For years I had been sitting on a signed photo of Johnny Crawford. It was a great shot of him with his TV father from the classic western series The Rifleman. It was a show that my Dad had gotten me into at a young age, and one I have long hoped to have a re-acquaintance with. That is now possible since the first season has been released on DVD. But I have had a remarkable time trying actually meet up with Johnny Crawford himself. Although he was making appearances, they were always at shows that I wasn’t attending…or they were at shows I was, but he cancelled. Remarkably, he also often met with Dick Bann and crew at the Culver Hotel for Wednesday lunches, but he wasn’t at the one that I attended.
I was finally able to catch up with him on October 27, 2012, at the Chiller Theatre Show in Parsippany, New Jersey. I introduced myself talking about our mutual friend Dick – and the lunches at the Hotel – and then moved on to chatting about the classic era of film, mesmerizing him with my tale of owning Mildred Kornman’s autograph book, which featured an autograph of Jean Harlow, whom is featured on his CD’s back cover.
Yes, he makes music now – and it’s cool stuff. In fact, it’s a cool life he’s led in general. From The Rifleman to life as one of the original Walt Disney Mouseketeers to roles in Ed Dorado, The Donna Reed Show, Hawaii Five-O, Little House on the Prairie, Mister Ed, and Murder She Wrote, to the Oscar winning short subject The Resurrection of Broncho Billy to being the first naked man in Playboy Magazine.
We chatted for quite some time and even though I probably would have gotten a free photo with him, I went ahead and purchased his CD Sweepin’ the Clouds Away for $20. What a great enhancement to an otherwise fascinating life, leading a band playing the kind of music he loves…and we love.
Incidentally, although it took quite a while to get to finally meet Mr. Crawford, it took almost no time before I was meeting him for a second time. He also appearead at the Hollywood Show in Los Angeles on April 20, 2013, at which point we chatted about his horrible experience getting out of New Jersey at the Chiller show when the hurricane blew through. He was also nice enough to pose for a photo with Carolyn – as seen here. (And then I saw him a third time in Chicago that September, but left him alone).
It was cool to meet such a down-to-earth piece of living history, and one with some remarkably good taste. I hope that one day I can attend another of the Culver Hotel lunches and have more of a chance to chat with him in a more informal setting.
Celebrity encounters from the Fall 2012 Chiller Theatre Show will continue…
Johnny Crawford certainly is a nice guy, and as you say, very down-to-Earth. I enjoyed meeting him and his brother, Bobby Crawford, at the Memphis Film Festival a couple of years ago.
Dave Chasteen
September 22nd, 2014