Gerry Johnson
Gerry Johnson (April 4, 1918 - January 24, 1990) was an American actress and television host, best known as the voice of Betty Rubble during seasons five and six of the animated television series The Flintstones.
Gerry Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Geraldine Adelaide Schreiber April 4, 1918 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 24, 1990 (aged 71) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, television host |
| Years active | 1950s–1967 |
Early life
Geraldine Adelaide Schreiber was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.[1] Johnson was a native of Los Angeles[2] whose study of drama began when she was six years old. She won contests in drama at Madame Gordon's School for Girls and Beverly Hills High School and won the California Shakespearean Award.[3] She graduated from Stanford University,[2] where she majored in speech and drama.[3]
Career
Among her many stage, TV, and screen credits, Johnson created and hosted her own TV variety show in Dallas, Texas, Gerry Johnson's Variety Fair in the 1950s[3] and played Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest and several characters in Under Milk Wood in the opening season of the Dallas Theater Center. While she worked in Dallas, TV Guide selected her as the winner of its Outstanding TV Personality in the Southwest award.[1] After moving back to Los Angeles in 1961, she co-hosted on Red Rowe's Panorama Pacific.[2]
Johnson provided voices for The Flintstones and other Hanna-Barbera productions, and guest-starred on Bewitched. In 1964, she was hired by Joseph Barbera as the new voice of Betty Rubble for the final two seasons of The Flintstones, replacing Bea Benaderet who left the series[1] due to scheduling conflicts while she was starring in the series Petticoat Junction Johnson provided the voice of a Frenchwoman, an Englishwoman and Betty in the 1966 feature film The Man Called Flintstone before departing from voice acting.[4]
Personal life
Johnson was married to Warren Johnson, who worked in public relations for Taylor Publishing Company. They had two children.[3]
Filmography
- My Dog, Buddy (1960) - Elizabeth Lynch
- Bewitched - episode (1964) - A Vision of Sugar Plums - Mrs. Johnson
- The Flintstones - 52 episodes (1964-1966) - Betty Rubble/additional voices
- The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show (1965) - Additional Voices
- The Man Called Flintstone (1966) - Betty Rubble
References
- Reed, Ollie Jr. (April 12, 1986). "Betty's voice: It's a laughing matter". The Albuquerque Tribune. p. TV-23. Retrieved July 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Garber, Arlene (July 12, 1961). "TV Weekday Hostess Is Weekend Mother". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. p. 20. Retrieved July 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Gerry Johnson to Emcee Texan Show". Grand Prairie Daily News. March 1, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved July 13, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Recollection of her daughter, Sherry Spence (SLSpence), which may be confirmed by personal papers, including Spence's birth certificate, legal correspondence, Gerry Johnson's death certificate, and Gerry Johnson's resume.