Gordon Wynnivo Jones (April 5, 1912 â€" 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).
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).
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