Dorothy M. Johnson

Her writing was temporarily sidetracked by World War II as she went to work for the Air Warden Service. After the war, she produced some of her best-known Western stories. Three of these would later be made into notable films, namely The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1949), A Man Called Horse (1950) and The Hanging Tree (1957). Read Less

In 2005, a 30-minute documentary film was made of her life by Sue Hart of Montana State University, Billings The four-year effort was written and co-produced by Hart, along with producer Gene Bodeur, director Bill Bilverstone and film director Lansing Dreamer. Margot Kidder lent her voice to the effort. It was titled Gravel in her Gut and Spit in her Eye, and shown on PBS in November 2005.

Johnson always prided herself on her self-sufficiency after a failed marriage early in life. She stated that her epitaph should read "Paid In Full." Her grave in the cemetery in Whitefish, Montana reads simply "PAID". Read Less