Volume III: Biographies

JOHNSON, Roswell J.

Cameraman (1913-1914)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Roswell J. Johnson was a cameraman for Thanhouser in 1913 and 1914.

Biographical Notes: Roswell J. Johnson was born in Auburn, New York and was educated at the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia. Early in his career he assayed placer gold and ore in Cape Nome, Alaska. Later, he went into cinematography, and by 1908 was with Vitagraph in Brooklyn, for whom he filmed Romeo and Juliette (sic). From Vitagraph he went to other studios, including IMP and American Biograph. During at least part of 1913 and 1914 he was with Thanhouser in New Rochelle. Later, he worked in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with the Peerless and other divisions of the World Film Corporation. Among his World credits is Woman and Wine, May 1915. The 1916 and 1918 editions of the Motion Picture News Studio Directory give his home address as Morsemere, New Jersey. He was the father of Roswell ("Buster") Johnson, a juvenile film actor who appeared in a series of "Buster" films for Lubin.

Thanhouser Filmography:

1914: A Seminary Consumed by Flames (3-4-1914), One Hour of Youth (4-12-1914), From the Flames (4-28-1914)

# # #