Caro Jones (1923 – September 3, 2009) was aCanadian-Americanactress andcasting director who was responsible for casting more than 1,000 films, theater productions and television shows over the course of more than forty years, includingRocky,The Beverly Hillbillies andGreen Acres.[1][2]
Jones was born inCanada.[1] When she was 18 years old, Jones moved toNew York City and was hired as a singer by themusical,Oklahoma's touring company.[1] She next became a casting assistant to theTheatre Guild's main casting director. She was quickly promoted to head casting director within the Theatre Guild, and began casting for live television as well.[1] One of Jones' first assistants wasLes Moonves, who was the president of the CBS television network.[2]
Jones married her first husband, fellow singerArthur Eiseman, while living in New York City. The couple had one son, Jack.[1] Their son, Jack, became an actor and singer, appearing in the original Broadway production ofOliver!.[1]
Despite her move to television and film later in her career, Jones remained involved with the Theatre Guild in New York City. Her last major job with the Guild involved casting for the 1996Broadway production and touring company ofState Fair.[1]
Caro Jones became involved in television very early on in the medium's history after initially beginning her casting career in theater. Jones cast forThe United States Steel Hour, a liveanthology series produced by the Theatre Guild in New York[2] which ran from 1953 to 1963 onABC andCBS, where she cast actors such asPatty Duke,Sidney Pollack,Gene Hackman,William Shatner,Burgess Meredith,Johnny Carson,Martin Sheen andGeorge C. Scott.[1][2]
Jones relocated toLos Angeles to continue her career in television, and later film. She was soon hired to oversee casting forParamount Television, where she cast for series includingPaper Moon,Love, American Style,Mannix and the pilot episode of theRobin Hood: Men in Tights television series withMel Brooks.[1][2] (The pilot later became a 1993 Brooks film).
Jones left Paramount and took a position as a casting director withFilmways Television. There she was in charge of casting for the television seriesPetticoat Junction,The Beverly Hillbillies,Green Acres andThe Debbie Reynolds Show.[1][2] She also cast for the filmsWhat's the Matter with Helen? andFuzz for Filmways.[1] She met and married her second husband,Al Simon, aproducer for Filmways Television, while working for the company.[1] She remained at Filmways for five years.[2]
Upon her departure from Filmways Television after five years, Jones launched her own casting agency. Her first casting job under the banner of her own company was for the 1976John Avildsen film,Rocky, which starredSylvester Stallone.[1] Jones had previously collaborated with Avildsen for his 1973 film,Save the Tiger, starringJack Lemmon.[2]Rocky would win theAcademy Award for best picture as well as for best director.
Jones' notable film credits under her own company includedThe Karate Kid in 1984 andBack to School in 1986.[2] Jones' otherminiseries credits includedThe Martian Chronicles, which starredRock Hudson in 1980, and the 1981 miniseries,Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, which starredJaclyn Smith asJacqueline Kennedy Onassis.[1][2]
Caro Jones was honored with theArtios Award from theCasting Society of America for her professional work.[1] She was also awarded theHoyt Bowers Award in 1994 by the Casting Society of America as well.[2]
A collection of her production notebooks andscripts, called theCaro Jones Collection of Scripts and Production Notebooks, is housed at theMargaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences inBeverly Hills.[2]
She was a founding member of the Casting Society of America and ofWomen in Film.[1] Jones was a Governor of theAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences and a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, theScreen Actors Guild,Actor's Equity and theAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists.[1]
Caro Jones died on September 3, 2009, ofmultiple myeloma in Los Angeles at the age of 86 after suffering from the disease for fourteen-years.[1][2] She was survived by two grandchildren, Jacqueline and Chase Eiseman, her brother, William Jones and two nieces, Caro Norris and Penelope Swanson. She was buried atForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.