Allan Jones (actor)

Allan Jones (October 14, 1907 – June 27, 1992) was an American tenor and actor.

Jones is probably best remembered today as the male romantic lead actor in the first two films the Marx Brothers starred in for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) and '' A Day at the Races'' (1937), as well as the film musicals ''Show Boat'' (1936) and '' The Firefly'' (1937), where he introduced "The Donkey Serenade", which became his signature song.

Early years

Jones was born in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, and raised in nearby Scranton, where he graduated from Central High School. His father and grandfather were Welsh 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."

Stage

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.

Film

Jones starred in many film musicals during the 1930s and 1940s. The best-known of these were ''Show Boat'' (1936) and '' The Firefly'' (1937), where he first performed what became his signature song: "The Donkey Serenade". Jones is probably best remembered today as the romantic lead opposite Kitty Carlisle and Maureen O'Sullivan respectively, in the Marx Brothers first two MGM films '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) and '' A Day at the Races'' (1937), filling the straight-man role opened by the departure of Zeppo Marx from the team.

Jones made a brief appearance in the 1936 Nelson Eddy–Jeanette MacDonald film '' Rose Marie'', singing music from Charles Gounod's ''Romeo et Juliette'' and Giacomo Puccini's ''Tosca''. According to ''Merchant of Dreams'', Charles Higham's biography of Louis B. Mayer, Eddy, who apparently considered Jones a rival and a potential threat, asked that most of the footage of Jones in ''Rose Marie'' be cut, including his rendition of the tenor aria '' E lucevan le stelle'' from ''Tosca'' and MGM agreed to Eddy's demands. In his final film for MGM, '' Everybody Sing'' (1938) with Judy Garland and Fanny Brice, Jones introduced the pop standard " The One I Love". "My Love For Yours" 1939.

In 1940, Jones starred in two musicals for Universal Pictures: ''The Boys from Syracuse'', with the stage score by Rodgers and Hart, and '' One Night in the Tropics'' with a score by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, which was also the screen debut of Abbott and Costello. After these two films, Jones slipped to leads in several "B" musicals, at Paramount and Universal, including a reunion with his ''A Night at the Opera'' co-star Kitty Carlisle in '' Larceny with Music'' (1943). The same year, he made a guest appearance, as himself, in the Olsen and Johnson musical ''Crazy House'', where he again performed "The Donkey Serenade".

Recordings

Jones recorded prodigiously throughout his career, primarily for RCA Victor. His 1938 recording of "The Donkey Serenade" ranks third among the all-time best-selling single records issued by RCA Victor.

Radio

In the mid-1940s, Jones and pianist Frankie Carle starred in the ''Old Gold Show'' on CBS radio.

Later years

In December 1980, Jones made his final screen appearance on an episode of the ABC-TV series, ''The Love Boat'', which also featured his son Jack Jones and Dorothy Lamour.
During the 1980s, Jones appeared in several stage productions of ''Man of La Mancha'', '' Paint Your Wagon'', ''Guys and Dolls'', and ''Carousel''. Jones continued to make concert appearances until a few months before his death in 1992.

Jones also bred and raised racehorses on his ranch in California.

Personal life

Jones was married four times. He was married to actress Irene Hervey from 1936 to 1957; their son was pop singer Jack Jones. His other wives included Marjorie Annette Bull, Esther Marie Villavincie, and Mary Florsheim (granddaughter of Milton S. Florsheim).

Death

Jones died of lung cancer at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City on June 27, 1992, aged 84.

Filmography

References

External links

* Martyn, Marguerite (August 19, 1932)
"A New Muny Opera Hero"
''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''.

"Allan Jones Tribute"

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"Photographs of Allan Jones"

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Allan
1907 births
1992 deaths
People from Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
American people of Welsh descent
Male actors from Pennsylvania
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state)
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American singers
20th-century American male singers
Florsheim family
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players