Since someone has made it impossible for the 'about' section to be filled in on this profile, I am adding it here. Janet Milburn
John "Johnny" Washbrook (born October 16, 1944) is a former child actor best known for his role as 12-year-old Ken McLaughlin on the western television series My Friend Flicka, originally broadcast from 1956–1957 on CBS.
Washbrook portrayed the son of Rob and Nell McLaughlin, fictitious Wyoming ranchers played by Gene Evans and Anita Louise. Frank Ferguson was cast as the ranch handyman Gus Broeberg. Ken spent much of his time caring for his magnificent horse Flicka, Swedish for "girl", but actually an Arabian sorrel named Wahana, foaled 13 June 1950 and owned by Patricia Ann Eaves.[1]
Washbrook was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He had three brothers, including Donald Washbrook, a regular on CBS's Petticoat Junction from 1963–1964, and Rick Washbrook, the youngest, a jazz musician. The family resided in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, from the middle 1950s until 1971.[2]
Washbrook's first acting role was as 10-year-old Jimmy Sullivan in the episode "The Roads to Home" of CBS's The United States Steel Hour. Thereafter, he was cast for all thirty-nine episodes of My Friend Flicka, a series rebroadcast for many years on other networks after its initial one-season airing. Flicka itself was the first 20th Century Fox series.[3] It was filmed at the Fox Movie Ranch in Malibu Canyon in Los Angeles County and at another location in Montana. Though some of the scenes were shot in Montana, the location in the Mary O'Hara novel on which the series is based is southern Wyoming.[4] While on My Friend Flicka, Washbrook also appeared three times in separate roles of CBS's The 20th Century-Fox Hour.[3]
Years later, Washbrook recalled that he had addressed Gene Evans as "Dad" even off the set to make the screen role seem more authentic. He recalled the camaraderie of the cast and production staff. Washbrook said that he visited other sets and found none as friendly as that of My Friend Flicka. Washbrook remembered Evans having once sprayed the staff with a water hose on a hot day to ease tensions. He kept the hose off the actors, however, because of their makeup. Washbrook said that the series ended so quickly because Anita Louise, wife of 20th Century Fox executive Buddy Adler, decided to quit. The decision was made to halt the series rather than continue with the adjustments which would have been required without Louise in the cast.[
