The Of all the actors to play Johnny Dollar, the man with the action-packed expense

account, only one shared his name. John Lund was born in Rochester, New York

on February 6, 1911, one of six children born

to a Norwegian immigrant in Glassblower.

Though he'd appeared in some amateur theatrical productions in Rochester, London embarked on a career in advertising.

But even as he worked in the field, he hadn't shaken off the acting bug, and he continued to take on small gigs acting on and

writing for radio. One of his early credits was as the title character in

Chaplin Jim a World War II era program dramatizing Army life.

Next came appearances on Broadway in some Shakespearean productions,

and his turn in the 1945 play The Hastie Heart led to a film contract with Paramount Pictures.

It was these early years in Hollywood where Lund was at the height of his career.

He played father and son opposite Olivia de Haviland's

Oscar-winning performance in to each his own. His good looks served him in roles as romantic

interests for actresses like Marlina Dietrich, Barbara Stanwick, Jean Tierney, and

Jane Arthur. By the early 1950s, however, Lun's popularity as a leading man had dwindled and dwindled quickly as he only arrived in

Hollywood a few years earlier. Those performances had been well received, but none had

catapulted him into stardom.

Lund began to work more in radio, appearing frequently on escape,

suspense, the Lux Radio Theater, and more.

But his most memorable radio role would come in 1952 when he was tapped to succeed another big screen

star as Johnny Dollar.

Lund was taking over the role from Edmund O'Brien and Lund's first outing in the series

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