Johnny Sands

Johnny Sands (born Elbert Harp Jr., April 29, 1928 – December 30, 2003) was an American film and television actor. He worked in over a dozen films, and on television, before he retired from show business in 1971. He then worked as a real estate agent in Hawaii, until retiring in 1991.[1]

Johnny Sands
Sands in The Admiral Was a Lady, 1950
Born
Elbert Harp Jr.

(1928-04-29)April 29, 1928
DiedDecember 30, 2003(2003-12-30) (aged 75)
Ainaloa, Hawaii, U.S.
OccupationActor, real estate agent
Years active1946–1971 as actor, 1971-1991 as real estate agent
Spouse(s)
Sue Allen
(m. 1947; div. 1947)

Donella B. Clementini
(m. 1962)

Early years

Sands was born in Lorenzo, Texas.[2][1] When he was 13, he went to Hollywood to work as an usher in a theater.[3]

Career

Discovered by a talent scout on his way to the beach, he chose his professional name for his love of sand and surf.[2]

Sands' screen debut was in Affairs of Geraldine (1946).[3] He is perhaps best remembered for his role in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), with Shirley Temple, Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, as Shirley Temple's boyfriend, Jerry White;[2] as well as the title character in Aladdin and His Lamp (1952).

He also appeared in The Stranger (1946), with Orson Welles, Loretta Young, and Edward G. Robinson; and, Till the End of Time (1946), with Guy Madison, Robert Mitchum and Dorothy McGuire.

A popular actor who worked in over a dozen films, as well as television shows such as Perry Mason, with Raymond Burr, he continued to receive fan mail for the rest of his life.

Sands eventually left acting and moved to Hawaii, launching a career in real estate.[3]

Personal life

Sands was married twice, first to Sue Allen in 1947, but it lasted only six months.[2] He had two children, Michael and Marco, with Donella B. Clementini, (m. September 12, 1962 – December 30, 2003, until his death); and a daughter, Catherine Browning, from a previous marriage.

Death

Sands died on December 30, 2003, at his home in Ainaloa, Hawaii.[3]

Filmography

A partial list of feature film roles:

Year Title Role Notes
1946The StrangerJogging Student in WoodsUncredited
1946Till the End of TimeTommy
1946Affairs of GeraldineDanny
1947Born to SpeedJohnny Randall
1947Blaze of NoonKeith McDonald
1947The Bachelor and the Bobby-SoxerJerry White
1947The Fabulous TexanBud Clayton
1949Adventure in BaltimoreGene Sheldon
1949Massacre RiverRandy Reid
1950The LawlessJoe Ferguson
1950The Admiral Was a LadyEddie Hoff
1950Two Flags WestLt. Adams
1951Target UnknownSgt. Frank Crawford
1951The Basketball FixJed Black
1952Aladdin and His LampAladdin
1953Jungle Drums of AfricaBert HadleySerial
1953Sabre JetSgt. Cosgrove(final film role)

References

  1. "Johnny Sands, 76; Actor Began Career in Hollywood as Usher". The Los Angeles Times. January 14, 2004. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  2. Wagner, Laura (Fall 2016). "Johnny Sands: Bobby-Soxer Boyfriend". Films of the Golden Age (86): 73–74.
  3. Lentz, Harris M. III (2004). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2003: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. p. 347. ISBN 9780786417568. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
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