Allan Jones

Actor, Singer

About

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Birth Place

Old Forge, Pennsylvania, USA

Born

October 14, 1907

Died

June 27, 1992

Cause of Death

Lung Cancer

Biography

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Stalwart, curly-haired American leading man and singer, perhaps best remembered for handling the obligatory romantic role in two Marx Brothers comedies, "A Night at the Opera" (1935) and "A Day at the Races" (1937). Jones also played riverboat gambler Gaylord Ravenal opposite Irene Dunne in James Whale's marvelous 1936 adaptation of the stage classic "Show Boat." Possessing a genial pers...

Filmography

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Sub Rosa Rising (1971)

A Swingin' Summer (1965)

Stage to Thunder Rock (1964)

Mayor Ted Dollar

Senorita from the West (1945)

Honeymoon Ahead (1945)

Sing a Jingle (1944)

Ray King [also known as Steve Roberts]

Photos & Videos

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Rose-Marie (1936) -- (Movie Clip) Romeo And Juliet

Firefly, The (1937) -- (Movie Clip) Salute The New King

Family & Companions

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Irene Hervey

Wife

Actor. Married in 1936; divorced in 1957; died on December 20, 1998 at age 89.

Maria Jones

Wife

Survived him.

Biography

Stalwart, curly-haired American leading man and singer, perhaps best remembered for handling the obligatory romantic role in two Marx Brothers comedies, "A Night at the Opera" (1935) and "A Day at the Races" (1937). Jones also played riverboat gambler Gaylord Ravenal opposite Irene Dunne in James Whale's marvelous 1936 adaptation of the stage classic "Show Boat." Possessing a genial personality and a fine baritone, Jones enjoyed modest success in Hollywood for several years without ever attaining the star status of which he seemed capable. He was played up as a second-string Nelson Eddy, and consequently never developed a distinctive persona of his own. One of his best-remembered moments in film was his singing in "The Firefly" (1937) of the tuneful "The Donkey Serenade," which later became something of a trademark song for Jones. After his film career waned, Jones kept busy with singing tours and stage work, including touring companies of shows from "Guys and Dolls" in the 1950s to "Man of La Mancha" in the 1970s. At one time married to actress and singer Irene Hervey, Jones was the father (by Hervey) of singer Jack Jones.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Sub Rosa Rising (1971)

A Swingin' Summer (1965)

Stage to Thunder Rock (1964)

Mayor Ted Dollar

Senorita from the West (1945)

Honeymoon Ahead (1945)

Sing a Jingle (1944)

Ray King [also known as Steve Roberts]

Larceny with Music (1943)

When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1943)

Johnny Kovacs [also known as Johnny O'Rourke]

Rhythm of the Islands (1943)

Tommy Jones, also known as "Chief Atamu"

You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith (1943)

Crazy House (1943)

True to the Army (1942)

Private Bill Chandler

Moonlight in Havana (1942)

Johnny ["Whizzer"] Norton

There's Magic in Music (1941)

One Night in the Tropics (1940)

The Boys from Syracuse (1940)

Antipholus of Ephesus ["Eph"]/Antipholus of Syracuse ["Sy"]

The Great Victor Herbert (1939)

Honeymoon in Bali (1939)

Everybody Sing (1938)

[Richard] Ricky Saboni

The Firefly (1937)

Don Diego [also known as Captain Andre François]

A Day at the Races (1937)

Rose-Marie (1936)

Reckless (1935)

A Night at the Opera (1935)

Ricardo [Barone]

Music (Feature Film)

Radio Days (1987)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Singing voice double for Stanley Morner in "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" number

Cast (Short)

Soaring Stars (1942)

Hollywood Hobbies (1939)

Cinema Circus (1937)

Lest We Forget (1937)

Life Events

1935

Made film debut in "Reckless"

1937

Performed his signature song, "The Donkey Serenade" in the MGM film "The Firefly", opposite Jeanette MacDonald

1945

Last feature film for nearly two decades, "Senorita from the West"

1964

Returned to films for "Stage to Thunder Rock"

1970

Last acting performance in a feature film, "A Man Called Sledge"

1971

Narrated the adult documentary, "Sub Rosa Rising"

1991

Toured Florida in musical act with son Jack Jones

1992

Completed singing tour of Australia three months before his death

Photo Collections

A Night at the Opera - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Here are a few photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of MGM's A Night at the Opera (1935), starring the Marx Bros. and directed by Sam Wood.

The Boys from Syracuse - Title Lobby Card

Here is the Title Lobby Card from Universal's The Boys from Syracuse (1940). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Videos

Rose-Marie (1936) -- (Movie Clip) Romeo And Juliet Opening in a fancy Montreal theater, Jeanette MacDonald as the star Marie de Flor, performing in the French opera Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod, Jules Barbier and Marcel Carre, big troubles coming in her personal life, in Rose-Marie, 1936 also starring Nelson Eddy.

Firefly, The (1937) -- (Movie Clip) Salute The New King Crash, bang, boom, glory, the gung-ho opening from MGM and director Robert Z. Leonard, introducing only the supporting player Tom Rutherford as Spain’s new King Ferdinand VII, in Madrid, 1808, French occupiers observing, from The Firefly, 1937, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Allan Jones.

Firefly, The (1937) -- (Movie Clip) Love Is Like A Firefly The second number but the first vocal for Jeanette MacDonald, Rudolf Friml’s tune and English lyric by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest, as Madrid entertainer Nina Maria, and we know she’s only flirting with Don Diego (Allan Jones) in order to shake an amorous French officer, in MGM’s The Firefly, 1937.

Firefly, The (1937) -- (Movie Clip) Donkey Serenade Seemingly carefree Spaniard Don Diego (Allan Jones) has pursued singer and secret spy Nina Maria (Jeanette MacDonald) en route to her mission in France, her disinterest cueing what would become Jones’ signature song (music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, lyric by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest), to the livestock, accompanied by driver Manuel Alvarez Maciste, in MGM’s The Firefly, 1937.

Day At The Races, A (1937) -- (Movie Clip) I Told You To Throw That Race! Harpo Marx is introduced as mute jockey Stuffy, who recklessly wins a race he was supposed to throw, pursued by crooked banker Morgan (Douglas Dumbrille), aided by his horse owner pal (Allan Jones) and then race track hustler Tony (brother Chico), early in A Day At The Races, 1937.

Night at the Opera, A (1935) -- (Movie Clip) Fiorello, Tomasso Fiorello (Chico Marx) meets Tomasso (Harpo Marx) backstage for a salami exchange before visiting with old pal and singer Ricardo (Allan Jones) in an early scene from A Night at the Opera, 1935.

Night at the Opera, A (1935) -- (Movie Clip) State Room This is most of the famed "State Room" sequence featuring Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx along with Harry "Zoop" Welsh as the steward and too many others in A Night at the Opera, 1935.

Everybody Sing (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Quainty, Dainty Me Ricky (Allan Jones) and Judy (Judy Garland) observe as Russian servant Olga (Fanny Brice) reveals hidden talents, performing "Quainty, Dainty Me" by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby in Everybody Sing, 1938.

Everybody Sing (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Opening Credits Opening title sequence for producer Harry Rapf's MGM variety programmer Everybody Sing, 1938, starring Judy Garland and Allan Jones, featuring performances by Fanny Brice.

Show Boat (1936) -- (Movie Clip) Young Girls Like Us... Magnolia (Irene Dunne) leads the cast (Queenie Smith, Allan Jones, Sammy White, et al) through mishaps and intrusions from a patron (Stanley Fields) in James Whale's Show Boat, 1936, from the Edna Ferber novel.

Rose-Marie (1936) - (Original Trailer) An opera singer goes undercover in the Canadian wilderness to hunt for her criminal brother in Rose Marie (1936) starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.

Firefly, The - (Original Trailer) A Spanish spy (Jeanette MacDonald) masquerades as a singer to sabotage Napoleon's forces in this MGM adaptation of the Rudolf Friml operetta.

Reckless - (Original Trailer) A theatrical star (Jean Harlow) gets in over her head when she marries a drunken millionaire (William Powell) in Reckless (1935).

Day at the Races, A - (Original Trailer) The Marx Brothers try to save a pretty girl's sanitarium in A Day at the Races (1937).

Everybody Sing - (Original Trailer) A theatrical family tries to put on a show but is upstaged by its servants in Everybody Sing (1938) starring Allan Jones, Fanny Brice and Judy Garland.

Night at the Opera, A - (Re-issue Trailer) Three zanies turn an operatic performance into chaos in their efforts to promote their protege's romance with the leading lady in A Night at the Opera (1935), one of the Marx Brothers most popular films.

Family

Gail Christiansen

Step-Daughter

Mother, Irene Hervey.

Jack Jones

Son

Entertainer, singer. Mother, Irene Hervey.

Ted Jones

Son

Mother, Maria Jones.

Companions

Irene Hervey

Wife

Actor. Married in 1936; divorced in 1957; died on December 20, 1998 at age 89.

Maria Jones

Wife

Survived him.

Bibliography

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