Claim to Fame: HMost famous for portraying Chuck Connors' son, Mark
McCain, on TV series "The Rifleman". He also sang and had a few hits.
Family Life:
Charlotte (1995 - present) - his high school
sweetheart whom he was reunited with in 1990.
Info: As a child, he began a TV career as one of Walt Disney's
original Mouseketeers. It wasn't long before he landed the role of Mark McCain
in ABC-TV's popular Western series, The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors.
Johnny's recordings of the songs, Cindy's Birthday, Rumors and
Patti Ann, just to name a few, are very well remembered to this day by teenaged
girls who "grew up" with him.
About The Mouseketeers: Johnny was only a Mousketeer for one year.
In
an interview he had this to say about leaving the club:
"It was a very sad day in my life. They dropped my option after the first
season, and I'm not sure exactly what the reason was, but I can make guesses.
One was that it took me too long to learn the dance steps, and I think that was
because I wasn't concentrating on learning the routines as much as I was on
watching Annette. But also, they felt that Cubby and Karen were a perfect team
and that those were there two small Mouseketeers that they were gonna con-centrate
on. When they dropped my option, that really broke my heart and I didn't have
any other prospects. I was a has-been at nine. I told my agent that I would have
worked at Disney's for nothing. That's when she told me that I was working for
them for nothing. She started sending me on interviews for other parts.
My being able to go in and say that I had just finished working
for a year as a Mouseketeer was to my benefit, because they
weren't many nine-year-olds who had experience in film. It gave me a certain
confidence that I hadn't had before and I started getting a few small parts."
Where Is
He Now: After spending two years on the New York
cocktail circuit singing in another man's band, Johnny formed
his own 16-piece, Los Angeles based 1920's orchestra in 1990.
The Johhny Crawford Dance Orchestra is now a fixture on the
local swing-dancing scene re-energized by the film, Swingers.
He's forsaken acting to forge a career and a business
around that era in American history. "It was such a wonderful
time," says Johnny. "There was a quality in almost everything
in those days - the clothes, the architecture, the furniture,
the cars and especially the music."
With his band he appeared monthly at the Hollywood Athletic Club
Most recently (Novemver 2004) He appeared in Las Vegas at The Fremont.
You can hear Johnny on the soundtrack of "Welcome to
Collinwood," starring George Clooney. He sings "Maybe It's
You" over the end credits.
Trivia: Was a Mousketeer.
Brother of Robert Crawford Jr.
Had a hit record in 1962 that peaked at #8 on Billboard's Top
40 Hit Chart called "Cindy's Birthday".
He learned how to ride and rope on The Rifleman set so he rode the professional
rodeo circuit for two years. He was then
drafted into the Army, where he spent two years making
training films.
There have been rumors that Johnny was the first full frontal
nude male in a major motion picture, but for what role or any
other information I have not been able to find out anything on.
CREDITS: The Thirteenth Floor (1999) .... Singer
Rupert Patterson Wants to be a Super Hero (1997) (TV)
Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) Mark McCain
Adventures of William Tell (1986) (TV).... Prince Ignatius
All American Cowboy (1985) (TV)
The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983) (TV).... Masket
The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1977).... Slim
The Shootist (1976)(uncredited) .... Books' victim in flashback
Sonic Boom (1974)
The Inbreaker (1974).... Chris MacRae
The Naked Ape (1973).... Lee
The Resurrection of Broncho Billy (1970).... Broncho Billy
El Dorado (1967) .... Luke MacDonald
The Restless Ones (1965).... David Winton
Village of the Giants (1965) .... Morsey
Indian Paint (1963) .... Nishko
The Space Children (1958) .... Ken Brewster
The Rifleman (1958)TV Series .... Mark McCain
Courage of Black Beauty (1957) .... Bobby Adams
The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) TV Series .... Johnny (1955-1956)
TV guest appearances
"Paradise" in episode: "A Gathering of Guns" (1990)
"Murder, She Wrote" playing "Deputy Noah Paisley" (1985)
"Little House on the Prairie", in episode: "The Hunters"
"The Big Valley" playing "Billy Norris" (1969)
"Hawaii Five-0" in episode: "By the Numbers"(1968)
"Lancer" in episode: "The Prodigal" (1968)
"Mr. Novak" in episode: "The Tender Twigs" (1965)
"Branded" (1965)
"Rawhide" playing "Aaron Bolt" (1965)
"Mr. Novak" in episode: "Let's Dig a Little Grammar" (1964)
"The Restless Gun" in episode: "Gratitude" (1958)
"Trackdown" in episode: "The Deal" (1958)
"Zane Grey Theater" playing "Mark McCain" (1958)
"Have Gun Will Travel" playing "Robbie Beecher" (1957)
"The Lone Ranger" playing "Tommy McQueen" (1956)
"Hopalong Cassidy" playing "Sid Michael" (1953)
"Hopalong Cassidy" playing "Frank Dale" (1952)
"Hopalong Cassidy" playing "Ross" (1952)
"The Roy Rogers Show" playing "Chick Dillon" (1952)
DISCOGRAPHY
Daydreams / So Goes The Story (1961)
Your Love Is Growling Cold / Treasure (1961)
Patti Ann / Donna (1962)
Cindy's Birthday / Something Special (1962)
Your Nose Is Gonna Grow / Mr Blue (1962)
Rumors / No One Really Loves A Clown (1962)
Proud / Lonesome Town (1963)
When I Fall In Love / Cry On My Shoulder (1963)
What Happened To Janie / Petite Chanson (1963)
Cindy's Gonna Cry / Debbie (1963)
Sandy / Ol' Shorty (1963)
Judy Loves Me / Living In The Past (1963)
The Girl Next Door / Sittin' And A-Watchin' (1964)
Am I Too Young? (with Bobby Fuller) / Janie Please Believe Me (1965)
Write to Johnny at:
Johnny Crawford
c/o Johnny Crawford Ent.
P.O. Box 1851 Los Angeles, CA 90078
Updated: 12/30/2004
n
an interview he had this to say about leaving the club:
