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Posted: |
Jan 16, 2014 - 10:42 PM
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By: |
gone
(Member)
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Besides being professor of everyone's favorite island...
"After high school, in the midst of World War II, Johnson joined the United States Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He flew 44 combat missions as a bombardier in B-25 Mitchell twin-engine medium bombers. While flying as a navigator in a B-25 with the 100th Bombardment Squadron, his plane and two other B-25s were shot down in the Philippines in March 1945. The planes were hit by intense flak and had to ditch in the waters off the port of Zamboanga. During the ditching, he broke both his ankles and the radioman next to him was killed. Johnson earned a Purple Heart for this mission. He was also awarded the Air Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three service stars, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one service star, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged with the rank of first lieutenant on November 22, 1945. He then joined the Army Reserve and used the GI Bill to fund his acting studies at the Actors Lab in Hollywood.[1] At acting school, he met actress Kay Levey; they married on July 23, 1949."
... he was a brave WWII airman as well. Thanks Mr Johnson!
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Posted: |
Jan 17, 2014 - 6:34 AM
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By: |
jackfu
(Member)
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Rarely does the passing of a celebrity make me want to weep. This is definitely one. Having grown up watching GI on its first run, then for years in syndication, he almost seemed like family. He wrote a great book, “Here On Gilligan’s Isle” with some very touching and humorous anecdotes. He had a great acting career and was very good at playing bad guys. He particularly enjoyed the dream sequence episodes on GI and got to display his talents in a vast array of characters. My all-time favorite line from GI was from the dream sequence in “V For Vitamins” when he portrays the old beggar in the dungeon and claims he’s really a prince and needs a kiss from Mary Ann to change him back. After she kisses him nothing happens and she says “Aww, you’re not a prince.”. He says “No, I’m not am I?”. Then, “Well don’t believe everything ya hear, girlie!”.
It’s sad that they all did such good jobs of acting on GI that people could never see them as any other characters.
And I would wager that Russell Johnson as The Professor inspired thousands of young folks to study science. What an honor that is!
Thank you, Russell Johnson, for touching our lives thru your work!
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Rarely does the passing of a celebrity make me want to weep. This is definitely one. Having grown up watching GI on its first run, then for years in syndication, he almost seemed like family. He wrote a great book, “Here On Gilligan’s Isle” with some very touching and humorous anecdotes. He had a great acting career and was very good at playing bad guys. He particularly enjoyed the dream sequence episodes on GI and got to display his talents in a vast array of characters. My all-time favorite line from GI was from the dream sequence in “V For Vitamins” when he portrays the old beggar in the dungeon and claims he’s really a prince and needs a kiss from Mary Ann to change him back. After she kisses him nothing happens and she says “Aww, you’re not a prince.”. He says “No, I’m not am I?”. Then, “Well don’t believe everything ya hear, girlie!”.
It’s sad that they all did such good jobs of acting on GI that people could never see them as any other characters.
And I would wager that Russell Johnson as The Professor inspired thousands of young folks to study science. What an honor that is!
Thank you, Russell Johnson, for touching our lives thru your work!
I second that.
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