George Clayton Johnson (July 10, 1929 – December 25, 2015) was an American science fiction writer, best known for co-writing with William F. Nolan the novel ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resourc ...

'', the basis for the MGM 1976 film. He was also known for his television scripts for ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, ...

'' (including "

Nothing in the Dark "Nothing in the Dark" is episode 81 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone'', originally airing on January 5, 1962. This is one of two episodes that were filmed during season two but held over for broadcast until season th ...

", "

Kick the Can Kick the can (also known as kick the block, guard the block, can can, 40 40, pom pom, tip the can, tin can copper, and can up can down), is an outdoor children's game related to tag, hide and seek, and capture the flag, played with as few as thr ...

", " A Game of Pool", and " A Penny for Your Thoughts"), and the first telecast episode of ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

'', entitled "

The Man Trap "The Man Trap" is the first episode of season one of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by George Clayton Johnson and directed by Marc Daniels, it featured design work by Wah Chang and first aired in the Uni ...

". He also wrote the story and screenplay on which the 1960 and 2001 films ''

Ocean's Eleven ''Ocean's Eleven'' is a 2001 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Ted Griffin. The first installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy, it is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. The fil ...

'' were based.

Early life

Johnson was born in a barn in

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistica ...

, was forced to repeat the sixth grade, and dropped out of school entirely in the eighth. He briefly served as a telegraph operator and

draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans fo ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, then enrolled at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) under the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

, but quit to return to his travels around the U.S., working as a draftsman, before becoming a writer.

Writing career

In 1959, Johnson wrote the story "I'll Take Care of You" for '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents''. From 1959 onward, Johnson's work began to regularly appear in magazines such as ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'', ''

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

'', ''The Twilight Zone Magazine'', '' Rogue'', and ''Gamma'', and he began to write stories and scripts for TV. In 1960, he co-wrote the treatment (with Jack Golden Russell) for the

Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business fri ...

film ''

Ocean's 11 ''Ocean's 11'' is a 1960 American heist film directed and produced by Lewis Milestone from a screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer, based on a story by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell. The film stars five of the Rat Pack: ...

'', although most of the details were changed for the actual film. Later, Johnson joined the Southern California School of Writers that included, among others, William F. Nolan,

Charles Beaumont Charles Beaumont (January 2, 1929 – February 21, 1967) was an American author of speculative fiction, including short stories in the horror and science fiction subgenres.Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, "Beaumont, Charles" in David Pringle, ed., '' ...

Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...

and

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

. Through them he met

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ' ...

, to whom he sold his story "All of Us Are Dying", which was produced as " The Four of Us Are Dying", scripted by Serling. Eventually, after selling other stories and having them scripted by other writers for the show, Johnson asked Serling to let him attempt a teleplay for the series, which was " A Penny for Your Thoughts". Later, after completing more scripts for ''

'', he worked as a writer for other television series, including ''

Honey West Honey West is a fictional character created by the husband and wife writing team Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in eleven mystery novels by the duo. The character is notable as being one of the firs ...

'', '' Wanted Dead or Alive'', ''

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

'' and ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to comm ...

''. Johnson also wrote the ''

'' episode "

", which was the first episode telecast. Johnson briefly had a L.A.-based radio program called "The Writer and the Story" which featured interviews with authors, including Charles Beaumont and William F. Nolan. As his career progressed, Johnson formed, in the 1960s, a loose, short-lived federation with fellow authors and friends Matheson,

Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon (; born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American fiction author of primarily fantasy, science fiction and horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 reviews and more than 120 sh ...

, and others called "The Green Hand". The intent was to leverage their works in the fashion of a union within the Hollywood system for TV production. Unfortunately, the enterprise fell apart after a few months. In his later years, he wrote comic books and was a frequent guest at science fiction and comics conventions. Johnson co-created the comic book series ''Deepest Dimension Terror Anthology'' with cartoonist and author Jay Allen Sanford.

Personal life

Johnson married Lola Brownstein on October 10, 1952, in Los Angeles, and fathered two children, Paul and Judy. He was a vocal advocate for the

legalization of marijuana The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These ...

. Along with his writing output, Johnson was instrumental to the early development of San Diego Comic Con. He was also a longtime vegetarian.

Death

Johnson died on Christmas Day 2015, of

bladder The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters ...

and

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

at a Veterans Administration Medical Center hospital in

North Hills, California North Hills, known previously as Sepulveda, is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. North Hills was originally part of an agricultural community known as Mission Acres. After WWII, the newly-developed s ...

. He is interred at

Riverside National Cemetery Riverside National Cemetery (RNC) is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers , making it the largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administratio ...

Partial bibliography

Novels

* ''

'' (1960) – Novelization (based on the story by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell and screenplay by "George Johnson") ;The Logan series * ''

'' (1967) – Novel (with William F. Nolan) * ''Jessica's Run: A New Sequel for the Logan's Run Universe'' (George Clayton Johnson's long rumored personal sequel to ''Logan's Run'' said to be "in development"; yet to be published)

Television and film scripts

* ''Icarus Montgolfier Wright'' (with Ray Bradbury; 1962) * ''

'' (1976)

''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''

* "I'll Take Care of You" (1959; story by)

''The Twilight Zone''

* " The Four of Us Are Dying (1960; story by) * "

Execution Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

" (1960; story by) * " A Penny for Your Thoughts" (1961; teleplay) * The Prime Mover (1961; story; uncredited) * " A Game of Pool" (1961; teleplay) * "

" (1962; teleplay) * "

" (1962; teleplay; also featured in the 1983 movie ''The Twilight Zone: The Movie'') * " Ninety Years Without Slumbering" (1963; story by, as Johnson Smith) * In 1960, Johnson submitted a story to ''The Twilight Zone'' called "Sea Change" which wasn't used but was later adapted for Johnson's 1994 comic book series ''Deepest Dimension Terror Anthology''.

''Route 66''

* "Eleven, the Hard Way" (1961; written by)

''Honey West''

* "The Flame and the Pussycat" (1965; teleplay)

''Star Trek''

* "

" (1966; teleplay; first aired episode of the series)

''Kung Fu''

* "The Demon God" (1974; teleplay)

Film, TV and documentary appearances

* ''

Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges as ...

'' ("Sub Hatch" eason 4, Episode 19 1961) as "USCG Lt. Hartwell" * '' The Intruder'' (dir.

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

; 1962) as villain "Phil West" * '' Archive of American Television'' (2003) as himself * ''Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone's Magic Man'' (dir.

Jason V Brock Jason Vincent Brock (born March 1, 1970) is an American author, artist, editor and filmmaker. He is the CEO and co-founder (with his wife, Sunni) of JaSunni Productions, LLC, whose documentary films include ''Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of ...

; JaSunni Productions, LLC; 2010) as himself * ''The AckerMonster Chronicles!'' (dir. Jason V Brock; JaSunni Productions, LLC; 2012) as himself

Fiction collections

* ''Writing for The Twilight Zone'' (Outre House, 1980) * ''George Clayton Johnson Twilight Zone Scripts & Stories'' (Streamline Pictures, 1996) * ''All of Us Are Dying and Other Stories'' (

Subterranean Press Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Burton, Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to publishing novels, short stor ...

, 1999)

Awards and nominations

;Notes # Unused script by Johnson not selected for the original television series. # Story was turned into a

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

by Serling to the episode named '' The Four of Us Are Dying''.

References

External links

* * * *
The Literary Estate of George Clayton Johnson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, George Clayton 1929 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American military personnel 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers American male novelists American science fiction writers American male screenwriters Auburn University alumni People from Cheyenne, Wyoming United States Army soldiers Writers from Wyoming American male short story writers Deaths from cancer in California American male television writers Burials at Riverside National Cemetery 20th-century American male writers Inkpot Award winners Telegraphists American draughtsmen American cannabis activists Deaths from bladder cancer Deaths from prostate cancer Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Wyoming