Allan Jones (actor)
| Allan Jones | |
|---|---|
Jones in 1945.
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| Born |
Theodore Allen Jones October 14, 1907 Old Forge, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 27, 1992 (aged 84) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | singer, actor |
| Years active | 1930–1992 |
| Spouse(s) | Marjorie Buel (1929-1936) (divorced) Irene Hervey (1936-1957) (divorced) Mary Florsheim Picking (1958-1964) (divorced) Esther Marie Villavincie (1967-1992) (his death) |
Allan Jones (October 14, 1907 – June 27, 1992) was an American actor and tenor. For many years he was married to actress Irene Hervey; their son is American pop singer Jack Jones.
Jones, of Welsh ancestry, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania (some sources say Old Forge, Pennsylvania), and grew up in Pennsylvania. His father and grandfather were coal miners, and he worked in coal mines early in his adult life. He left that occupation to study voice at New York University.
In an interview in 1973, Jones recalled that his father and grandfather were musically talented: "My father had a beautiful tenor voice. So did my grandfather. ... Grandfather taught violin, voice and piano when he could. My father sang every chance he could get and realized his ambition through me."
Jones appeared on Broadway a few times, including 1933's Roberta and the short-lived 1934 revival of Bitter Sweet after debuting in Boccacio in 1931.
Jones starred in many film musicals during the 1930s and 1940s. The best-known of these were Show Boat (1936), and The Firefly (1937) in which he sang "Donkey Serenade." It became his signature song. He is now best remembered, however, as the romantic lead opposite Kitty Carlisle and Maureen O'Sullivan respectively, in the first two films the Marx Brothers starred in for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer : A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races.
On the strength of his appearance in A Night at the Opera, he won the coveted role of Gaylord Ravenal in the 1936 film version of Show Boat (opposite Irene Dunne) over such screen musical favorites as Nelson Eddy and John Boles. It would be Jones's most distinguished screen role in which, under the direction of James Whale, he displayed fine dramatic acting ability, as well as musical talent.
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