Johnny Washbrook

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.
My Friend Flicka
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.

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.

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. 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 novel on which the series is based is southern Wyoming. While on My Friend Flicka, Washbrook also appeared three times in separate roles of CBS's The 20th Century-Fox Hour. and Flipper. Washbrook left for New York City to act in plays. During the 1970s, Washbrook studied in London, England, at both the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He worked thereafter on stage.
Washbrook appeared as Tim Balfour III in a 1963 episode of Perry Mason titled "The Case of the Devious Delinquent," according to the Washbrook filmography on Fandango.
His last film role, according to Fandango, was in the British 1979 caper flick A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square aka The Big Scam aka The Mayfair Bank Caper (video release title) co-starring David Niven, Richard Jordan, Gloria Grahame, Elke Sommer, Joss Ackland, and Hugh Griffin. Washbrook played the bank manager Blakestone. After retiring from acting, he became a banker in real life.
Later years
In 2003, Washbrook was cited but did not appear in the documentary 50 Greatest TV Animals.

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