 Johnson relocated to Los Angeles and worked as an assistant director on such projects as "Movie Movie", "The Brink's Job", "Escape from Alcatraz" and Mel Brooks's "High Anxiety", which was co-written by future business partner Barry Levinson.As part of Baltimore Pictures, his partnership with Levinson, Johnson produced all of the writer-director's films from 1982–1994.In addition to "Rain Man", their diverse slate of features includes "Good Morning, Vietnam", "The Natural", "Tin Men", "Toys", "Young Sherlock Holmes", "Avalon", "Diner" (their 1982 debut project, for which Levinson's screenplay garnered an Oscar nomination) and "Bugsy", which was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.