| Tor Johnson | |
|---|---|
Johnson in Plan 9 from Outer Space |
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| Born | Tor Johansson 19 October 1903 Sweden |
| Died | 21 May 1971 (aged 67) San Fernando, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Super Swedish Angel Thor Johnson |
| Occupation | Wrestler, actor |
| Years active | 1934–1961 |
Tor Johansson (19 October 1903 – 12 May 1971), better known by the stage name Tor Johnson, was a Swedish professional wrestler (billed as The Super Swedish Angel) and actor.[1]
He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in a number of B-movies, including police inspector turned zombie Daniel Clay in Plan 9 from Outer Space and playing the role of a recurring lab assistant often named "Lobo".
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Tor Johansson was born in Sweden, the son of Karl J. Johansson and Lovisa Petersson. He was a large man, weighing 400 pounds (181 kg) at his biggest. He had a full head of blond hair, but he shaved it to maintain an imposing, villainous appearance in wrestling and acting appearances. He began getting bit parts in movies upon his move to California - usually as the strongman or weightlifter - as early as 1934. His film career ended in the early 1960s after appearing in a string of poorly-rated movies. However, he continued to make appearances on television and made a number of commercials. Due to his work in early B-horror movies, Tor developed a small but enthusiastic cult following after his death in 1971. To this day, he is considered a horror icon.
A number of Johnson's peers had commented that he was a very friendly man and easy to work with on movie sets. Valda Hansen, who worked with Johnson in the 1959 movie Night of the Ghouls said that "Tor was like a big sugar bun." Johnson befriended Bela Lugosi during the time both worked with director Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Johnson died on 12 May 1971 at the San Fernando Valley Hospital in San Fernando, California, from heart failure, at the age of 67. He was buried at the Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall, California.
Since his death, Johnson has amassed a cult following due in part to his appearances in the comics of Drew Friedman. Johnson made many appearances in these comics, all of which depicted Johnson acting like his hulking moron movie persona in real life.
A Tor Johnson Halloween mask was created and sold by famous Hollywood maskmaker Don Post. This same mask, with an eyepatch, was later used by wrestler Duke Myers to compete as the Colossus of Death, acting as Andy Kaufman's henchman during Kaufman's feud with Memphis wrestling mainstay Jerry Lawler.
George "The Animal" Steele portrayed Johnson in Tim Burton's biopic about cult director Edward D. Wood, Jr..
Tor currently maintains a Google+ page as Tor Johnson
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1934 | Registered Nurse | Sonnevich | Uncredited |
| Kid Millions | Torturer | ||
| 1935 | Man on the Flying Trapeze | Tosoff | |
| 1936 | Under Two Flags | Bidou | |
| 1941 | Shadow of the Thin Man | Jack the Ripper | |
| 1943 | The Meanest Man in the World | Vladimir Pulasky | |
| Swing Out the Blues | Weightlifter | ||
| 1944 | Ghost Catchers | Mug | |
| The Canterville Ghost | Bold Sir Guy | ||
| Lost in a Harem | Majordomo | ||
| 1945 | Sudan | Slaver | |
| 1947 | Road to Rio | Sandor | |
| 1948 | State of the Union | Wrestler | |
| Behind Locked Doors | The Champ | ||
| 1950 | Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion | Abou Ben | |
| The Reformer and the Redhead | Guest at Finnish-American Rally | Uncredited | |
| 1951 | The Lemon Drop Kid | Super Swedish Angel | |
| Dear Brat | Uncredited | ||
| Angels in the Outfield | Wrestler on TV | ||
| 1952 | The San Francisco Story | Buck | |
| Lady in the Iron Mask | Renac | Uncredited | |
| 1953 | Houdini | Strong man | |
| 1955 | Bride of the Monster | Lobo | Alternative title: Bride of the Atom |
| 1956 | Carousel | Strongman | Uncredited |
| The Black Sleep | Mr. Curry | Alternative title: Dr. Cadman's Secret | |
| 1957 | Journey to Freedom | Giant Turk | |
| The Unearthly | Lobo | ||
| 1959 | Night of the Ghouls | Alternative title: Revenge of the Dead | |
| Plan 9 from Outer Space | Inspector Daniel Clay | Former title: Grave Robbers from Outer Space | |
| 1961 | The Beast of Yucca Flats | Joseph Javorsky/The Beast | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1953–1954 | You Are There | 2 episodes | |
| 1954 | General Electric Theater | Bald-headed Man | 1 episode |
| Rocky Jones, Space Ranger | Naboro | ||
| 1956 | The Adventures of Hiram Holliday | Bandini the Strongman | |
| 1959 | Adventures in Paradise | ||
| 1960 | Peter Gunn | Bruno | |
| Bonanza | Busthead Brannigan | ||
| 1961 | Shirley Temple's Storybook | Strong Man | |
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