|
|
Article: Oscar-Winning Actor Ben Johnson Dies at 77
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- April 10, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
Ben Johnson, 77, a champion rodeo performer whose convincing
portrayal of a straight-talking westerner led to roles in hundreds
of pictures and to the 1971 Academy Award for best supporting actor
for his work in "The Last Picture Show," died April 8 at a hospital
in Mesa, Ariz., after a heart attack.
Mr. Johnson won his Oscar for his portrayal of Sam the Lion,
the owner of the pool hall and the movie theater in "The Last
Picture Show," Larry McMurtry's study of life in a small Texas town
during the 1950s.
The rite-of-passage movie, which made a star of Cybill
Shepherd (who later married the film's director, Peter Bogdanovich),
saw Mr. Johnson beat fellow cast member Jeff Bridges ...