Justus Ellis McQueen Jr. (August 19, 1927 – July 9, 2022), known professionally as L.Q. Jones, was an American actor. He appeared in

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received two Academy Award nominations and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Instit ...

's films ''

Ride the High Country ''Ride the High Country'' (released internationally as ''Guns in the Afternoon'') is a 1962 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Mariette Hartley. The supporting cast includes ...

'' (1962), ''

Major Dundee ''Major Dundee'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and James Coburn. Written by Harry Julian Fink, the film is about a Union cavalry officer who leads a conten ...

'' (1965), ''

The Wild Bunch ''The Wild Bunch'' is a 1969 American epic revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates. The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang ...

'' (1969), ''

The Ballad of Cable Hogue ''The Ballad of Cable Hogue'' is a 1970 American Technicolor Western comedy film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner. Set in the Arizona desert during a period when the frontier was closing, the ...

'' (1970), and ''

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, ...

'' (1973). His later film roles include ''

Casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

'' (1995), '' The Patriot'' (1998), ''

The Mask of Zorro ''The Mask of Zorro'' is a 1998 American Western swashbuckler film based on the fictional character Zorro by Johnston McCulley. Directed by Martin Campbell from a screenplay by John Eskow, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio, it stars Anto ...

'' (1998), and ''

A Prairie Home Companion ''A Prairie Home Companion'' was a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...

'' (2006). His other roles included Western television series such as ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'', ''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', '' Laramie'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'', and '' The Virginian''. He was the writer and director of the 1975 science fiction film '' A Boy and His Dog'', based on

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...

's novella of the same name.

Early life

Jones was born August 19, 1927, in Beaumont, in southeastern Texas, the son of Jessie Paralee (''née'' Stephens) and Justus Ellis McQueen Sr., a railroad worker. At an early age he lost his mother when she died following a car accident. He completed his school education from

Port Neches–Groves High School Port Neches–Groves High School (PNG) is a public high school located in Port Neches, Texas. It is a part of the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District, and is classified as a 5A school by the UIL, serving portions of Port Neches, Gr ...

in 1945. After serving in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

from 1945 to 1946,Navy Vet L.Q. Jones Had an Amazing Career in Movie Westerns

Military.com Military.com is a website that provides news and information about the United States military, service members, veterans, and their families as well as foreign policy and broader national security issues. Founded in 1999, the site has been a divi ...

. Retrieved July 15, 2022. Jones attended Lamar Junior College (now

Lamar University Lamar University (Lamar or LU) is a public university in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar has been a member of the Texas State University System since 1995. It was the flagship institution of the former Lamar University System. As of the ...

) and Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, and then studied law, business and journalism at the University of Texas at Austin from 1950 to 1951. He worked as a stand-up comic, briefly played professional baseball and American football, and tried ranching in Nicaragua, then turned to acting after corresponding with

Fess Parker Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.;Weaver, Tom.Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers p. 148 (McFarland 2012). August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010)(March 18, 2010Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker Dies at 85" '' CBS ...

, his former college roommate.

Career

Jones made his film debut in 1955 in ''

Battle Cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religio ...

'', credited under his birth name Justus McQueen. His character's name in that film was "L.Q. Jones", a name he liked and decided to adopt as his stage name for all of his future roles as an actor. In 1955, he was cast as "Smitty Smith" in three episodes of

Clint Walker Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker (May 30, 1927 – May 21, 2018) was an American actor. He played cowboy Cheyenne (TV series), Cheyenne Bodie in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC/Warner Bros. Western (genre)#Film, western series ''Cheyenn ...

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

western series ''

'', the first hour-long western on network television. Jones appeared in numerous films in the 1960s and 1970s. He became a member of

's stock company of actors, appearing in his '' Klondike'' series (1960–1961), ''

'' (1962), ''

'' (1965), ''

'' (1969), ''

'' (1970), and ''

'' (1973). Jones was frequently cast alongside his close friend

Strother Martin Strother Douglas Martin Jr. (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah. Among Martin's memorable ...

, most memorably as the posse member and

bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...

"T. C." in ''The Wild Bunch''. Jones also appeared as recurring characters on such western series as ''

'' (1955), ''

'' (1955), '' Laramie'', ''

Two Faces West ''Two Faces West'' is an American syndicated Western television series set in the Wild West running from October 1960 to July 1961 for a total of 39 half-hour episodes (one per week on a continuous run). It was produced by Donald Gold and Jon ...

'' (1960–1961), and as ranch hand Andy Belden in '' The Virginian'' (1962). That same year (1962) Jones appeared as Ollie Earnshaw, a rich rancher looking for a bride, on '' Lawman'', in the episode titled "The Bride". He was cast in the military drama series ''Men of Annapolis'', on the CBS western ''

Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882) was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County War in Texas during which h ...

'', and on the NBC western ''

Jefferson Drum ''Jefferson Drum'', also known as ''The Pen and the Quill'', is an American Western television series starring Jeff Richards that aired on the NBC network from April 25 to April 23, 1959. Overview Jefferson Drum, portrayed by Jeff Richards, i ...

''. He made two guest appearances on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'', including the role of con artist and murder victim Charles B. Barnaby in "The Case of the Lonely Heiress" (1958) and as Edward Lewis in "The Case of the Badgered Brother" (1963). He appeared in ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'', season 1, episode 15 in January 1969. He also appeared in an episode of ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...

'' titled "Cowboy George" and two episodes of ''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action-adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It stars Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonl ...

'' as Sheriff Dwight Leclerc. In 1971, Jones appeared as Belden in ''The Men From Shiloh'' (the final season rebranding of ''The Virginian'') episode titled "The Town Killer". Jones' other films include ''

Men in War ''Men in War'' is a 1957 black-and-white American war film about the Korean War directed by Anthony Mann and starring Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray as the leaders of a small detachment of American soldiers cut off and desperately trying to rejoin th ...

'' (1957); ''

The Naked and the Dead ''The Naked and the Dead'' is a novel written by Norman Mailer. Published by Rinehart & Company in 1948, when he was 25, it was his debut novel. It depicts the experiences of a platoon during World War II, based partially on Mailer's experienc ...

'' (1958); ''

Flaming Star ''Flaming Star'' is a 1960 American Western film starring Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden, and Steve Forrest, based on the book ''Flaming Lance'' (1958) by Clair Huffaker. Critics agreed that Presley gave one of his better acting performances as ...

'' (1960); '' Cimarron'' (1960); '' Hell Is for Heroes'' (1962); ''

Hang 'Em High ''Hang 'Em High'' is a 1968 American revisionist Western film directed by Ted Post and written by Leonard Freeman and Mel Goldberg. It stars Clint Eastwood as Jed Cooper, an innocent man who survives a lynching; Inger Stevens as a widow who ...

'' (1968); ''

Stay Away, Joe ''Stay Away, Joe'' is a 1968 American comedy western film with musical interludes, set in modern times and starring Elvis Presley, Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell, Katy Jurado and Thomas Gomez. Directed by Peter Tewksbury, the film is based ...

'' (1968); ''

The Brotherhood of Satan ''The Brotherhood of Satan'' is a 1971 American supernatural horror film directed by Bernard McEveety, produced by L. Q. Jones and Alvy Moore, and starring Jones, Strother Martin, and Ahna Capri. Its plot follows Ben Holden, a widower ( Charles ...

'' (1971), which he co-produced and wrote; '' Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan'' (1975); White Line Fever 1976 ''

Lone Wolf McQuade ''Lone Wolf McQuade'' is a 1983 American Neo-western action film directed by Steve Carver and starring Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Leon Isaac Kennedy and Robert Beltran. Plot J.J. McQuad ...

'' (1983); ''

'' (1995); ''Tornado!'' (1996); ''

The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is a British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist o ...

'' (1997); ''

'' (1998); and ''

'' (2006). Jones directed, produced, and wrote the screenplay for '' A Boy and His Dog''.

Personal life and death

On July 9, 2022, Jones died from natural causes at his

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...

home in Los Angeles at the age of 94.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* *
L.Q. Jones at Aveleyman.com
*
L.Q. Jones Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, L.Q. 1927 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Film directors from Texas Hugo Award–winning writers Lamar University alumni Male Western (genre) film actors Male actors from Texas Military personnel from Texas People from Beaumont, Texas United States Navy personnel of World War II University of Texas School of Law alumni Western (genre) television actors Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Warner Bros. contract players American science fiction film directors