Rita Johnson

Biography

Rita Ann Johnson (August 13, 1913 – October 31, 1965) was an American actress. Early in her career, Johnson was busy in radio. Johnson began acting on Broadway in 1935 and started her film career two years later. She played a murderer in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) and a doomed wife in the RKO film noir They Won't Believe Me (1947). In an incident that was never fully explained, Johnson suffered a head trauma on September 6, 1948 that required brain surgery. Unsubstantiated rumors promulgated by gossip columnists such as Walter Winchell suggested she might have been abused by a boyfriend, but the only explanation she offered was that a large, industrial-grade hair dryer at her apartment had fallen on her. She was in a coma for two weeks and it was reported it took her a year to recover. Her left side was paralyzed temporarily and for a while she couldn't walk. The injury put a virtual halt to her film career. Her screen time in movies after that was limited due to her reduced mobility and powers of concentration. Johnson suffered from alcoholism from the time of her injuries until her death of a brain hemorrhage at age 52. From Wikipedia.

Known For

The Big Clock

as Pauline York

The Major and the Minor

as Pamela Hill

Here Comes Mr. Jordan

as Julia Farnsworth

Sleep, My Love

as Barby

They Won't Believe Me

as Greta Ballentine

Susan Slept Here

as Dr. Rawley

The Naughty Nineties

as Bonita Farrow

All Mine to Give

as Katie Tyler

Edison, the Man

as Mary Stilwell

My Friend Flicka

as Nell McLaughlin