Erskine Johnson (December 14, 1910 - June 14, 1984) was a Hollywood gossip columnist who worked for the Hearst newspaper chain[1] and appeared on the radio and in motion pictures.[2]

Career

His column "Hollywood Notes"[3] was syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

Johnson was the source of Groucho Marx's famous quote, “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members.” Johnson published the remark in his column of 20 October 1949, claiming it came from Marx's resignation letter to the Friars Club. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Johnson hosted a TV series about Hollywood called Erskine Johnson's Hollywood Reel which aired on Paramount Television Network's flagship station KTLA. It was syndicated to other markets, including Washington, D. C., and Buffalo.[4] On November 14, 1949, Johnson began a program on WOR radio three afternoons per week.[5]

Between 1937 and 1960, Johnson appeared in eight movies and two TV series, mostly as himself or as a reporter. His most memorable screen appearance was in the 1947 comedic mystery The Corpse Came C.O.D. in which he had a cameo as himself with many of his rival gossip columnists.

References

  1. ^ Barbas, Samantha (2005). The First Lady of Hollywood: A Biography of Louella Parsons. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0520242135.
  2. ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. p. 232. ISBN 0-19-507678-8. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  3. ^ Johnson, Erskine (25 March 1963). "Hollywood Notes". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Film Report". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. September 28, 1952. p. 7. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "Radio and Television: C. B. S. Video Network to Offer Tuesdays 'Actor's Studio,' Dropped by A. B. C.". The New York Times. October 29, 1949. p. 28. Retrieved June 16, 2022.

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