Known for his film roles opposite Esther Williams, June Allyson, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor and others during his years under contract to MGM, Van Johnson also starred on Broadway (Damn Yankees, The Music Man, La Cage aux Folles) and was a fixture on network television. Among his many roles on the small screen, he was The Minstrel on Batman, plus he was Desi Arnaz's original choice to play Eliot Ness in The Untouchables.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081212/ap_en_ot/obit_van_johnson