Editing Tor Johnson

{{Short description|Swedish professional wrestler and actor (1903–1971)}}
{{confusion|Thor Johnson}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name                  = Tor Johnson
| image                 = Tor Johnson in The Beast of Yucca Flats (cropped).jpg
| imagesize             = 
| caption               = Johnson in ''[[The Beast of Yucca Flats]]'' (1961)
| birth_name            = Karl Erik Tore Johansson
| birth_date            = {{Birth date|1903|10|19|df=y}}
| birth_place           = [[Brännkyrka|Brännkyrka, Stockholms län, Sweden]]
| death_date            = {{death date and age|1971|5|12|1903|10|19|df=y}}
| death_place           = [[San Fernando, California]], U.S.
| resting_place         = Plot 177, [[List of cemeteries in California#Los Angeles County|Eternal Valley Memorial Park]], [[Newhall, Santa Clarita, California]]
| othername             = {{ubl|Super Swedish Angel|Thor Johnson|King Kong}}
| occupation            = [[Professional wrestling|Professional wrestler]], [[actor]]
| years_active          = 1934–1961
| spouse                = Greta Maria Alfrida Johansson
| children              = 1
}}

'''Karl Erik Tore Johansson''' (19 October 1903 – 12 May 1971), better known by the stage name '''Tor Johnson''', was a Swedish professional wrestler and actor. As an actor, Johnson appeared in many B-movies, including some famously directed by [[Ed Wood]]. In [[professional wrestling]], Johnson was billed as '''Thor Johnson''' and '''Super Swedish Angel'''.

==Early life==
Johnson was born on 19 October 1903 in [[Brännkyrka]], [[Stockholm County|Stockholms län]], [[Sweden]], the son of Karl Johan Johansson and Lovisa Kristina Pettersson. His death certificate and grave list 1903 as the year of his birth, contradicting published genealogy records.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://forum.genealogi.se/index.php?topic=76707.0 |title=Tor Johnson Genealogy |first=Elisabeth |last=Thorsell |website=Rötters Anbytarforum |language=Swedish |access-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:PlanNine 10.jpg|thumbnail|right|Johnson in ''[[Plan 9 from Outer Space]]'' (1957)]]
Johnson stood {{height|ft=6|in=3|abbr=no}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426363/bio|title=Tor Johnson|website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref> and weighed {{convert|440|lb|kg}} at his heaviest. He had a full head of blond hair, but shaved it to maintain an imposing and villainous appearance in his wrestling and acting work. He began getting [[bit part]]s in films upon moving to [[California]], usually as the strongman or weightlifter, as early as 1934. In the same year, Johnson was one of over 50 wrestlers who took part in a two-month [[Los Angeles]] tournament for California's version of the world title. His film career ended in the early 1960s, after he appeared in a string of low-budget, poorly-rated films. However, he continued to make appearances on television and made a number of commercials.<ref>{{cite book |title=Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930-1960 |url={{Google books|jqBllx5lyuwC|page=117|plainurl=yes}} |first=Lawrence |last=Raw |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2012 |pages=117–119 |isbn=978-0786444748}}</ref>

Tor Johnson used the ring name Super Swedish Angel to distinguish himself from Nils Phillip Olofsson who used the ring name Swedish Angel. The name was derived from wrestler [[Maurice Tillet]], known as The French Angel.

During his career as an actor, Johnson befriended director [[Ed Wood]], who directed him in a number of films, including ''[[Bride of the Monster]]'' and ''[[Plan 9 from Outer Space]]''; writing for [[Turner Classic Movies]], film critic Donald Liebenson described Johnson's performance in ''[[Plan 9 from Outer Space|Plan 9]]'' as "gonzo."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liebenson |first1=Donald |title=Plan 9 from Outer Space Lands in TCM Classic Film Festival! |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/86783/plan-9-from-outer-space#articles-reviews?articleId=021336 |website=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=Turner Classic Movies Inc. |access-date=2022-04-18}}</ref> Johnson was very friendly to work with; actress [[Valda Hansen]], who worked with Johnson in 1959's ''[[Night of the Ghouls]]'', described him as "like a big sugar bun."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comicsbeat.com/gift-guide-drew-friedmans-new-tor-johnson-print/ |title=Gift Guide: Drew Friedman's new Tor Johnson print |first=Heidi |last=MacDonald |author-link=Heidi MacDonald |website=ComicsBeat |date=23 November 2011}}</ref> During this period, Johnson appeared as a guest contestant on the quiz show ''[[You Bet Your Life]]'', during which he showed the show's host, [[Groucho Marx]], his "scariest face." Marx ran off the stage in mock terror, then returned and pleaded: "Don't make that face again!"

==Death and legacy==
Johnson died of [[heart failure]] in [[San Fernando, California]], at the age of 67 and<ref>{{cite book |title=Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling |url={{Google books|JyiSCgAAQBAJ|page=176|plainurl=yes}} |first=Harris M., III |last=Lentz |edition=2nd |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2003 |pages=176 |isbn=978-0786417544}}</ref> is buried at [[List of cemeteries in California#Los Angeles County|Eternal Valley Memorial Park]], in [[Santa Clarita, California]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Stephens |first=E.J. |date=5 April 2009 |title=Cinema history 'lives on' at Eternal Valley |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/335078499 |newspaper=The Signal |publisher=Ian Lamont |location=[[Santa Clarita, California]] |volume=93 |issue=95 |department=B |pages=1, 4 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Johnson was portrayed by wrestler [[George Steele|George "The Animal" Steele]] in [[Tim Burton]]'s film ''[[Ed Wood (film)|Ed Wood]]'' (1994).<ref>{{cite news |last=Sonnenberg |first=Maria |editor-last=Stover |editor-first=Bob |title=The Animal pins problems to the mat |date=27 July 2014 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/113534012/ |newspaper=Florida Today |publisher=Jeff Kiel |location=Cocoa, Florida |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |volume=49 |issue=133 |page=5E}}</ref>

Johnson was featured extensively in the early work of cartoonist [[Drew Friedman (cartoonist)|Drew Friedman]], where Johnson was depicted as "Tor", a slow-witted, white-eyed lummox based on Johnson's persona in Ed Wood's films.<ref name="FriedmanFriedman2012">{{cite book|last1=Friedman|first1=Drew|last2=Friedman|first2=Josh Alan|title=Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead is Purely Coincidental|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xegiDAAAQBAJ&pg=PP4|date=30 April 2012|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|isbn=978-1-60699-521-1|pages=4, 21–36}}</ref> The first of the one-page comics, "Tor Johnson at Home", was published in a 1981 issue of [[Robert Crumb]]'s ''[[Weirdo (comics)|Weirdo]]'',<ref>Friedman, Drew. "Tor Johnson at Home," ''Weirdo'' #4 ([[Last Gasp (publisher)|Last Gasp]], Feb. 1982).</ref> and the original artwork was purchased by television writer and producer [[Eddie Gorodetsky]].<ref name="Friedman2007">{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Drew|title=The Fun Never Stops!: An Anthology of Comic Art 1991–2006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ira2DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA17|date=1 January 2007|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|isbn=978-1-56097-840-4|page=17}}</ref>

A latex mask based on Johnson's face, sculpted by Pat Newman for [[Don Post]] Studios, is described as "the best-selling Halloween horror mask of the late 1960s-early 1970s".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw3638.htm |title = SCVHistory.com LW3638 {{!}} Film-Arts {{!}} Tor Johnson Latex Halloween Monster Mask, Don Post Studios 1977.}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1934
| ''[[Registered Nurse (film)|Registered Nurse]]''
| Sonnevich
| Uncredited<ref name="III2003">{{cite book|last=III|first=Harris M. Lentz|title=Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JyiSCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA176|date=1 January 2003|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-1754-4|page=176}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Kid Millions]]''
| Torturer
| Uncredited<ref name="Fetrow1992">{{cite book|last=Fetrow|first=Alan G.|title=Sound films, 1927-1939: a United States filmography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VYtZAAAAMAAJ|date=1 August 1992|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-89950-546-6|pages=331, 339}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1935
| ''Some Class''
| Tough Guy
| Short, Uncredited<ref>{{cite news |last=Alicoate |first=Chas A. |date=8 August 1935 |title=Short Shots |url=https://archive.org/stream/filmdailyvolume668newy#page/358 |newspaper=The Film Daily |publisher=John W. Alicoate |location=New York, N.Y. |volume=68 |issue=33 |page=11 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |editor-last=Kann |editor-first=Maurice |date=7 December 1935 |title=Short Subjects |url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai38unse_0#page/n575/ |newspaper=Motion Picture Daily |publisher=Martin Quigley |location=New York, N.Y. |volume=38 |issue=134 |page=4 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Man on the Flying Trapeze]]''
| Tosoff
| Uncredited<ref name="Fetrow1992"/>
|-
| 1936
| ''[[Under Two Flags (1936 film)|Under Two Flags]]''
| Bidou
| Uncredited
|-
| 1941
| ''[[Shadow of the Thin Man]]''
| Jack the Ripper (wrestler)
| Uncredited<ref name="KingHanson1999"/>
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Gentleman Jim (film)|Gentleman Jim]]''
| The Mauler
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1943
| ''[[The Meanest Man in the World]]''
| Vladimir Pulasky
| Uncredited<ref name="Fetrow1994">{{cite book|last=Fetrow|first=Alan G.|title=Feature Films, 1940-1949: A United States Filmography|url=https://archive.org/details/featurefilms19400000fetr|url-access=registration|date=1 January 1994|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-89950-914-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/featurefilms19400000fetr/page/302 302]}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Swing Out the Blues]]''
| Weightlifter
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1944
| ''[[Ghost Catchers]]''
| Mug
| Uncredited<ref name="DettmanBedford1976">{{cite book|last1=Dettman|first1=Bruce|last2=Bedford|first2=Michael|title=The Horror Factory: The Horror Films of Universal, 1931 to 1955|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=085ZAAAAMAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Gordon Press|isbn=978-0-87968-443-3|page=176}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[The Canterville Ghost (1944 film)|The Canterville Ghost]]''
| Bold Sir Guy
| Uncredited<ref name="Institute1999">{{cite book|last=Institute|first=American Film|title=The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures produced in the United States. Feature Films, 1941 - 1950|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fRY0QiacQccC&pg=PA367|volume=1: Film Entries, A - L|year=1999|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-21521-4|page=367}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Lost in a Harem]]''
| Majordomo
| Uncredited
|-
| 1945
| ''[[Sudan (film)|Sudan]]''
| Slaver
| Uncredited<ref name="KingHanson1999">{{cite book |editor-last=King Hanson |editor-first=Patricia |title=The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures: Feature Films, 1941-1950|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZkrAQAAMAAJ |year=1999 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley, California |volume=3: Film Entries M-Z|page=1952,2137|isbn=9780520215214 }}</ref>
|-
| 1947
| ''[[Road to Rio]]''
| Sandor
| Uncredited<ref name="Mielke1997">{{cite book|last=Mielke|first=Randall G.|title=Road to Box Office: The Seven Film Comedies of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, 1940-1962|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h4BZAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0-7864-0162-8|page=73}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1948
| ''[[State of the Union (film)|State of the Union]]''
| Wrestler
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Behind Locked Doors]]''
| The Champ
| Uncredited"<ref name="Freese2017"/>
|-
| 1949
| ''[[Alias the Champ]]''
| Super Swedish Angel
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1950
| ''[[The Reformer and the Redhead]]''
| Big Finnish man
| Uncredited<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=King Hanson |editor-first=Patricia |title=The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures: Feature Films, 1941-1950|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZkrAQAAMAAJ |volume=2: Film Entries M-Z |year=1999 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley, California |page=1952 |isbn=978-0520215214}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]''
| Abou Ben 
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1951
| ''[[The Lemon Drop Kid]]''
| Super Swedish Angel
|
|-
| ''[[Dear Brat]]''
|
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Angels in the Outfield (1951 film)|Angels in the Outfield]]''
| Wrestler On TV
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1952
| ''[[The San Francisco Story]]''
| Buck
| Uncredited<ref>{{cite news |editor-last=Wax |editor-first=Mo |date=5 May 1952 |title='The San Francisco Story' OK Gun & Fist Stuff |url=https://archive.org/stream/filmbulletin195220film#page/n247/ |newspaper=Film Bulletin |publisher=Mo Wax |volume=20 |issue=9 |page=8 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Lady in the Iron Mask]]''
| Renac
| Uncredited<ref>{{cite news |editor-last=Parsons |editor-first=Louella O. |date=16 November 1952 |title=The New Films |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/207013297/ |newspaper=The State Journal |publisher=Federated Publications |location=Lansing, Michigan |volume=98 |issue=202 |page=37 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Houdini (1953 film)|Houdini]]''
| Strong Man
| Uncredited<ref name="Fetrow1999">{{cite book|last=Fetrow|first=Alan G.|title=Feature Films, 1950-1959: A United States Filmography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0YpZAAAAMAAJ|year=1999|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-0427-8|page=191}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1955
| ''[[Bride of the Monster]]''
| Lobo
|
|-
| ''[[You're Never Too Young]]''
| Train passenger
| Uncredited<ref name="NeibaurOkuda1995">{{cite book|last1=Neibaur|first1=James L.|last2=Okuda|first2=Ted|title=The Jerry Lewis films: an analytical filmography of the innovative comic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1nlZAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub|isbn=978-0-89950-961-7|page=92}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1956
| ''[[Carousel (film)|Carousel]]''
| Strongman
| Uncredited<ref name="Daniel1957">{{cite book |last=Daniel |first=Blum |title=Screen World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xjKh88s28boC&pg=PA32 |year=1969 |orig-year=1957 |publisher=Biblo & Tannen |location=New York, N.Y. |volume=8 |page=32 |isbn=0819602639}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[The Black Sleep]]''
| Mr. Curry
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1957
| ''[[Journey to Freedom (film)|Journey to Freedom]]''
| Giant Turk
|
|-
| ''[[The Unearthly]]''
| Lobo
| Johnson's character famously delivers the line, "Time for go to bed."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Tor Top Ten |url=http://www.bmonster.com/cult37.html |website=The Astounding B Monster |publisher=The Astounding B Monster |accessdate=2019-01-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mystery Science Theater 3000, Season 3 |url=https://www.quotes.net/show-quote/54907 |website=Quotes.net |publisher=STANDS4 LLC |accessdate=2019-01-02}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Plan 9 from Outer Space]]''
| Inspector Daniel Clay
|
|-
| 1959
| ''[[Night of the Ghouls]]''
| Lobo
|
|-
| 1961
| ''[[The Beast of Yucca Flats]]''
| Joseph Javorsky / The Beast
|
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Head_(film)|Head]]''
| Security guard
|}

===Television===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Series
! Role
! Episode
|-
| 1953–1954
| ''[[You Are There (series)|You Are There]]''
| 
| "The Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown"<ref>{{cite news |editor-last=Vaile |editor-first=Edward |date=27 December 1953 |title=Today's Best TV Programs Previewed |newspaper=The Des Moines Register |location=Des Moines, Iowa |volume=105 |issue=190 |department=Iowa TV Guide |page=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><br/>"The Surrender of Corregidor"<ref name="Gianakos1980">{{cite book|last=Gianakos|first=Larry James|title=Television Drama Series Programming: A Comprehensive Chronicle, 1947-1959|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ar1kAAAAMAAJ|date=1 January 1980|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-1330-4|page=359}}</ref>
|-
| 1954
| ''[[General Electric Theater]]''
| Bald Man
| "To Lift a Feather"<ref name="Lentz2001">{{cite book|last=Lentz|first=Harris M.|title=Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Television shows|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bWRZAAAAMAAJ|year=2001|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-0952-5|page=1845}}</ref>
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Rocky Jones, Space Ranger]]''
| Naboro 
|"Inferno in Space"<ref name="LucanioCoville1998">{{cite book|last1=Lucanio|first1=Patrick|last2=Coville|first2=Gary|title=American Science Fiction Television Series of the 1950s: Episode Guides and Casts and Credits for Twenty Shows|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=usFkAAAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-0434-6|page=171}}</ref>
|-
| 1956
| ''[[The Adventures of Hiram Holliday]]''
| Bandini the Strongman
| "Dancing Mouse"
|-
| 1959
| ''[[You Bet Your Life]]''
| Tor Johnson
| #59-11
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Adventures in Paradise (TV series)|Adventures in Paradise]]''
| Miko
| "Once Around the Circuit"<ref name="LeibfriedLane2010">{{cite book|last1=Leibfried|first1=Philip|last2=Lane|first2=Chei Mi|title=Anna May Wong: A Complete Guide to Her Film, Stage, Radio and Television Work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1UWeCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA169|date=17 August 2010|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-0932-4|page=169}}</ref><br />"The Lady From South Chicago"<ref name="Chan2007">{{cite book|last=Chan|first=Anthony B.|title=Perpetually Cool: The Many Lives of Anna May Wong (1905-1961)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CUJI-hFSGNIC&pg=PA294|date=8 February 2007|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-1-4616-7041-4|page=294}}</ref>
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Peter Gunn]]''
| Bruno
| "See No Evil"<ref name="Freese2017">{{cite book|last=Freese|first=Gene|title=Classic Movie Fight Scenes: 75 Years of Bare Knuckle Brawls, 1914–1989|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=79g1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA92|date=15 September 2017|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-2935-3|page=92}}</ref>
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Bonanza]]''
| Busthead Brannigan
| "San Francisco"<ref name="LeibyLeiby2012">{{cite book|last1=Leiby|first1=Bruce R.|last2=Leiby|first2=Linda F.|title=A Reference Guide to Television's Bonanza: Episodes, Personnel and Broadcast History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IzOSCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA38|date=31 May 2012|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-0075-8|page=38}}</ref>
|-
| 1961
| ''[[Shirley Temple's Storybook]]''
| The Strongman
| "[[Pippi Longstocking (1961 film)|Pippi Longstocking]]"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://insidepulse.com/2008/12/04/bride-of-the-monster-dvd-review/ |date=4 December 2008 |title=Bride of the Monster - DVD Review |last=Noyes |first=Mike |website=Inside Pulse}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|0426363}}
*{{Find a Grave|3574}}

{{Portal bar|Sweden|Los Angeles|Film|Television|Biography}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Tor}}
[[Category:1903 births]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Swedish male actors]]
[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Swedish emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Stockholm]]
[[Category:Swedish male film actors]]
[[Category:Swedish male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:Swedish male television actors]]