John Lester Johnson: Movies & Box Office

John Lester Johnson, born John Leslie Johnson on August 13, 1893, in Suffolk, Virginia, was an American professional boxer and actor whose multifaceted career spanned the early to mid-20th century. One of eleven children, Johnson served his country with distinction during World War I as a member of the 367th Infantry, a renowned Buffalo Soldier outfit of the United States Army. His boxing career, which endured from 1912 to 1929, established him as a formidable competitor in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, amassing a professional record of 39 wins, 29 losses, and 6 draws, with 23 victories coming by way of knockout. Johnson's most famous bout occurred in 1916 when he faced future world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey to a ten-round draw, a grueling match in which Dempsey suffered several broken ribs and later candidly admitted that he believed Johnson had actually beaten him, stating, "I thought he licked me. I didn't know how to fight then and Johnson did." Throughout his pugilistic career, he squared off against numerous notable fighters including Joe Jeanette, Harry Wills, Kid Norfolk, and Bill Tate, cementing his reputation as a skilled, durable, and respected contender in the ring.

Transitioning to the entertainment industry, Johnson launched an acting career that remained active from 1922 until 1942, appearing in numerous films and establishing himself as a recognizable character actor during Hollywood's Golden Age. He is perhaps best remembered for his scene-stealing performance as Bumbo in the 1933 Our Gang comedy short The Kid From Borneo, where he portrayed a circus attraction billed as the "Wild Man from Borneo," garbed in elaborate tribal attire and repeatedly exclaiming "Yum Yum, eat 'em up!" while pursuing the children for their candy, creating a memorable, frenetic sequence that has endured in cinema history. His extensive filmography also includes appearances in Radio Patrol (1932), A Scream in the Night (1934), The Glory Trail (1936), Tarzan's Revenge (1938), and Mr. Washington Goes to Town (1942), as well as two films alongside the Three Stooges and the horror-comedy Professor Creeps (1942). Following his retirement from acting, Johnson worked as a special officer at Cheli Air Force Station, but tragically suffered a series of debilitating strokes in the late 1950s that resulted in partial paralysis. He spent his final years residing at the Veterans Administration Hospital in West Los Angeles, where he died on March 27, 1968, at the age of 74, and was subsequently interred with honors at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles.