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Gordon Jones

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
119

Gender
Male

Birthday
April 5, 1911 (115 years old)

Place of Birth
Alden, Iowa, USA

Gordon Jones

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gordon Wynnivo Jones (April 5, 1911 – June 20, 1963) was an American character actor, a member of John Wayne's informal acting company best known for playing Lou Costello's TV nemesis "Mike the Cop" and appearing as The Green Hornet in the first of two movie serials based on that old-time radio program.

Iowa-born Jones had been a student athlete and star football guard ("Bull" Jones) at University of California, Los Angeles, and had also played a few seasons of professional football. He started out playing small roles in Wesley Ruggles' and Ernest B. Schoedsack's The Monkey's Paw (1933), his first credited role in Sam Wood's Let 'Em Have It (1935), and Sidney Lanfield's Red Salute (1935). By 1937, he had moved on to a contract at RKO Radio Pictures. In 1940, Jones had the title role in The Green Hornet but did not reprise the role in the sequel.

Jones held a reserve commission in the army and was called into the service after filming his roles as "The Wreck" in My Sister Eileen (1942) and "Alabama Smith" in Flying Tigers (1942), a John Wayne vehicle that was one of the most popular action films of the war. This picture began Jones' 20-year onscreen association with Wayne, who was also a former football player at the University of Southern California.

Jones remained associated with the service after the war, encouraging college students to consider the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. After resuming his acting career in the late 1940s, Jones appeared in prominent roles in the John Wayne features Big Jim McLain (1952) and Island in the Sky (1953).

By the end of the 1940s, Jones had aged into a beefier screen presence and into very physical character roles. He was no longer a leading man but he had developed a comic villain persona which meshed with the work of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Jones' association with the duo began in The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947) with the role of the film's heavy, Jake Frame, and continued through their television series The Abbott and Costello Show. Jones played "Mike the Cop", Costello's hulking, loud-voiced antagonist. The program was produced for only two seasons, but ensured continued recognition for Jones via frequent reruns and a 21st Century DVD release.

Jones also remained busy in films and on television throughout the 1950s, in pictures that ranged from the sci-fi chiller The Monster That Challenged the World to the Tony Curtis/Janet Leigh sex comedy The Perfect Furlough, and on TV series ranging from The Real McCoys to The Rifleman. Jones also appeared in two very successful Disney movies during the early '60s, The Absent-Minded Professor and Son of Flubber. He played harried school coaches in both pictures. He also starred with Mitzi Green and Virginia Gibson in the short-lived TV sitcom So This Is Hollywood (1955), and had a recurring role as neighbor Butch Barton during the early years of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

Jones returned to the John Wayne stock company portraying Douglas, the bureaucrat antagonist to Wayne's G.W. McLintock in the Western comedy McLintock! (1963). Jones unexpectedly succumbed to a heart attack on June 12, 1963, five months before the release of that movie.

Jones has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the West side of the 1600 block of Vine Street.

Known For

Acting

2011The Abbott and Costello Show: Who's On First?as Mike the Cop (archive footage)
1994Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeldas Self (archive footage)
1963McLintock!as Matt Douglas
1962The Lucy Showas Charlie Vantassel
1961Everything's Duckyas Conroy
1961Master of the Worldas Talkative Townsman
1960The Case of the Dangerous Robinas Nels Bergstrom
1960Surfside 6as
1960The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamondas Police Sgt. Joe Cassidy
1959Battle of the Coral Seaas Torpedoman Bates
1959Hawaiian Eyeas
1959Dennis the Menaceas
1959The Many Loves of Dobie Gillisas
1959Laramieas
1959Battle Flameas Sgt. McKelvey
1959The Shaggy Dogas Captain Scanlon
1958The Perfect Furloughas MP "Sylvia"
195877 Sunset Stripas
1958The Riflemanas
1958Live Fast, Die Youngas Pop Winters
1957Maverickas
1957Perry Masonas Deputy Gillis
1957Sugarfootas Sheriff
1957Sugarfootas Wasco Wolters
1957Have Gun, Will Travelas
1957Richard Diamond, Private Detectiveas Joel Finlay
1957Richard Diamond, Private Detectiveas Mike Gower
1957The Monster That Challenged the Worldas Sheriff Josh Peters
1957Shoot-Out At Medicine Bendas Pvt. Wilbur Clegg
1957Spring Reunionas Jack Frazer
1956The Adventures of Jim Bowieas
1955Cheyenneas
1955The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earpas
1955Smoke Signalas Corporal Rogers
1955Treasure of Ruby Hillsas Jack Voyle
1954The Wonderful World of Disneyas Captain Scanlon - Chief of Police
1954Lassieas
1954The Outlaw Stallionas Wagner
1953Take the High Ground!as Moose (uncredited)
1953The Pepsi-Cola Playhouseas
1953Island in the Skyas Walrus
1953Woman They Almost Lynchedas Yankee Sergeant
1953I'm the Lawas
1952The Abbott and Costello Showas Mike Kelly
1952The Ghost of Crossbone Canyonas Curly Wolf
1952Cavalcade of Americaas Lt. Treusch
1952Wagon Teamas Marshal Sam Taplin
1952Big Jim McLainas Olaf
1952The Winning Teamas George Glasheen
1952Sound Offas Crockett
1952Gobs and Galsas CPO Mike Donovan
1952Dangerous Assignmentas
1951Corky of Gasoline Alleyas Elwood Martin
1951Racket Squadas
1951The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickokas Curly Wolf
1951Heart of the Rockiesas Splinters McGonigle
1951Spoilers of the Plainsas Splinters
1950Trail of Robin Hoodas Splinters McGonigle
1950North of the Great Divideas Splinters McGonagle
1950Sunset in the Westas Splinters
1950Big Timberas Jocko
1950The Gene Autry Showas
1950Trigger, Jr.as Splinters
1950The Arizona Cowboyas I.Q. Barton
1950The Palominoas Bill Hennessey
1950Belle of Old Mexicoas Tex Barnet
1949Dear Wifeas Taxi Cab Driver
1949Tokyo Joeas Idaho
1949Easy Livingas Bill 'Holly' Holloran
1949Black Midnightas Roy
1949Mr. Soft Touchas Muggles (Uncredited)
1948The Untamed Breedas Happy Keegan
1948Black Eagleas Benjy Laughton
1948Sons of Adventureas Andy Baldwin
1948A Foreign Affairas Military Police
1947Whispering Cityas Reporter
1947The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gapas Jake Frame
1947The Secret Life of Walter Mittyas Tubby Wadsworth
1944Youth Runs Wildas Truck Driver (uncredited)
1942Flying Tigersas Alabama Smith
1942Highways by Nightas 'Footsy' Fogarty
1942My Sister Eileenas 'The Wreck' Loomis
1941Among the Livingas Bill Oakley
1941You Belong to Meas Robert Andrews
1941The Blonde from Singaporeas 'Waffles' Billings
1941The Feminine Touchas Rubber-Legs Ryan
1940The Texas Rangers Ride Againas Ranger Radio Man (uncredited)
1940Girl from Havanaas Tubby Waters
1940Up in the Airas Tex Barton
1940I Take This Oathas Steve Hanagan
1940The Doctor Takes a Wifeas O'Brien
1940The Green Hornetas Britt Reid / The Green Hornet
1939Henry Goes Arizonaas Tug Evans (uncredited)
1939Disputed Passageas Bill Anderson
1939When Tomorrow Comesas Radio Technician (uncredited)
1939Invitation to Happinessas Dutch Arnold (uncredited)
1939Big Town Czaras Chuck Hardy
1939Pride of the Navyas Joe Falcon
1939The Long Shotas Jeff Clayton
1938Out West with the Hardysas Ray Holt
1938I Stand Accusedas Blackie
1938Rich Man, Poor Girlas Tom Grogan
1937Quick Moneyas Bill Adams
1937Fight for Your Ladyas Mike Scanlon
1937The Big Shotas Chester Scott
1937There Goes My Girlas Dunn
1937China Passageas Joe Dugan
1937Sea Devilsas Puggy
1937They Wanted to Marryas Jim Tyler
1937We Who Are About to Dieas Slim Tolliver
1936Night Waitressas Martin Rhodes
1936Don't Turn 'em Looseas Joe Graves
1936Walking on Airas Joe
1936Devil's Squadronas Tex
1936Strike Me Pinkas Butch Carson
1935Red Saluteas Michael (Lefty) Jones
1935Let 'em Have Itas Tex
1932Wild Girlas Vigilante (uncredited)
1931Three Roguesas Teamster (uncredited)

Production