Dean Jones | |
|---|---|
 Jones in 1966 | |
| Born | Dean Carroll Jones (1931-01-25)January 25, 1931 Decatur, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 2015(2015-09-01) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1955–2009 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Dean Carroll Jones (January 25, 1931 – September 1, 2015) was an American actor. He was best known asthe Walt Disney Company's main leading man in the 1970s with his roles as Agent Zeke Kelso inThat Darn Cat! (1965), Jim Douglas in theHerbie franchise (1969–1997), and with other film companies such as Dr. Herman Varnick inBeethoven (1992). He was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for his performance as Albert Dooley inThe Million Dollar Duck (1971). In 1995, he was inducted as aDisney Legend for his film work.[1]
Jones was born on January 25, 1931, inDecatur, Alabama, to Andrew Guy Jones, a traveling construction worker, and the former Nolia Elizabeth Wilhite.[2]
As a student at Riverside High School in Decatur, Jones had his own local radio show,Dean Jones Sings.[3] He served in theU.S. Navy during theKorean War, and after his discharge worked at the Bird Cage Theater atKnott's Berry Farm inBuena Park, California.[citation needed]
Jones attendedAsbury College inWilmore nearLexington, Kentucky. A member of its Class of 1953, he did not graduate, but the university in 2003 awarded him an honorary degree. On March 4, 2011, he addressed the community during the dedication ceremony of Asbury's Andrew S. Miller Center for Communications Arts.[4]
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After appearing in minor film and television roles, Jones made hisBroadway debut in the 1960 playThere Was a Little Girl. He stepped into the role inBoston, with only one day's notice.[5] In 1960, he also played Dave Manning in theBroadway comedyUnder the Yum-Yum Tree, a role he repeated in the 1963 film version starringJack Lemmon andCarol Lynley.
After working in film and television, Jones was set to return to Broadway as the star ofStephen Sondheim's musicalCompany in 1970. Shortly after opening night, he withdrew from the show, due to stress that he was undergoing from ongoing divorce proceedings. DirectorHarold Prince agreed to replace him withLarry Kert if Jones would open the show and record the cast album. He agreed, and his performance is preserved on theoriginal cast album, although it was Kert who received theTony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.[6]
In 1986, Jones, by then having become a fervent born-againChristian, starred inInto the Light, a musical about scientists and theShroud of Turin, which closed after only six performances.[7]He had far more success touring in the one-man showSt. John in Exile as the last surviving Apostle ofJesus Christ, reminiscing about his life while imprisoned on the Greek island ofPatmos.[6] One performance was filmed in 1986. He made one more Broadway appearance, in 1993, at theVivian Beaumont Theater, in a special two-day concert staging ofCompany featuring most of the original Broadway cast.
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Jones began as a contract performer forMGM, beginning with a small role as a soldier inSomebody Up There Likes Me (1956) and he later played disc jockey Teddy Talbot in theElvis Presley filmJailhouse Rock (1957).[8] He portrayed a soldier in bothImitation General (also 1957) withGlenn Ford andNever So Few (1959) withFrank Sinatra. He gave a powerful performance as an ex-con trying to reform (with Joe's help) onBonanza Season 3 Episode 8 "The Friendship" which aired on November 11, 1961.
Jones subsequently starred in theNBC television sitcomEnsign O'Toole (1962–63), produced byFour Star Television, portraying an easygoing and inexperienced officer on aU.S. Navydestroyer. His costars includedJack Mullaney,Jack Albertson,Jay C. Flippen,Harvey Lembeck, andBeau Bridges.[8] He also recorded a singing album,Introducing Dean Jones, forValiant Records.[9]
AsEnsign O'Toole was the lead-in show on NBC to Walt Disney'sThe Wonderful World of Color, Disney ordered a print of Jones' latest filmUnder the Yum Yum Tree to study.[8] Disney signed Jones forDisney film productions beginning withThat Darn Cat!. His performance was well-received. Jones continued with Disney for many years, starring in films such asThe Ugly Dachshund (1966),Monkeys, Go Home! (1966),Blackbeard's Ghost (1968),The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968).The Love Bug (1969),The Million Dollar Duck (1971),Snowball Express (1972),The Shaggy D.A. (1976), andHerbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977).
Jones' signature Disney role would be as race car driver Jim Douglas in the successfulHerbie series. In addition to the two feature films, Jones starred in the short-lived television seriesHerbie, the Love Bug (1982) and the television filmThe Love Bug (1997). In 1969, he was the host of a short-lived sketch-comedy hour on ABC-TV titledWhat's It All About, World? that became a variety show midway into its run, when the title was changed toThe Dean Jones Variety Hour.[10]
Away from Disney, Jones costarred with Broadway-era co-starJane Fonda in the romantic comedyAny Wednesday (1966). In a dramatic turn, in the NBC television filmWhen Every Day Was the Fourth of July (1978) he portrayed Ed Cooper, an attorney in the 1930s who agrees to defend a man who has been accused of murder, accepting the case only after urging from his daughter. He reprised the role of Ed Cooper in theABC television sequelThe Long Days of Summer (1980). He appeared withGregory Peck andDanny DeVito as Bill Coles, the president of Peck's company, which was fighting a hostile takeover by DeVito, inOther People's Money (1991).
Jones, who was known for playing pleasant characters, took on the role of Dr. Herman Varnick, the evil veterinarian in the family filmBeethoven (1992). He employedmethod acting for the first time in his career and did not break character off-set throughout the film's shooting period much to the surprise of cast members as well as family and friends who had never seen him so immersed in a role. He maintained his relationship to the Beethoven franchise by providing the voice of George Newton in the animated television version ofBeethoven. He also appeared in a small role as Director of Central Intelligence Judge Arthur Moore in the film adaptation of Tom Clancy'sClear and Present Danger (1994), which starredHarrison Ford.[6]
He also played Kelly Kapowski's grandfather Harry Bannister in the 1992 filmSaved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style.
Jones also appeared in two episodes of theAngela Lansbury seriesMurder, She Wrote in 1984 and 1988.
Jones was married to Mae Entwisle from 1954 to 1971; the couple had two daughters.[2] He was married to actress Lory Patrick from 1973 until his death in 2015.[2]
Jones became aborn-again Christian in 1973 or 1974. His bookUnder Running Laughter (1982) recounts his experience of Christianity. He had previously suffered from bouts of depression. His wife, Lory, said, "One night he got down on his knees and prayed that God would free him from the miserable moods that he had always suffered. He told me that in an instant it was gone and he felt peace and joy flood into his heart."[3]
Jones appeared in several Christian films. In 1977 he portrayedCharles Colson in the feature filmBorn Again. He voiced the narrator in Birdwing Records' 1979 studio albumNathaniel the Grublet. Jones also voiced the standard English narration for the 80-minute Bible overviewGod's Story: From Creation to Eternity, and was the voice of Father Tim forFocus on the Family Radio Theatre audio dramaAt Home in Mitford in 2003.
In July 1994, Jones was a guest on100 Huntley Street, a Canadian Christian discussion program.
In 1998, Jones founded the Christian Rescue Committee (CRC), an organization that helps provide a "way of escape to Jews, Christians, and others persecuted for their faith".[11]
Jones died ofParkinson's disease in Los Angeles on September 1, 2015, at age 84. His remains were cremated.[2]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Somebody Up There Likes Me | Private in Rocky's Tent | Uncredited |
| 1956 | These Wilder Years | Hardware Clerk | |
| 1956 | Tea and Sympathy | Ollie | |
| 1956 | The Opposite Sex | Assistant Stage Manager | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Rack | Lieutenant | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Great American Pastime | Buck Rivers | |
| 1957 | Slander | Newscaster | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Ten Thousand Bedrooms | Dan | |
| 1957 | Designing Woman | Assistant Stage Manager (Boston) | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Until They Sail | US Marine Lieutenant | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Jailhouse Rock | Teddy Talbot | |
| 1958 | Handle with Care | Zachary Davis | |
| 1958 | Imitation General | Cpl. Terry Sellers | |
| 1958 | Torpedo Run | Lieutenant Jake "Fuzz" Foley | |
| 1959 | Night of the Quarter Moon | Lexington Nelson | |
| 1959 | Never So Few | Sgt. Jim Norby | |
| 1963 | Under the Yum Yum Tree | David Manning | |
| 1964 | The New Interns | Dr. Lew Worship | |
| 1965 | Two on a Guillotine | Val Henderson | |
| 1965 | That Darn Cat! | FBI Agent Zeke Kelso | |
| 1966 | The Ugly Dachshund | Mark Garrison | |
| 1966 | Any Wednesday | Cass Henderson | |
| 1967 | Monkeys, Go Home! | Hank Dussard | |
| 1968 | Blackbeard's Ghost | Steve Walker | |
| 1968 | The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit | Fred Bolton | |
| 1969 | The Love Bug | Jim Douglas | |
| 1970 | Mr. Superinvisible | Peter Denwell | |
| 1971 | The Million Dollar Duck | Professor Albert Dooley | |
| 1972 | Snowball Express | Johnny Baxter | |
| 1976 | The Shaggy D.A. | Wilby Daniels | |
| 1977 | Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo | Jim Douglas | |
| 1978 | Born Again | Charles Colson | |
| 1986 | St. John in Exile | St. John | |
| 1991 | Other People's Money | Bill Coles | |
| 1992 | Beethoven | Dr. Herman Varnick | |
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Judge Arthur Moore | |
| 1994 | The Visual Bible: Acts | Luke the Evangelist | |
| 1996 | A spasso nel tempo | Professor Mortimer, Joe | |
| 1997 | That Darn Cat | Mr. Flint | |
| 1998 | Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero | Dean Arbagast | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2007 | Lavinia's Heist | Tony Cavaletti | Short film |
| 2009 | Mandie and the Secret Tunnel | Jason Bond | |
| 2009 | God Provides | Abraham | Direct-to-video film (final film role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Zane Grey Theatre | Deputy Bill Devlin | Episode: "The Sunday Man" |
| 1960 | The Aquanauts | John Anderson | Episode: "The Stowaway" |
| 1960 | Outlaws | Danny Cannon | Episode: "Beat the Drum Slowly" |
| 1960 | Stagecoach West | Joe Brady | Episode: "Red Sand" |
| 1961 | The Dick Powell Show | Detective Phil Winslow | Episode: "Who Killed Julie Greer?" |
| 1961 | Bonanza | Danny Kidd | Episode: "The Friendship" |
| 1961 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Jamie Coburn | Episode: "A Killing in Calico" |
| 1962 | Target: The Corruptors! | Barry Steele | Episode: "Play It Blue" |
| 1962 | Wagon Train | Lt. Burton | Episode: "The Lieutenant Burton Story" |
| 1962–1963 | Ensign O'Toole | Ensign O'Toole | Main role (32 episodes) |
| 1963 | Ben Casey | Dr. Richard Connell | Episode: "Fire in a Sacred Fruit Tree" |
| 1963 | Burke's Law | Rudy Davis | Episode: "Who Killed Eleanora Davis?" |
| 1965 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Eddie Carew | Episode: "The Rise and Fall of Eddie Carew" |
| 1965 | Vacation Playhouse | Alec Tate | Episode: "Alec Tate" |
| 1968 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Narrator | Voice, episode: "The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show" |
| 1971 | The Chicago Teddy Bears | Linc McCray | Main role (13 episodes) |
| 1972 | The Great Man's Whiskers | James E. Cooper | Television film |
| 1973 | Guess Who's Sleeping in My Bed? | George Gregory | Television film |
| 1973 | Walt Disney: A Golden Anniversary Salute | Himself – Host | Television special |
| 1974 | Medical Center | Dr. Ronston | Episode: "Spectre" |
| 1976 | Good Heavens | Brad | Episode: "Coffee, Tea, or Gloria" |
| 1977 | Once Upon a Brothers Grimm | Jacob Grimm / Grandmother | Television film |
| 1978 | When Every Day Was the Fourth of July | Ed Cooper | Television film |
| 1978 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Himself – Guest star | Episode: "Mickey's 50" |
| 1980 | The Long Days of Summer | Ed Cooper | Television film |
| 1981 | Aloha Paradise | Alex | Episode: "Alex and Annie" |
| 1982 | Kraft Salutes Walt Disney World's 10th Anniversary | Mr. Lane | Television special |
| 1982 | Herbie, the Love Bug | Jim Douglas | Main role (5 episodes) |
| 1983 | The Gospel According to Scrooge | Narrator | Television film |
| 1984 | Don't Ask Me, Ask God | Future Father | Television special |
| 1984 | The Love Boat | Marty Chenault | Episode: "Julie and the Producer" (Part 1 & 2) |
| 1984 | Finder of Lost Loves | Steve Marsh | Episode: "Yesterday's Child" |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote | Marcus Boswell | Episode: "It's a Dog's Life" |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote | Leonard Palmer | Episode: "Harbinger of Death" |
| 1989 | Fire and Rain | Jack Ayers | Television film |
| 1992 | The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible | Ahasuerus | Voice, episode: "Queen Esther" |
| 1992 | Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style | Harry Bannister | Television film |
| 1994 | Beethoven | George Newton | Voice, main role (26 episodes) |
| 1995 | The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes | Dean Webster Carlson | Television film |
| 1995 | Nowhere Man | Jonathan Crane | Episode: "Father" |
| 1996 | Special Report: Journey to Mars | Dr. Scott Berlin | Television film |
| 1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | Dr. Karel | Voice, episode: "DNA Doomsday" |
| 1997 | Nightmare Ned | Abraham Lincoln | Episode: "Monster Ned" |
| 1997 | Superman: The Animated Series | Sam Lane | Voice, episode: "Monkey Fun" |
| 1997 | The Love Bug | Jim Douglas | Television film |
| 1998 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Chauncey | Voice, episode: "Trustworthiness" |
| 2001 | Scrooge & Marley | Ebenezer Scrooge | Television film |
| Dates | Title | Role | Theatre venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 29, 1960 – March 12, 1960 | There Was a Little Girl | Stan Walters | Cort Theatre |
| November 16, 1960 – April 15, 1961 | Under the Yum Yum Tree | Dave Manning | Henry Miller's Theatre |
| April 26, 1970 – May 28, 1970 | Company | Robert | Alvin Theatre |
| October 22, 1986 – October 26, 1986 | Into the Light | James Prescott | Neil Simon Theatre |
| April 11, 1993 – April 12, 1993 | Company | Robert | Vivian Beaumont Theater |
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