Lamont Johnson began his career as a voice actor in radio, performing as Tarzan and other characters. He directed an Off-Broadway production of Gertrude Stein’s Yes is for a Very Young Man, then got his first break as a television director on Matinee Theater, followed by work on popular television series such as Have Gun – Will Travel, Peter Gunn, The Rifleman, Dr. Kildare, and The Twilight Zone. Johnson also directed many acclaimed movies for television like Fear on Trial with George C. Scott and That Certain Summer and The Execution of Private Slovik, both starring Martin Sheen, as well as Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story; Lincoln; Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter; Unnatural Causes; The Kennedys of Massachusetts; and Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232. Among his feature directing credits are Covenant with Death; Kona Coast; The McKenzie Break; The Last American Hero; Lipstick; One on One; Somebody Killed Her Husband; Cattle Annie and Little Britches; and Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone.
Throughout his career, Johnson tackled complex issues like racism, homosexuality, genocide, and violence. For his distinguished body of work in television, he received eight DGA Award Nominations and won five DGA Awards for directing The Oscar Underwood Story episode of the mini-series Profiles in Courage and the dramatic short Birdbath, as well as the movies for television My Sweet Charlie, That Certain Summer, and Lincoln. He was also honored with eleven Emmy nominations and received two Emmys for directing Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story and Lincoln.
Lamont Johnson served on the DGA’s National Board from 1977-1979, on the Western Directors Council from 1973-1979, on the 1973 Negotiating Committee and was a founding member of the DGA’s Special Projects Committee.
Johnson passed away in October 2010.