# Rita Johnson

Rita Ann Johnson (August 13, 1913 – October 31, 1965) was an American actress.

## Early years

Johnson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of a single mother, Lillian Johnson.
She worked as a waitress in her mother's lunchroom and sold hot dogs on the Boston-Worcester turnpike. She later attended the New England Conservatory of Music.

## Career

Early in her career, Johnson was busy in radio. "By 1936 she... was appearing in ten radio shows a week." She played the leading role in Joyce Jordan, M.D..
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." It 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.

## Personal life

Johnson was married to businessman L. Stanley Kahn. They were granted a divorce on June 29, 1943. She was married to Edwin Hutzler from 1943 to 1946, when they were divorced. A Democrat, she supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election. She was a practicing Roman Catholic.
Johnson suffered from alcoholism. She died of a brain hemorrhage on October 31, 1965, at age 52.

## Partial filmography

* London by Night (1937) – Patricia Herrick
* My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937) – Ellen Warfield
* Man-Proof (1938) – Florence
* Letter of Introduction (1938) – Honey
* Smashing the Rackets (1938) – Letty Lane
* Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938) – Sally Harrison
* The Girl Downstairs (1938) – Rosalind Brown
* Honolulu (1939) – Cecelia Grayson
* Within the Law (1939) – Agnes
* Broadway Serenade (1939) – Judith Tyrrell
* 6,000 Enemies (1939) – Anne Barry
* Stronger Than Desire (1939) – Barbara Winter
* They All Come Out (1939) – Kitty Carson
* Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939) – Lou Farnsby
* Congo Maisie (1940) – Kay McWade
* The Golden Fleecing (1940) – Marian Edwards
* Edison, the Man (1940) – Mary Stilwell
* Forty Little Mothers (1940) – Mary Blake
* Maisie Was a Lady (1941) – Minor Role (scenes deleted)
* Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) – Julia Farnsworth
* Appointment for Love (1941) – Nancy Benson
* The Major and the Minor (1942) – Pamela Hill
* My Friend Flicka (1943) – Nell McLaughlin
* The Affairs of Susan (1945) – Mona Kent
* Thunderhead, Son of Flicka (1945) – Nelle McLaughlin
* The Naughty Nineties (1945) – Bonita Farrow
* Pardon My Past (1945) – Mary Pemberton
* The Perfect Marriage (1947) – Mabel Manning
* The Michigan Kid (1947) – Sue Dawson
* They Won't Believe Me (1947) – Greta Ballentine
* Sleep, My Love (1948) – Barby
* The Big Clock (1948) – Pauline York
* An Innocent Affair (1948) – Eve Lawrence
* Family Honeymoon (1948) – Minna Fenster
* The Second Face (1950) – Claire Elwood
* Susan Slept Here (1954) – Dr. Rawley, Harvey's Shrink
* Emergency Hospital (1956) – Head Nurse Norma Mullin
* All Mine to Give (1957) – Katie Tyler (final film role)

## Radio appearances

| Year | Program | Episode/source |
| 1943 | Lux Radio Theatre | My Friend Flicka |
| 1952 | Family Theater | The Crossroads of Christmas |