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Dean Jones (actor)
Encyclopedia
Dean Carroll Jones is an American
actor
. Jones is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney
movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug
.
to Andrew Guy Jones and his wife Nolia Elizabeth White. His father was a traveling construction worker. As a student at Decatur's Riverside High School he had his own local radio show, Dean Jones Sings. Jones served in the United States Navy
during the Korean War
, and after his discharge worked at the Bird Cage Theater at Knott's Berry Farm
in Buena Park
, California
.
He attended Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky
, as a member of its Class of 1953 but did not graduate. However, the university awarded him an honorary degree in 2002, and he spoke at the ceremonies for the dedication of Asbury's Andrew S. Miller Center for Communications Arts on March 4, 2011.
debut (along with Jane Fonda
) in the 1960 play There Was a Little Girl. He stepped into the role in Boston on only one day's notice. Later that year, he played Dave Manning in the Broadway
comedy Under the Yum-Yum Tree
, a role he repeated in the 1963 movie version starring Jack Lemmon
.
After achieving success in film and television, Jones was set to return to Broadway as the star of Stephen Sondheim
and George Furth
's new musical Company
. Shortly after opening night, Jones withdrew from the show, allegedly due to illness, but actually due to stress he was undergoing from ongoing divorce proceedings. Director Harold Prince agreed to replace him with Larry Kert
if Jones would open the show and record the cast album. Jones agreed and his performance is preserved on the original cast album (although it was Larry Kert
who received the Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical).
In 1986, Jones, by then having become a Christian
, starred in Into the Light, a musical about scientist
s and the Shroud of Turin
, which closed four days after it opened. He had far more success touring in the one-man show St. John in Exile. In this production, Jones portrayed St. John
, the last surviving Apostle of Jesus Christ, reminiscing about his life while imprisoned on the Greek
island of Patmos
. A performance was filmed in 1986. He made one more Broadway appearance, in 1993, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, in a special two-day concert staging of Company
featuring most of the original Broadway cast.
and he latter played disc jockey Teddy Talbot in the 1957 Elvis Presley
smash hit, Jailhouse Rock. He portrayed a soldier in both 1957's Imitation General
with Glenn Ford
and 1959's Never So Few
with Frank Sinatra
.
He then moved to television, starring in the NBC television sitcom Ensign O'Toole
from 1962–63, produced by Four Star Television
, portraying an easy-going very green officer on a US Navy destroyer, his co-stars included Jack Mullaney
, Jack Albertson
, Jay C. Flippen
, Harvey Lembeck
, and Beau Bridges
. He also recorded a singing album, Introducing Dean Jones, for Valiant Records
.
As Ensign O'Toole was the lead in show on NBC to Walt Disney
's The Wonderful World of Color Disney ordered a print of Jones' latest film Under the Yum Yum Tree
to study . Disney signed Jones on and he became known for a string of Disney
films he made in the 1960s and 1970s, beginning with That Darn Cat! (actress Hayley Mills
' last film at Disney). His performance was so well-received that Disney used him for future movies including The Ugly Dachshund
, Blackbeard's Ghost
and Snowball Express
.
Jones' signature Disney role would be as race car driver "Jim Douglas" in the highly successful The Love Bug
series. He appeared in two feature films (The Love Bug
and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
), as well as a short-lived Herbie television series produced in 1982 and the made-for-TV movie, The Love Bug
in 1997.
He also co-starred with Jane Fonda
in a popular 1966 romantic comedy, Any Wednesday
.
In 1978, Jones took a dramatic turn starring as Ed Cooper in the NBC
television movie When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
. In the film, Jones played an attorney in the 1930s who agrees to defend a man accused of murder after urging from his daughter. The film received critical acclaim and in 1980, Jones again reprised the role of Ed Cooper in the ABC television sequel The Long Days of Summer.
In 1991, Jones co-starred with Gregory Peck
and Danny DeVito
as Bill Coles the president of Peck's company, which was fighting a hostile takeover by DeVito in Other People's Money
.
He then appeared as Herman Varnick, the evil veterinarian in the family film Beethoven
in 1992. Coincidentally he also did the voice of George Newton in TV version of Beethoven
. He also appeared in a small role as Director of Central Intelligence Judge Arthur Moore in 1994's film adaptation of Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger
starring Harrison Ford
.
Dean Jones became a devout born-again Christian in 1973–1974, before his father's death in 1979. He had a history of suffering from depression. His wife Lory said, "One night he got down on his knees and prayed that God would free him from the miserable depression that he had always suffered. He told me that in an instant it was gone and he felt peace." Jones has appeared in several Christian films. A noted conservative, Jones also testified in favor of an amendment
to the United States Constitution
that would define marriage
between one man and one woman.
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."
He is semi-retired and currently lives in California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Jones is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
.
Early years
Jones was born in Decatur, AlabamaDecatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
to Andrew Guy Jones and his wife Nolia Elizabeth White. His father was a traveling construction worker. As a student at Decatur's Riverside High School he had his own local radio show, Dean Jones Sings. Jones served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and after his discharge worked at the Bird Cage Theater at Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
in Buena Park
Buena Park, California
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
He attended Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky
Wilmore, Kentucky
Wilmore is a city in Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,134 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, as a member of its Class of 1953 but did not graduate. However, the university awarded him an honorary degree in 2002, and he spoke at the ceremonies for the dedication of Asbury's Andrew S. Miller Center for Communications Arts on March 4, 2011.
Stage
After appearing in minor film and television roles, Jones made his BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut (along with Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
) in the 1960 play There Was a Little Girl. He stepped into the role in Boston on only one day's notice. Later that year, he played Dave Manning in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
comedy Under the Yum-Yum Tree
Under the Yum Yum Tree
Under the Yum Yum Tree is a 1963 comedy movie that stars Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Paul Lynde, Dean Jones and Edie Adams.This sex comedy was one of the successful small comic movies that Lemmon despised making . It first ran on Broadway in 1960-1961.-Plot:Jack Lemmon stars as the playboy landlord...
, a role he repeated in the 1963 movie version starring Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
.
After achieving success in film and television, Jones was set to return to Broadway as the star of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
and George Furth
George Furth
George Furth was an American librettist, playwright, and actor.-Biography:Furth was born George Schweinfurth in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Evelyn and George Schweinfurth...
's new musical Company
Company (musical)
Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
. Shortly after opening night, Jones withdrew from the show, allegedly due to illness, but actually due to stress he was undergoing from ongoing divorce proceedings. Director Harold Prince agreed to replace him with Larry Kert
Larry Kert
Larry Kert was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for creating the role of Tony in the original Broadway version of West Side Story.-Early life:...
if Jones would open the show and record the cast album. Jones agreed and his performance is preserved on the original cast album (although it was Larry Kert
Larry Kert
Larry Kert was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for creating the role of Tony in the original Broadway version of West Side Story.-Early life:...
who received the Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical).
In 1986, Jones, by then having become a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, starred in Into the Light, a musical about scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s and the Shroud of Turin
Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin or Turin Shroud is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, northern Italy. The image on the shroud is...
, which closed four days after it opened. He had far more success touring in the one-man show St. John in Exile. In this production, Jones portrayed St. John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
, the last surviving Apostle of Jesus Christ, reminiscing about his life while imprisoned on the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island of Patmos
Patmos
Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. One of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex, it has a population of 2,984 and an area of . The highest point is Profitis Ilias, 269 meters above sea level. The Municipality of Patmos, which includes the offshore islands of Arkoi ,...
. A performance was filmed in 1986. He made one more Broadway appearance, in 1993, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, in a special two-day concert staging of Company
Company (musical)
Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
featuring most of the original Broadway cast.
Television and film
Jones started his film career by signing a contract at MGM, beginning with a small role as a soldier in Somebody Up There Likes MeSomebody Up There Likes Me
Somebody Up There Likes Me may refer to:*Somebody Up There Likes Me , 1956 film starring Paul Newman and Pier Angeli*"Somebody Up There Likes Me" , a song by David Bowie, released in 1975 on the album Young Americans...
and he latter played disc jockey Teddy Talbot in the 1957 Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
smash hit, Jailhouse Rock. He portrayed a soldier in both 1957's Imitation General
Imitation General
Imitation General is a 1958 war/comedy film starring Glenn Ford, Red Buttons and Taina Elg.-Plot summary:In the aftermath of a big battle, Brigadier General Charles Lane , Master Sergeant Murphy "Murph" Savage and Corporal Chan Derby find themselves cut off...
with Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
and 1959's Never So Few
Never So Few
Never So Few 1959 CinemaScope war film directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Dean Jones and Steve McQueen with uncredited roles by renowned Asian actors Mako, George Takei and James Hong. The script was loosely based on an actual OSS...
with Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
.
He then moved to television, starring in the NBC television sitcom Ensign O'Toole
Ensign O'Toole
Ensign O'Toole is a military comedy that aired on NBC from September 23, 1962, to May 5, 1963, with 31-year-old Dean Jones in the title role of a nonchalant Navy ensign during the early 1960s. Jones, born in 1931 in Alabama and a Navy veteran of the Korean War, played an officer aboard the...
from 1962–63, produced by Four Star Television
Four Star Television
Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino, and Charles Boyer, the company produced many well-known shows of the early days of...
, portraying an easy-going very green officer on a US Navy destroyer, his co-stars included Jack Mullaney
Jack Mullaney
Jack Mullaney was an American actor, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mullaney acted in several television series and films throughout his career....
, Jack Albertson
Jack Albertson
Jack Albertson was an American character actor dating to vaudeville. A comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, Albertson is perhaps best known for his roles as Manny Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure , Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Amos Slade in the 1981 animated film The Fox...
, Jay C. Flippen
Jay C. Flippen
Jay C. Flippen is an American character actor who often played police officers or weary criminals in many films of the 1940s/'50s....
, Harvey Lembeck
Harvey Lembeck
Harvey Lembeck was an American comedic actor best remembered for his role as Cpl. Rocco Barbella on The Phil Silvers Show in the late 1950s, and as the stumbling, overconfident outlaw biker Eric Von Zipper in the beach party movie series during the 1960s...
, and Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
. He also recorded a singing album, Introducing Dean Jones, for Valiant Records
Valiant Records
Valiant Records was an independent record company co-owned by Four Star Television which was sold in 1967 to Warner Bros. Records.Valiant Records was never fully independent, for most of its existence, its distributor was ABC Records before Warners took it over distribution in 1965 and then...
.
As Ensign O'Toole was the lead in show on NBC to Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's The Wonderful World of Color Disney ordered a print of Jones' latest film Under the Yum Yum Tree
Under the Yum Yum Tree
Under the Yum Yum Tree is a 1963 comedy movie that stars Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Paul Lynde, Dean Jones and Edie Adams.This sex comedy was one of the successful small comic movies that Lemmon despised making . It first ran on Broadway in 1960-1961.-Plot:Jack Lemmon stars as the playboy landlord...
to study . Disney signed Jones on and he became known for a string of Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
films he made in the 1960s and 1970s, beginning with That Darn Cat! (actress Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills is an English actress. The daughter of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and sister of actress Juliet Mills, Mills began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Tiger Bay , the Academy Juvenile Award...
' last film at Disney). His performance was so well-received that Disney used him for future movies including The Ugly Dachshund
The Ugly Dachshund
The Ugly Dachshund is a 1966 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette in a story about a Great Dane who believes he's a dachshund. Based on a 1938 novel by Gladys Bronwyn Stern, the film was written by Albert Aley and directed by Norman Tokar...
, Blackbeard's Ghost
Blackbeard's Ghost
Blackbeard's Ghost is a 1968 live-action fantasy comedy Disney film starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette, directed by Robert Stevenson. It is based upon the novel of the same name by Ben Stahl and was shot in Walt Disney Studios. The Disney Channel aired this film until the...
and Snowball Express
Snowball Express
Snowball Express is a 1972 screwball comedy film made by Walt Disney Productions about a man who leaves his desk job to run a hotel left to him by his uncle.-Plot:...
.
Jones' signature Disney role would be as race car driver "Jim Douglas" in the highly successful The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
series. He appeared in two feature films (The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo is a 1977 film, the third of a series of films by Walt Disney Productions starring Herbie – the white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own.-Plot:...
), as well as a short-lived Herbie television series produced in 1982 and the made-for-TV movie, The Love Bug
The Love Bug (1997 film)
The Love Bug is made-for-television film starring Bruce Campbell and a sequel to the original The Love Bug film. The sequel included a Dean Jones cameo, tying it to the previous films...
in 1997.
He also co-starred with Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
in a popular 1966 romantic comedy, Any Wednesday
Any Wednesday
Any Wednesday is a 1966 comedy film directed by Robert Ellis Miller, starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. The story centers around a Manhattan woman who is trying to decide between two suitors on the day of her 30th birthday.On August 18, 2009, Warner Brothers released the movie...
.
In 1978, Jones took a dramatic turn starring as Ed Cooper in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television movie When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
When Every Day Was the Fourth of July is a 1978 NBC television movie about a Jewish-American family in 1937 Bridgeport, Connecticut. Narrated in first person flashback, the story follows a 12-year-old boy and his family who find themselves defending the town "misfit" after he's accused of murder. ...
. In the film, Jones played an attorney in the 1930s who agrees to defend a man accused of murder after urging from his daughter. The film received critical acclaim and in 1980, Jones again reprised the role of Ed Cooper in the ABC television sequel The Long Days of Summer.
In 1991, Jones co-starred with Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
and Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
as Bill Coles the president of Peck's company, which was fighting a hostile takeover by DeVito in Other People's Money
Other People's Money
Other People's Money is a 1991 drama/romantic comedy film starring Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller and Gregory Peck. It is based on the play of the same name by Jerry Sterner. The director was Norman Jewison and the screenplay was credited to Alvin Sargent.-Plot:Corporate raider Lawrence...
.
He then appeared as Herman Varnick, the evil veterinarian in the family film Beethoven
Beethoven (film)
Beethoven is a 1992 American family comedy film, directed by Brian Levant and starring Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt. The film is the first in the Beethoven film series....
in 1992. Coincidentally he also did the voice of George Newton in TV version of Beethoven
Beethoven (TV series)
Beethoven is an animated sitcom, loosely based on the 1992 motion picture of the same name. The series was produced by Northern Lights Entertainment Universal Animation Studios and Universal Media Studios, and aired for one season on CBS, with 24 half-hour episodes produced.-Premise:Unlike the...
. He also appeared in a small role as Director of Central Intelligence Judge Arthur Moore in 1994's film adaptation of Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger
Clear and Present Danger
Clear and Present Danger is a novel by Tom Clancy, written in 1989, and is a canonical part of the Jack Ryan universe. In the novel, Jack Ryan is thrown into the position of CIA Acting Deputy Director and discovers that he is being kept in the dark by his colleagues who are conducting a covert war...
starring Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
.
Personal life
Jones' first marriage to Mae Entwisle ended in divorce in the 1970s. He has two children from that union. He has been married since 1973 to actress Lory Patrick Jones and has a third child from that marriage.Dean Jones became a devout born-again Christian in 1973–1974, before his father's death in 1979. He had a history of suffering from depression. His wife Lory said, "One night he got down on his knees and prayed that God would free him from the miserable depression that he had always suffered. He told me that in an instant it was gone and he felt peace." Jones has appeared in several Christian films. A noted conservative, Jones also testified in favor of an amendment
Amendment
Amendment may refer to:*A change made to a pending motion or bill by a motion to amend*An improved change made to a previously adopted law or motion*A change made to a contract*Constitutional amendment, a change made to a written constitution...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
that would define marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
between one man and one woman.
In 1998 Jones founded the Christian Rescue Committee (CRC), an organization that helps provide a "way of escape to Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, Christians, and others persecuted for their faith."
He is semi-retired and currently lives in California.
Filmography
- Somebody Up There Likes MeSomebody Up There Likes Me (film)Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956 American drama film based on the life of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano. Joseph Ruttenberg was awarded a 1956 Oscar in the category of Best Cinematography . The film also won the Oscar for Best Art Direction Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956...
(19561956 in filmThe year 1956 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 5 - The Ten Commandments opens in cinemas and becomes one of the most successful and popular movies of all time, currently ranking 5th on the list of all time moneymakers * February 5 - First showing of documentary films by...
) - These Wilder YearsThese Wilder YearsThese Wilder Years is a 1956 drama film directed by Roy Rowland, and starring James Cagney and Barbara Stanwyck. A businessman tries to find the illegitimate son he gave up to an orphanage many years ago.-Cast:*James Cagney as Steve Bradford...
(1956) - Tea and SympathyTea and Sympathy (film)Tea and Sympathy is an adaptation of Robert Anderson's 1953 stage play directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Pandro S. Berman for MGM. The music score was by Adolph Deutsch and the cinematography by John Alton. Deborah Kerr, Leif Erickson, and John Kerr recreated their original stage roles...
(1956) - The Opposite SexThe Opposite SexThe Opposite Sex is a 1956 musical film.It is a remake of the 1939 classic comedy The Women. Both films are based on Claire Boothe Luce's original play...
(1956) - The Rack (1956)
- The Great American Pastime (1956)
- Slander (1956)
- Ten Thousand BedroomsTen Thousand BedroomsTen Thousand Bedrooms was Dean Martin's first movie in the wake of the dissolution of his partnership with Jerry Lewis in the team of Martin and Lewis....
(19571957 in filmThe year 1957 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, opens.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue-Awards:...
) - Designing WomanDesigning WomanDesigning Woman is a 1957 romantic comedy about fashion. Vincente Minnelli directed stars Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. George Wells won an Academy Award for the screenplay.-Plot:...
(1957) - Until They SailUntil They SailUntil They Sail is a 1957 American black and white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by James A. Michener included in his 1951 anthology Return to Paradise, focuses on four New Zealand sisters and their relationships with U.S...
(1957) - Jailhouse Rock (1957)
- Handle with Care (19581958 in filmThe year 1958 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 16- "In the Money" by William Beaudine is released on this date. It would be the last installment of The Bowery Boys series which began back in 1946....
) - Imitation GeneralImitation GeneralImitation General is a 1958 war/comedy film starring Glenn Ford, Red Buttons and Taina Elg.-Plot summary:In the aftermath of a big battle, Brigadier General Charles Lane , Master Sergeant Murphy "Murph" Savage and Corporal Chan Derby find themselves cut off...
(1958) - Torpedo RunTorpedo RunTorpedo Run is a 1958 Metrocolor war film starring Glenn Ford as a World War II submarine commander in the Pacific who is obsessed with sinking a particular Japanese aircraft carrier.It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.- Plot :...
(1958) - Night of the Quarter Moon (19591959 in filmThe year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....
) - Never So FewNever So FewNever So Few 1959 CinemaScope war film directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Dean Jones and Steve McQueen with uncredited roles by renowned Asian actors Mako, George Takei and James Hong. The script was loosely based on an actual OSS...
(1959) - Under the Yum Yum TreeUnder the Yum Yum TreeUnder the Yum Yum Tree is a 1963 comedy movie that stars Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Paul Lynde, Dean Jones and Edie Adams.This sex comedy was one of the successful small comic movies that Lemmon despised making . It first ran on Broadway in 1960-1961.-Plot:Jack Lemmon stars as the playboy landlord...
(19631963 in filmThe year 1963 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* June 12 - Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City....
) - The New InternsThe New InternsThe New Interns is a 1964 film directed by John Rich. It stars Michael Callan and Dean Jones.-Cast:*Michael Callan as Dr. Alec Considine*Dean Jones as Dr. Lew Worship*Telly Savalas as Dr. Dominick 'Dom' Riccio...
(19641964 in filmThe year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
) - Two on a GuillotineTwo on a GuillotineTwo on a Guillotine is a 1965 American horror/thriller film produced and directed by William Conrad. The screenplay by John Kneubuhl and Henry Slesar is based on a story by Slesar.-Plot synopsis:...
(19651965 in filmThe year 1965 in film involved some significant events, with The Sound of Music topping the U.S. box office.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
) - That Darn Cat! (1965)
- The Ugly DachshundThe Ugly DachshundThe Ugly Dachshund is a 1966 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette in a story about a Great Dane who believes he's a dachshund. Based on a 1938 novel by Gladys Bronwyn Stern, the film was written by Albert Aley and directed by Norman Tokar...
(19661966 in filmThe year 1966 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Animation legend Walter Disney, well known for his creation of Mickey Mouse, died in 15 December 1966 of acute circulatory collapse following a diagnosis of, and surgery for, lung cancer...
) - Any WednesdayAny WednesdayAny Wednesday is a 1966 comedy film directed by Robert Ellis Miller, starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. The story centers around a Manhattan woman who is trying to decide between two suitors on the day of her 30th birthday.On August 18, 2009, Warner Brothers released the movie...
(1966) - Monkeys, Go Home!Monkeys, Go Home!Monkeys, Go Home! is a 1967 Disney film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. The movie stars Maurice Chevalier and Yvette Mimieux. Dean Jones plays Hank Dussard, the new owner of an olive grove, who brings in chimp labor, upsetting the other workers...
(19671967 in filmThe year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
) - Blackbeard's GhostBlackbeard's GhostBlackbeard's Ghost is a 1968 live-action fantasy comedy Disney film starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette, directed by Robert Stevenson. It is based upon the novel of the same name by Ben Stahl and was shot in Walt Disney Studios. The Disney Channel aired this film until the...
(19681968 in filmThe year 1968 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 30 - The film The Lion in Winter, starring Katharine Hepburn, debuts.* November 1 - The MPAA's film rating system is introduced.-Top grossing films :- Awards :...
) - The Horse in the Gray Flannel SuitThe Horse in the Gray Flannel SuitThe Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit is a 1968 film directed by Norman Tokar....
(1968) - The Love BugThe Love BugThe Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
(19691969 in filmThe year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
) - Mr. Superinvisible (19701970 in filmThe year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
) - The Million Dollar DuckThe Million Dollar DuckThe Million Dollar Duck is a 1971 Disney comedy film that was directed by Vincent McEveety, and stars Dean Jones, Sandy Duncan and Joe Flynn.-Plot:...
(19711971 in filmThe year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
) - Snowball ExpressSnowball ExpressSnowball Express is a 1972 screwball comedy film made by Walt Disney Productions about a man who leaves his desk job to run a hotel left to him by his uncle.-Plot:...
(19721972 in filmThe year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...
) - The Shaggy D.A.The Shaggy D.A.The Shaggy D.A. is a 1976 film sequel to 1959's The Shaggy Dog by Walt Disney Productions. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Don Tait, based on the original film and inspired by the long out-of-print Felix Salten novel, The Hound of Florence.It starred Dean Jones as the adult...
(19761976 in filmThe year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
) - Herbie Goes to Monte CarloHerbie Goes to Monte CarloHerbie Goes to Monte Carlo is a 1977 film, the third of a series of films by Walt Disney Productions starring Herbie – the white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own.-Plot:...
(19771977 in filmThe year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
) - Once Upon a Brothers GrimmOnce Upon a Brothers GrimmOnce Upon a Brothers Grimm is a musical children's fantasy film directed by Norman Campbell. It follows the Brothers Grimm as they make their way to a king's palace with their fairy tales. It was originally released for TV...
(19781978 in filmThe year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
) - When Every Day Was the Fourth of JulyWhen Every Day Was the Fourth of JulyWhen Every Day Was the Fourth of July is a 1978 NBC television movie about a Jewish-American family in 1937 Bridgeport, Connecticut. Narrated in first person flashback, the story follows a 12-year-old boy and his family who find themselves defending the town "misfit" after he's accused of murder. ...
(1978) - Born AgainBorn Again (film)Born Again was a 1978 film depicting the involvement of Charles W. Colson in the Watergate scandal, his subsequent conversion to Christianity, and his prison term stemming from Watergate...
(1978) - The Long Days of Summer (19801980 in film- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
) - Herbie the MatchmakerHerbie the MatchmakerHerbie the Matchmaker, also known as Herbie, The Love Bug, was a short-lived situation comedy that aired on CBS in the spring of 1982. The series was based on Walt Disney Productions' popular Herbie film series, about a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own...
(1982) - St John In Exile (19861986 in film-Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee....
) - Other People's MoneyOther People's MoneyOther People's Money is a 1991 drama/romantic comedy film starring Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller and Gregory Peck. It is based on the play of the same name by Jerry Sterner. The director was Norman Jewison and the screenplay was credited to Alvin Sargent.-Plot:Corporate raider Lawrence...
(19911991 in filmThe year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
) - BeethovenBeethoven (film)Beethoven is a 1992 American family comedy film, directed by Brian Levant and starring Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt. The film is the first in the Beethoven film series....
(19921992 in filmThe year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
) - Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian StyleSaved by the Bell: Hawaiian StyleSaved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style is a 1992 made-for-TV movie based on the television series Saved by the Bell and featured the regular cast of that series.-Synopsis:...
(1992) - Clear and Present DangerClear and Present Danger (film)Clear and Present Danger is a 1994 film directed by Phillip Noyce, based on the book of the same name by Tom Clancy. It is a subsequent release to the 1992 film Patriot Games, which in itself is a subsequent release to the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October.It is the last film to feature Harrison...
(19941994 in film1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
) - BeethovenBeethoven (TV series)Beethoven is an animated sitcom, loosely based on the 1992 motion picture of the same name. The series was produced by Northern Lights Entertainment Universal Animation Studios and Universal Media Studios, and aired for one season on CBS, with 24 half-hour episodes produced.-Premise:Unlike the...
(voice) - Getting Around in Time (19961996 in filmMajor releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
) - Acts (1996)
- That Darn Cat (19971997 in film-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
) - The Love BugThe Love Bug (1997 film)The Love Bug is made-for-television film starring Bruce Campbell and a sequel to the original The Love Bug film. The sequel included a Dean Jones cameo, tying it to the previous films...
(1997) - Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZeroBatman & Mr. Freeze: SubZeroBatman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero is a 1998 direct-to-video animated feature film based on Batman: The Animated Series and is a sequel to the episode Deep Freeze. It won the Annie Award for Best Home Video Animation. It was produced by Warner Bros...
(19981998 in film-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
) (voice) (direct-to-video) - Scrooge and Marley (2001) (TV)
- Lavinia's Heist (20072007 in filmThis is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
) - You Know the Face (20082008 in filmThis is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
) (documentary) - Mandie and the Secret Tunnel (2008)
Broadway appearances
- There Was a Little Girl (February 29 – March 12, 1960)
- Under the Yum Yum TreeUnder the Yum Yum TreeUnder the Yum Yum Tree is a 1963 comedy movie that stars Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Paul Lynde, Dean Jones and Edie Adams.This sex comedy was one of the successful small comic movies that Lemmon despised making . It first ran on Broadway in 1960-1961.-Plot:Jack Lemmon stars as the playboy landlord...
(November 16, 1960 – April 15, 1961) - CompanyCompany (musical)Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
(April 26, 1970 – January 1, 1972) (replaced by Larry KertLarry KertLarry Kert was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for creating the role of Tony in the original Broadway version of West Side Story.-Early life:...
on May 29, 1970) - Into the Light (October 22–26, 1986)
- CompanyCompany (musical)Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
(Concert Staging) (April 11–12, 1993)