Johnny Sheffield

Johnny Sheffield

Born: April 11, 1931
Died: October 15, 2010
in Pasadena, California, USA
Johnny Sheffield (born John Matthew Sheffield Cassan) was an American child, teen, and young-adult actor, his screen career lasting from 1938 to 1955.

In 1938, Sheffield became a child star after he was cast in the juvenile lead of a West Coast production of the highly successful Broadway play On Borrowed Time, which starred Dudley Digges and featured Victor Moore as Gramps. Sheffield played the role of Pud, a long role for a child. He later went to New York as a replacement and performed the role on Broadway. The following year, his father read an article in The Hollywood Reporter that asked, "Have you a Tarzan Jr. in your backyard?" He believed he did and set up an interview. MGM was searching for a suitable youngster to play the adopted son of Tarzan in its next jungle movie with stars Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. When he was 5 years old, Sheffield was taken to an audition where Weissmuller chose him over more than 300 juvenile actors interviewed for the part of "Boy" in Tarzan Finds a Son. In that same year, Sheffield appeared in the Busby Berkeley movie musical Babes in Arms with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, classmates of his at the studio school.

He appeared with many other performers over the years, including Jeanette MacDonald, Pat O'Brien, Cesar Romero, Ronald Reagan and Beverly Garland. He played the childhood version of the title character in Knute Rockne, All American, perhaps the most prestigious film in which he had a role.

Sheffield played Boy in three Tarzan movies at MGM, and in another five after the star, Weissmuller, and production of the movie series moved to RKO. Brenda Joyce played Jane in the last three Tarzan movies in which Sheffield appeared.

After he outgrew the role of Boy, the teenaged Sheffield went on to star in his own jungle movie series for Allied Artists. In 1949, he made Bomba, the Jungle Boy with co-star Peggy Ann Garner. In all, he appeared as Bomba 12 times, more than any other character he portrayed. Sheffield appeared in his last movie, as Bomba, in 1955.

He then made a pilot for a television series, Bantu the Zebra Boy, which was created, produced and directed by his father, Reginald Sheffield. Although the production values were high compared to other TV jungle shows of the day, a sponsor was not found and the show was never produced as a weekly series.

Movies for Johnny Sheffield...

Charlie Chan's Lucky Director: H. Bruce Humberstone
Title: Charlie Chan's Lucky Director: H. Bruce Humberstone
Character: Self
Released: December 5, 2006
Type: Movie
Short documentary on Charlie Chan film series director H. Bruce Humberstone
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The One, the Only, the Real Tarzan
Title: The One, the Only, the Real Tarzan
Character: Himself
Released: August 22, 2004
Type: Movie
The One, The Only, The Real Tarzan is a compelling look at the turbulent life of Johnny Weissmuller, the Olympic champion who became the most famous Tarzan of the movies.
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Lord of the Jungle
Title: Lord of the Jungle
Character: Bomba
Released: June 12, 1955
Type: Movie
The jungle boy tries to stop a herd of rogue elephants.
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Killer Leopard
Title: Killer Leopard
Character: Bomba
Released: August 22, 1954
Type: Movie
Movie actress Linda Winters has gone into the jungle to find her lost husband Fred. Bomba the Jungle Boy helps in the rescue effort. A major obstacle facing them is a killer leopard which specializes in tearing people limb from limb.
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The Golden Idol
Title: The Golden Idol
Character: Bomba
Released: January 10, 1954
Type: Movie
Prince Ali wants the Golden Idol of Watusi and hires a ruthless hunter to get it for him. Bomba has the idol and, with the help of Commissioner Barnes, Eli, and a beautiful archeologist, he foils Ali's plans.
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Safari Drums
Title: Safari Drums
Character: Bomba
Released: June 21, 1953
Type: Movie
A group of movie makers arrive in Africa to make a film about jungle wildlife.
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Bomba and the Jungle Girl
Title: Bomba and the Jungle Girl
Character: Bomba
Released: December 7, 1952
Type: Movie
Bomba decides to find out who his parents were. He starts with Cody Casson's diary and follows the trail to a native village. An ancient blind woman tells him his parents and the village's true ruler were murdered by the current chieftain and his daughter.
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African Treasure
Title: African Treasure
Character: Bomba
Released: May 6, 1952
Type: Movie
Against stock footage of lions, elephants and wildebeasts, Bomba the Jungle Boy captures a pair of nefarious diamond smugglers.
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Elephant Stampede
Title: Elephant Stampede
Character: Bomba
Released: October 28, 1951
Type: Movie
Bomba the jungle boy swings into action when an elephant herd is threatened by ivory hunters.
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The Lion Hunters
Title: The Lion Hunters
Character: Bomba
Released: March 25, 1951
Type: Movie
A lion trapper and his daughter rendezvous with their hardheaded partner in the African jungle. Bomba, with assistance from a local tribe, strives to run them off.
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Bomba and the Hidden City
Title: Bomba and the Hidden City
Character: Bomba
Released: September 24, 1950
Type: Movie
A nature photographer and his guide meet a corrupt emir with a dirty secret. Only jungle-dwelling Bomba knows the truth.
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The Lost Volcano
Title: The Lost Volcano
Character: Bomba
Released: June 25, 1950
Type: Movie
Little David Gordon lives in the jungle with his parents Ruth and Fred, along with their servant Nona. David likes living there while his father captures wild animals; he's made friends with Bomba the jungle boy, who has shown him a great deal about life in the jungle. One day two adventurers come looking for ancient treasure in the shadow of a live volcano.
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Bomba on Panther Island
Title: Bomba on Panther Island
Character: Bomba
Released: December 18, 1949
Type: Movie
In this second film in the Bomba, the Jungle Boy series, Bomba tracks a dangerous panther.
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Bomba, the Jungle Boy
Title: Bomba, the Jungle Boy
Character: Bomba
Released: March 20, 1949
Type: Movie
George Harland and his daughter Pat are photographers who discover a wild boy in the jungle. When Pat becomes lost, Bomba brings her back, overcoming plagues of locusts, forest fires and fierce wild animals.
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Tarzan and the Huntress
Title: Tarzan and the Huntress
Character: Boy
Released: April 5, 1947
Type: Movie
A shortage of zoo animals after World War II brings beautiful animal trainer Tanya, her financial backer and her cruel trail boss to the jungle. After negotiating a quota with the native king, they take more animals than allowed. Tarzan intervenes.
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Tarzan and the Leopard Woman
Title: Tarzan and the Leopard Woman
Character: Boy
Released: February 18, 1946
Type: Movie
A tribe devoted to the leopard cult is dedicated to preventing civilization from moving further into Africa.
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Tarzan and the Amazons
Title: Tarzan and the Amazons
Character: Boy
Released: April 29, 1945
Type: Movie
A group of archaeologists asks Tarzan to help them find an ancient city in a hidden valley of women. He refuses, but Boy is tricked into doing the job. The queen of the women asks Tarzan to help them.
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Tarzan's Desert Mystery
Title: Tarzan's Desert Mystery
Character: Boy
Released: December 26, 1943
Type: Movie
A letter from Jane, who is nursing British troops, asks Tarzan's help in obtaining a malaria serum extractable from jungle plants. Tarzan and Boy set out across the desert looking for the plants. Along the way they befriend a stranded American lady magician.
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Tarzan Triumphs
Title: Tarzan Triumphs
Character: Boy
Released: January 20, 1943
Type: Movie
Zandra, white princess of a lost civilization, comes to Tarzan for help when Nazis invade the jungle with plans to conquer her people and take their wealth. Tarzan, the isolationist, becomes involved after the Nazis shoot at him and capture Boy: "Now Tarzan make war!"
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Tarzan's New York Adventure
Title: Tarzan's New York Adventure
Character: Boy
Released: May 1, 1942
Type: Movie
Circus owner Buck Rand kidnaps Boy to perform in his show. He forces a pilot to fly him, Boy and his animal trainer out of the jungle. Tarzan and Jane follow them to New York.
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Tarzan's Secret Treasure
Title: Tarzan's Secret Treasure
Character: Boy
Released: December 1, 1941
Type: Movie
A scientific expedition happens to discover that gold exists on Tarzan's escarpment. The villainous Medford and Vandermeer kidnap Jane and Boy to extort from Tarzan the location of the gold.
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Million Dollar Baby
Title: Million Dollar Baby
Character: Alvie Grayson
Released: May 31, 1941
Type: Movie
A sudden windfall has unexpected consequences on a working class girl during the Great Depression.
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Knute Rockne All American
Title: Knute Rockne All American
Character: Knute - Age 7
Released: October 5, 1940
Type: Movie
The story of legendary Notre Dame football player and coach Knute Rockne.
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Lucky Cisco Kid
Title: Lucky Cisco Kid
Character: Tommy Lawrence
Released: June 28, 1940
Type: Movie
Cisco and Gordito arrive to find there is an outlaw operating in the area who is assumed to be the Cisco Kid. When a reward is offered for his capture and a large shipment of money goes out, Cisco is on hand. Seeing the gang rob the stage he goes after them only to be wounded. The gang leader leaves Cisco's handkerchief at the scene and now he is wanted for the murder he tried to break up.
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Little Orvie
Title: Little Orvie
Character: Orvie Stone
Released: March 11, 1940
Type: Movie
Family film, based on a Booth Tarkington tale, about a young boy who takes extreme measures to keep the stray dog he befriends.
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Babes in Arms
Title: Babes in Arms
Character: Bobs (as John Sheffield)
Released: October 10, 1939
Type: Movie
Mickey Moran, son of two vaudeville veterans, decides to put up his own vaudeville show with his girlfriend Patsy Barton. But child actress Rosalie wants to make a comeback and replace Patsy both professionally and as Mickey's girl.
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Tarzan Finds a Son!
Title: Tarzan Finds a Son!
Character: Boy
Released: June 16, 1939
Type: Movie
A young couple die in a plane crash in the jungle. Their son is found by Tarzan and Jane who name him Boy and raise him as their own. Five years later a search party comes to find the young heir to millions of dollars. Jane agrees, against Tarzan's will, to lead them to civilization.
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The Man on the Rock
Title: The Man on the Rock
Character: Napoleon's Son (uncredited)
Released: September 3, 1938
Type: Movie
A look at whether Napoleon Bonaparte indeed died on the island of St. Helena in 1821.