Born in New York City. Prolific composer and songwriter whose songs were first used in MELODY MAN (1930, "Broken Dreams" - uncredited). Notable (largely uncredited) film credits include ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, HELLO, EVERYBODY!, FROM HELL TO HEAVEN, COLLEGE HUMOR, HER BODYGUARD, TOO MUCH HARMONY and COLLEGE COACH (all 1933), YOU'RE TELLING ME!, MURDER AT THE VANITIES, MANY HAPPY RETURNS, THE NOTORIOUS SOPHIE LANG and BELLE OF THE NINETIES (all 1934), THE GILDED LILY, HOME ON THE RANGE, THE GIRL FRIEND, THANKS A MILLION and MUSIC IS MAGIC (all 1935), LADY BE CAREFUL, ROSE BOWL, GO WEST YOUNG MAN and PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (all 1936), DOUBLE OR NOTHING and MIDNIGHT MADONNA (both 1937), SAILING ALONG, SIDEWALKS OF LONDON and WHILE NEW YORK SLEEPS (all 1938), SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946) and SOMEBODY LOVES ME (1952). Among Johnston's songwriting collaborators were Johnny Burke, Harold Adamson and Gus Kahn, but he mainly worked with Sam Coslow. Johnston's song credits include "All I Want to Do Is Dance," "Between a Kiss and a Sigh," "Cocktails for Two," "I Guess It Had to Be That Way," "I Met My Waterloo," "I'm Sittin' High on a Hill Top," "It's Good to Be Alive," "Let There Be Love," "My Old Flame," Mae West's "Troubled Waters" and the Oscar-nominated "Pennies from Heaven."    Nominated for Music Awards (Best Song) 1936: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN "Pennies from Heaven" - Music 1 nomination