Born in Columbus, GA. He started out as a reporter on the Columbus Enquirer Sun, then wrote for the Savannah Press, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, P.M., and the New York Herald Tribune. He later wrote short stories for The Saturday Evening Post and other magazines, some of which were published in 1930 as a book, There Ought to Be a Law. One of his Post stories provided the basis for the 1927 film ROUGH HOUSE ROSIE (1927), starring Clara Bow. Johnson went to Hollywood in 1932 and began writing for the screen the following year. Joining 20th Century-Fox, he became one of the screen's most prolific and highly respected writers, the author of intelligent scripts for many memorable films, among them John Ford's celebrated THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940). Johnson wrote most of his scripts alone, collaborating on only a handful. In 1935 he began producing as well as writing for the screen. In 1943 he formed International Pictures, which was eventually absorbed by Universal, but he later returned to Fox and in the 1950s ventured into directing, as well as producing and writing, with mixed results. He retrenched into screenwriting only in the 1960s. He was married to onetime screen actress Dorris Bowdon. Visit the Internet Movie Database for a listing of Johnson's writing, directing and producing credits.  Nominated for Best Picture 1940: THE GRAPES OF WRATH - Producer at 20th Century-Fox (w. Darryl F. Zanuck)  Nominated for Writing (Screenplay) 1940: THE GRAPES OF WRATH  Nominated for Writing (Screenplay) 1943: HOLY MATRIMONY 3 nominations