Tor Johnson

(as pro wrestler, aka "King Kong" and "The Super Swedish Angel")
October 19, 1903 - May 12, 1971
Born Tor Johansson in Sweden

See Internet Movie Database Filmography

A Few Favorite Memories of Tor Johnson

• As one of the (uncredited) torturers threatening Eddie Cantor in Kid Millions (1934).
  
  
• As "Tosoff the Russian Behemoth," the bearded wrestler tossed out of the ring and landing on W.C. Fields in The Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935).
  
  
• As a pro wrestler entertaining detectives Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) in the sports-oriented comedy/mystery Shadow of the Thin Man (1941).
  
  
• As "Vladimir Pulasky," tackling Jack Benny and speaking the final line in The Meanest Man in the World (1943).
  
  
• As "Sir Guy," the gargantuan armor-plated opponent challenging terrified Charles Laughton to joust in The Canterville Ghost (1944).
  
  
• As "Majordomo" (uncredited) in the Bud Abbott and Lou Costello comedy Lost in a Harem (1944).
  
  
• As "Samson," a circus strongman, in the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby comedy Road To Rio (1947).
  
  
• As "The Champ," a dangerous patient threatening investigative reporter Richard Carlson in a private sanitarium Behind Locked Doors (1948).
  
  
• In an uncredited bit as a wrestler in Frank Capra's State of the Union, one of the best of the fine films starring Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn (1948).
  
  
• In his wrestling persona, the "Super Swedish Angel," joining the fun in a free-for-all grappling melee in Republic's starring vehicle for popular wrestler "Gorgeous George," Alias the Champ (1949).
  
  
• As "Abou Ben" one of a pair of hulking guards in Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950).
  
  
• As the "Super Swedish Angel" again, helping Bob Hope pull off a kind-hearted scam in The Lemon Drop Kid (1951).
  
  
• As statuesque, iconic "Lobo," puttering around the lab of mad Doctor Vornoff (Bela Lugosi) in Edward D. Wood Jr.'s groundbreaking Bride of the Monster (1955).
  
  
• As "Mr. Curry," one of the botched medical experiments of mad Doctor Cadman (Basil Rathbone) in The Black Sleep (1956). His pre-lobotomy prop portrait has hair!
  
  
• Further exploring the amorous side of "Lobo" as a henchman of mad Doctor Conway (John Carradine) in The Unearthly (1957).
  
  
• As "Inspector Clay," killed by zombies and rising from the grave to be Vampira's sidekick in Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959).
  
  
• As "Lobo" again, assisting B-movie "dog heavy" Kenne Duncan (as "Dr. Acula") in Ed Wood's Night of the Ghouls (1959).
  
  
• As defecting Russian scientist "Joseph Javorsky," transformed by an Atomic blast into The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961).
  
  
• As himself, trading quips with Groucho Marx and testing his knowledge of classic mythology on the TV quiz show You Bet Your Life (195?).
  
  
• As a mindless hulk menacing TV gumshoe Peter Gunn in the third season (195?).
  
  
• As "Busthead Brannigan," boxfight champion of the whole Barbary Coast, losing a match with Hoss Cartwright in the "San Francisco" episode of the TV western Bonanza (196?).
  
  
• As the subject of many hilarious comic strips by Drew Friedman.
  
  
• As a character in Tim Burton's Ed Wood (1994), brought to sweaty, magnificent life by pro wrestler George "The Animal" Steele.
  
  
• As the subject of Don Post's long-time best-selling over-the-head Tor Johnson mask — a perennial classic!

Last revised May 9 2021 by George "E-gor" Chastain.

Maintained by George "E-gor" Chastain (e-mail: egorschamber@gmail.com)