Too Much Johnson

Too Much Johnson

2013 · 67 min · ★ 5.4 · Comedy

This film was not intended to stand by itself, but was designed as the cinematic aspect of Welles' Mercury Theatre stage presentation of William Gillette's 1894 comedy about a New York playboy who flees from the violent husband of his mistress and borrows the identity of a plantation owner in Cuba who is expecting the arrival of a mail order bride. The film component of the performance was ultimately never screened due to the absence of projection facilities at the venue. Long-believed to be lost, a workprint was discovered in 2008 and the film had its premiere in 2013.

Directed by Orson Welles · Written by Orson Welles

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Cast

Joseph Cotten Augustus Billings (uncredited)
Virginia Nicolson Lenore Faddish (uncredited)
Arlene Francis Mrs. Dathis (uncredited)
Mary Wickes Mrs. Battison (uncredited)
Orson Welles Keystone Kop (uncredited)
John Houseman Duelist (uncredited)
Edgar Barrier Leon Dathis (uncredited)
Ruth Ford Mrs. Billings (uncredited)
Eustace Wyatt Francis Faddish (uncredited)
Guy Kingsley Poynter Henry MacIntosh (uncredited)
George Duthie Purser (uncredited)
Herbert Drake Keystone Kop (uncredited)

Make it a double feature

3h 6m together

Too Much Johnson

Citizen Kane

Both from Orson Welles.

More from Orson WellesSee all →

Colgate Theatre

Colgate Theatre · 1958

Colgate Theatre

A 1958 American anthology television series broadcast on NBC, composed entirely of unsold television pilots. Created as a summer replacement program, the series repackaged unaired pilots originally produced for proposed television shows, presenting them as standalone dramatic episodes. Hosted by Bill Goodwin, the series served as filler programming following the cancellation of the quiz show Dotto and ran for eight consecutive weeks. Notable episodes included Orson Welles’s The Fountain of Youth, which won a Peabody Award and became one of the most celebrated television productions of the era.

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame · 1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Long-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 4 Humanitas Prizes. Early seasons were a weekly live drama, eventually transitioning to videotaped and then filmed productions broadcast as occasional specials.

Tempo

A long-running ITV arts and culture series that aired from 1961 to 1968, Tempo was a landmark British television programme dedicated to the performing and visual arts. With a flexible magazine format and an open editorial remit, the series explored cinema, music, dance, photography, literature, theatre, and contemporary cultural life. Combining intellectual ambition with accessible presentation, Tempo established a model for serious arts broadcasting on commercial television and laid the groundwork for later landmark programmes such as Aquarius and The South Bank Show.

Survival

Survival · 1961

SeriesDocumentary

Classic long-running British nature documentary series featuring different subjects each time.

Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane · 1941

MovieMysteryDrama

Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event.

I Love Lucy

I Love Lucy · 1951

SeriesComedyFamily

Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife. Instead she tries constantly to perform at the Tropicana where he works, and make life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz, who also happen to be their best friends.

The Third Man

The Third Man · 1949

MovieThrillerMystery

In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Major Calloway, and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna.

Night Gallery

Night Gallery · 1970

SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyMystery

Rod Serling narrates an anthology of fantasy, horror and sci-fi stories from a set resembling a macabre museum. A chilling work of art serves as the connective link between the stories.

Touch of Evil

Touch of Evil · 1958

MovieCrimeThriller

A border-town bombing draws Mexican investigator Miguel Vargas into a corruption-ridden police investigation led by crooked captain Hank Quinlan, setting off a deadly struggle over power, justice, and truth.

Shōgun

Shōgun · 1980

SeriesAction & AdventureDrama

An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in complex political games in feudal Japan.

Moonlighting

Moonlighting · 1985

SeriesComedyDrama

After being duped and going bankrupt, model Maddie is convinced by David to become a partner in a detective agency. Together they solve various cases, while getting comfortable with each other.

The Trial

The Trial · 1962

MovieCrimeDrama

Arrested for an unnamed crime, Josef K. is trapped in a surreal bureaucratic maze where justice is unknowable and guilt is assumed.

Othello

Othello · 1951

Manipulated by his jealous ensign Iago, the Moorish general Othello is driven to believe that his new wife Desdemona is unfaithful, setting in motion a chain of deception, jealousy, and violence that leads to tragedy.

The Lady from Shanghai

The Lady from Shanghai · 1947

The Lady from Shanghai

MovieMysteryCrime

A romantic drifter gets caught between a corrupt tycoon and his voluptuous wife.

The Magnificent Ambersons

The Magnificent Ambersons · 1942

The Magnificent Ambersons

MovieDramaRomance

The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.

A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons · 1966

A Man for All Seasons

MovieDramaHistory

A depiction of the conflict between King Henry VIII of England and his Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, who refuses to swear the Oath of Supremacy declaring Henry Supreme Head of the Church in England.

More Like This

The General

The General · 1926

During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.

The Gold Rush

The Gold Rush · 1925

MovieAdventureComedy

A gold prospector in Alaska struggles to survive the elements and win the heart of a dance hall girl.

Madagascar

Madagascar · 2005

MovieAdventureAnimation

Four animal friends get a taste of the wild life when they break out of captivity at the Central Park Zoo and wash ashore on the island of Madagascar.

The Mask

The Mask · 1994

MovieComedyFantasy

Timid bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss discovers a magical mask infused with the spirit of the Norse god Loki. Donning it transforms him into an unrestrained, green-faced, cartoon-like wild man. While the mask grants him the confidence to woo a local singer, it also makes him the target of a ruthless mobster.

City Lights

City Lights · 1931

MovieComedyDrama

A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.

The Pink Panther

The Pink Panther · 1963

The Pink Panther

MovieComedyCrime

The trademark of The Phantom, a renowned jewel thief, is a glove left at the scene of the crime. Inspector Clouseau, an expert on The Phantom's exploits, feels sure that he knows where The Phantom will strike next and leaves Paris for the Tyrolean Alps, where the famous Lugashi jewel 'The Pink Panther' is going to be. However, he does not know who The Phantom really is, or for that matter who anyone else really is...

Home Alone

Home Alone · 1990

MovieComedyFamily

Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister makes the most of the situation after his family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on Christmas vacation. When thieves try to break into his home, he puts up a fight like no other.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York · 1992

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

MovieComedyFamily

Instead of flying to Florida with his folks, Kevin ends up alone in New York, where he gets a hotel room with his dad's credit card—despite problems from a clerk and meddling bellboy. But when Kevin runs into his old nemeses, the Wet Bandits, he's determined to foil their plans to rob a toy store on Christmas Eve.

A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon · 1902

A Trip to the Moon

MovieAdventureScience Fiction

Professor Barbenfouillis and five of his colleagues from the Academy of Astronomy travel to the Moon aboard a rocket propelled by a giant cannon. Once on the lunar surface, the bold explorers face the many perils hidden in the caves of the mysterious planet.

When Harry Met Sally...

When Harry Met Sally... · 1989

When Harry Met Sally...

MovieComedyRomance

Sex always gets in the way of friendships between men and women. At least, that's what Harry Burns believes. So when Harry meets Sally Albright and a deep friendship blossoms between them, Harry's determined not to let his attraction to Sally destroy it. But when a night of weakness ends in a morning of panic, can the pair avoid succumbing to Harry's fears by remaining friends and admitting they just might be the perfect match for each other?

The Trixxer

The Trixxer · 2004

MovieComedyCrime

A mysterious serial killer is shocking the underworld. Scotland Yard is investigating the case. Clues lead the detectives to Blackwhite Castle.

The Naked Gun

The Naked Gun · 2025

MovieComedyCrime

Only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world: Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. Following in his father's footsteps, he must solve a murder case to prevent Police Squad from closure.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter