Ben Johnson Goes to Hollywood

Howard Hughes is credited with bringing Ben Johnson out to Hollywood from Oklahoma in the late 1930s and introducing him to director John Ford. An excellent horseman, Ben found work as a stunt man during the 1940s where he caught the eye of director John Ford.  When the legendary director was filming “Fort Apache” in 1948 he hired Ben as a stunt man and double for Henry Fonda. During the filming horses pulling a wagon with three actors on board stampeded. Ben rode after the team and saved t