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Johnny Russell, Shirley Temple’s Co-Star in ‘The Blue Bird,’ Dies at 91

The Hollywood Reporter
Story by Mike Barnes
from The Hollywood Reporter
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Child star Johnny Russell, who co-starred with Shirley Temple in the 1940 film 'The Blue Bird,' dies at 91 after a storied career in diplomacy and real estate.
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  • Russell, born John R. Countryman, had a prolific child acting career, appearing in films with Hollywood legends like Barbara Stanwyck, Tyrone Power, and Jimmy Stewart before shifting to a diplomatic career in the U.S. Foreign Service.
  • Despite Shirley Temple's mother's attempts to have Russell replaced, producer Darryl F. Zanuck insisted the young actor, then just 5 years old, remain as Temple's co-star in 'The Blue Bird,' one of the biggest roles of his brief acting tenure.
call sheet
Johnny Russell, Shirley Temple, Barbara Stanwyck, Tyrone Power, Jimmy Stewart, Gertrude Temple, Darryl F. Zanuck, Allan Lane, Carol Countryman, Illona Countryman, James Countryman, Vanessa Countryman, Associated Press, U.S. Foreign Service, U.S. State Department, Mission for Peace and Cooperation in the Middle East, The Blue Bird, The Wizard of Oz, Always Goodbye, Jesse James, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Duke Comes Back, The Frame-Up, Five of a Kind, Prison Break, The Man Who Dared, Sabotage, Florian, The Man I Married, Lady With Red Hair
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