Biography
This page uses content from the Shirley Jones biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning singer and actress, perhaps best known for her role as "Shirley Partridge," the widowed single mother of five children, in the television series The Partridge Family, co-starring her real-life stepson, David Cassidy.
Biography
Early life
Jones was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Later moving to Smithton P.A, to Marjorie Williams and Paul Jones, who was the owner of the Jones Brewing Company. An only child, she was named after Shirley Temple. She won a beauty pageant as a teenager and was crowned "Miss Pittsburgh 1952."
Career
Before The Partridge Family, Jones had already achieved fame as a singer and actress. She starred in many films, including the highly successful musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The Music Man. In a rare "naughty girl" role, she won an Oscar as a prostitute corrupted by Burt Lancaster, who then takes revenge upon him in Elmer Gantry. She attempted a television comeback in 1979 with the family drama Shirley, but the series fared poorly and was canceled after thirteen episodes.
Although best known for her movie and television roles, Shirley has an impressive stage résumé, including the musical Maggie Flynn on Broadway and a stellar turn in a rare revival of Noel Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet at the Long Beach Civic Light Opera in 1983. In 2004, Shirley returned to Broadway in a revival of 42nd Street, portraying diva "Dorothy Brock", opposite her son, Patrick Cassidy, the first known time a mother and son starred together on Broadway. In July 2005, Shirley revisited the musical Carousel onstage in Massachusetts portraying Cousin Nettie. Shirley continues to appear in venues nationwide, in concert and in speaking engagements.
In July 2006, Jones received an Emmy nomination for her supporting performance in the TV film "Hidden Places".
Personal life
She married actor Jack Cassidy on August 5, 1956, with whom she had 3 sons, Shaun, Patrick and Ryan; David Cassidy, Jack's only child from his first marriage to actress Evelyn Ward, became her stepson. Divorcing Cassidy in 1974, she later married comic/actor Marty Ingels on November 13, 1977. Despite drastically different personalities and several separations (she filed, then withdrew, a divorce petition in 2002), they remain married.
She is a registered Republican who appeared at the 1988 Republican Convention and sang the National Anthem. She also sang at the 2003 lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., at George W. Bush's request.
Jones and her son Shaun Cassidy are the only mother and son to each have a song reach number one on the Billboard Charts. Jones hit #1 with The Partridges "I Think I Love You" in 1970. Shaun followed that in 1977 with "Da Do Run Run".
Filmography
- Oklahoma! (1955)
- Carousel (1956)
- April Love (1957)
- Never Steal Anything Small (1959)
- Bobbikins (1960)
- Elmer Gantry (1960)
- Pepe (1960)
- Two Rode Together (1961)
- The Music Man (1962)
- The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
- A Ticklish Affair (1963)
- Dark Purpose (1964)
- Bedtime Story (1964)
- Fluffy (1965)
- The Secret of My Success (1965)
- The Gulf (1969)
- The Happy Ending (1969)
- Oddly Coupled (1970)
- The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)
- Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
- Tank (1984)
- Cops n Roberts (1995) (Cameo)
- This Is My Father (1998) (documentary)
- Gideon (1999)
- The Adventures of Cinderella's Daughter (2000)
- Ping! (2000)
- Manna from Heaven (2002)
- The Creature of the Sunny Side Up Trailer Park (2004)
- Raising Genius (2004)
- Grandma's Boy (2006)
Upcoming:
- Who Stole Santa's Sack? (2006) (voice)
TV work
- Out of the Blue (1968)
- Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969)
- The Partridge Family (1970-1974)
- But I Don't Want to Get Married! (1970)
- The Girls of Huntington House (1973)
- The Family Nobody Wanted (1975)
- Winner Take All (1975)
- The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975)
- Yesterday's Child (1977)
- Evening in Byzantium (1978)
- Who'll Save Our Children? (1978)
- A Last Cry for Help (1979)
- Shirley (1979-1980)
- The Children of An Lac (1980)
- Inmates: A Love Story (1981)
- The Adventures of Pollyanna (1982)
- There Were Times, Dear (1987)
- Charlie (1989)
- Deadly Games (1995)
- Dog's Best Friend (1997)
- Melrose Place (cast member in 1998)
Stage work
- South Pacific (1953) (Broadway, ensemble role)
- Me and Juliet (1954) (Chicago and National Tour)
- Oklahoma! (1956) (European tour with Jack Cassidy)
- The Beggar's Opera (1957) (with Jack Cassidy)
- Wish You Were Here! (1959) (Dallas State Fair Theater with Jack Cassidy)
- Maggie Flynn (1967) (Broadway with Jack Cassidy)
- Wait Until Dark (1967) (with Jack Cassidy)
- The Marriage Band (1972) (with Jack Cassidy)
- On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1974)
- Show Boat (1976)
- The Sound of Music (1977)
- Bitter Sweet (1982)
- Love Letters (1994) (with Marty Ingels)
- The King & I (1994)
- Love Letters (1995) (with Marty Ingels)
- 42nd Street (2004) (Broadway with Patrick Cassidy)
- Carousel (2005)
External links
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the biographical information on this page under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
IGN RSS Feeds