1928
The Fair Co-Ed
Character:Bob
Release Date:22/10/1927
After Midnight
Character:Party Boy (uncredited)
Release Date:20/08/1927
Mockery
Character:Russian Officer (uncredited)
Release Date:13/08/1927
The Bugle Call
Character:Bit (uncredited)
Release Date:06/08/1927
Slide, Kelly, Slide
Character:Johnny Mack Brown
Release Date:12/03/1927
Television Appearances
Images
