An AllAmerican halfback while attending the University of Alabama Johnny Mack Brown chose the silver screen over the green grass of the football field when he graduated Signed to a contract with MGM in 1926 Brown debuted in Slide Kelly Slide 1927 with William Haines in a film about baseball This was followed by The Bugle Call 1927 which starred the fading Jackie Coogan In 1928 he appeared in the last Norma Shearer silent film A Lady of Chance 1928 After that he worked with Greta Garbo Marion Davies and Mary Pickford His muscular good looks only carried him so far in films however and by 1930 he had yet to find his place At MGM Clark Gable was taking the roles that Brown was up for so he went into a western for director King Vidor Billy the Kid 1930 While Vidor did not want him for the part to begin with the picture was successful however Browns career at MGM soon ended By 1933 he was still making westerns but they were for lowrung studios like Mascot More westerns at even lowerrung Supreme Pictures followed as well as serials like Wild West Days 1937 at Universal In 1943 Brown took his boots over to Monogram Pictures where he made over 60 westerns He started off as Nevada Jack McKenzie in the Rough Riders series but the name soon changed to Johnny As with most of the early cowboy stars he was a hero to millions of young children and consistently among the top ten moneymakers in westerns from 194250 The bubble burst though just as it did for Allan Lane in 1953 as the days of the B western came to an end
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