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Gordon Jones

Gordon Jones

Actor · Died June 20, 1963, aged 52 · Alden, Iowa, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gordon Wynnivo Jones (April 5, 1911 – 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). By the end of the 1940s, Jones had aged into a beefier screen presence and into very physical character roles. He was no longer a leading man but he had developed a comic villain persona which meshed with the work of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Jones' association with the duo began in The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947) with the role of the film's heavy, Jake Frame, and continued through their television series The Abbott and Costello Show. Jones played "Mike the Cop", Costello's hulking, loud-voiced antagonist. The program was produced for only two seasons, but ensured continued recognition for Jones via frequent reruns and a 21st Century DVD release. Jones also remained busy in films and on television throughout the 1950s, in pictures that ranged from the sci-fi chiller The Monster That Challenged the World to the Tony Curtis/Janet Leigh sex comedy The Perfect Furlough, and on TV series ranging from The Real McCoys to The Rifleman. Jones also appeared in two very successful Disney movies during the early '60s, The Absent-Minded Professor and Son of Flubber. He played harried school coaches in both pictures. He also starred with Mitzi Green and Virginia Gibson in the short-lived TV sitcom So This Is Hollywood (1955), and had a recurring role as neighbor Butch Barton during the early years of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Jones returned to the John Wayne stock company portraying Douglas, the bureaucrat antagonist to Wayne's G.W. McLintock in the Western comedy McLintock! (1963). Jones unexpectedly succumbed to a heart attack on June 12, 1963, five months before the release of that movie. Jones has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the West side of the 1600 block of Vine Street.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 5, 1911
Died
June 20, 1963 (aged 52)
From
Alden, Iowa, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
56 on MovieCove · 116 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 19% in 30 days

What are Gordon Jones' films like?

Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 25th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
31%
Bonds
26%
Self
12%
Survival
11%
Power
7%
Society
6%
Ideas
6%
Justice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 35 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 24 · Serious 5 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 20 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 14 · Charged 19 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 19 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 10

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 28 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 34 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 5 of 12 analyzed roles.

Ally
5 of 12
Hero
2 of 12
Shadow
2 of 12
Herald
1 of 12
Threshold guardian
1 of 12
Trickster
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Joyful
13
Warm
13
Hopeful
12
Thrilling
8
Other
28

How their films linger

Feel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy28
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gordon Jones' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 56 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gordon Jones' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

116 credits, 56 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Abbott and Costello Show: Who's On First? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Mike the Cop (archive footage)

  • McLintock!(1963)

    as Matt Douglas

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Lucy Show(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie Vantassel

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Everything's Ducky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Conroy

  • Master of the World(1961)

    as Talkative Townsman

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Case of the Dangerous Robin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Nels Bergstrom

  • Surfside 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond(1960)

    as Police Sgt. Joe Cassidy

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Battle of the Coral Sea(1959)

    as Torpedoman Bates

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Hawaiian Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Dennis the Menace(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Laramie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Battle Flame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Sgt. McKelvey

  • The Shaggy Dog(1959)

    as Captain Scanlon

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Perfect Furlough(1958)

    as Sylvia

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Live Fast, Die Young(1958)

    as Pop Winters

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Deputy Gillis

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Sugarfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheriff · as Wasco Wolters

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Joel Finlay · as Mike Gower

  • The Monster That Challenged the World(1957)

    as Sheriff Josh Peters

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend(1957)

    as Pvt. Wilbur Clegg

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Spring Reunion(1956)

    as Jack Frazer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • Cheyenne(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Smoke Signal(1955)

    as Corporal Rogers

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Treasure of Ruby Hills(1955)

    as Jack Voyle

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Scanlon - Chief of Police

  • Lassie(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • The Outlaw Stallion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Wagner

  • Take the High Ground!(1953)

    as Moose (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Island in the Sky(1953)

    as Walrus

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Woman They Almost Lynched(1953)

    as Yankee Sergeant

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • I'm the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Abbott and Costello Show(1952)

    Show 33 episodes · as Mike Kelly

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon(1952)

    as Curly Wolf

  • Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Treusch

  • Wagon Team(1952)

    as Marshal Sam Taplin

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Big Jim McLain(1952)

    as Olaf

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Winning Team(1952)

    as George Glasheen

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Sound Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Crockett

  • Gobs and Gals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as CPO Mike Donovan

  • Dangerous Assignment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Corky of Gasoline Alley(1951)

    as Elwood Martin

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Racket Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Curly Wolf

  • Heart of the Rockies(1951)

    as Splinters McGonigle

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Spoilers of the Plains(1951)

    as Splinters

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Trail of Robin Hood(1950)

    as Splinters McGonigle

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • North of the Great Divide(1950)

    as Splinters McGonagle

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Sunset in the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Splinters

  • Big Timber (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Jocko

  • The Gene Autry Show(1950)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Trigger, Jr.(1950)

    as Splinters

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Arizona Cowboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as I.Q. Barton

  • The Palomino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Bill Hennessey

  • Belle of Old Mexico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Tex Barnet

  • Dear Wife(1949)

    as Taxi Cab Driver

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Tokyo Joe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Idaho

  • Easy Living(1949)

    as Bill 'Holly' Holloran

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Black Midnight(1949)

    as Roy

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Soft Touch(1949)

    as Muggles (Uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Untamed Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Happy Keegan

  • Black Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Benjy Laughton

  • Sons of Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Andy Baldwin

  • A Foreign Affair(1948)

    as Military Police

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Whispering City(1947)

    as Reporter

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap(1947)

    as Jake Frame

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty(1947)

    as Tubby Wadsworth

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Youth Runs Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Truck Driver (uncredited)

  • Flying Tigers(1942)

    as Alabama Smith

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Highways by Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as 'Footsy' Fogarty

  • My Sister Eileen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as 'The Wreck' Loomis

  • Among the Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Bill Oakley

  • You Belong to Me(1941)

    as Robert Andrews

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Blonde from Singapore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as 'Waffles' Billings

  • The Feminine Touch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Rubber-Legs Ryan

  • Texas Rangers Ride Again(1940)

    as Ranger Radio Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Girl from Havana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Tubby Waters

  • Up in the Air(1940)

    as Tex Barton

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • I Take This Oath(1940)

    as Steve Hanagan

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Doctor Takes a Wife(1940)

    as O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Green Hornet(1940)

    as Britt Reid / The Green Hornet

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Henry Goes Arizona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Tug Evans (uncredited)

  • Disputed Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Bill Anderson

  • When Tomorrow Comes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Radio Technician (uncredited)

  • Invitation to Happiness(1939)

    as Dutch Arnold (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Big Town Czar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Chuck Hardy

  • Pride of the Navy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Joe Falcon

  • The Long Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Jeff Clayton

  • Out West with the Hardys(1938)

    as Ray Holt

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • I Stand Accused (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Blackie

  • Rich Man, Poor Girl(1938)

    as Tom Grogan

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Quick Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Bill Adams

  • Fight for Your Lady(1937)

    as Mike Scanlon

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Big Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Chester Scott

  • There Goes My Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Dunn

  • China Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Joe Dugan

  • Sea Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Puggy

  • They Wanted to Marry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Jim Tyler

  • We Who Are About to Die(1936)

    as Slim Tolliver

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Night Waitress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Martin Rhodes

  • Don't Turn 'em Loose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Joe Graves

  • Walking on Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Joe

  • Devil's Squadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Tex

  • Strike Me Pink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Butch Carson

  • Red Salute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Michael (Lefty) Jones

  • Let 'em Have It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Tex

  • Wild Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Vigilante (uncredited)

  • Three Rogues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Teamster (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 90th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 116 titles from 1931 to 2011.

Biggest box office

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)

$957K worldwide

Highest rated

A Foreign Affair (1948)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

The Abbott and Costello Show (1952)

Film career

  • 1941Screen debut· Among the Living

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting116 of 116: 116 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score50th

By decade

1930s27 · acting1940s26 · acting1950s55 · acting1960s7 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 12 roles
4151

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Gordon Jones' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of the 44 of 45 with a score; across their 35 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Approval · how many liked their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Reach · how many have seen their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Midcredits score across 55 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th22
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 55 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed10
  • Mixed16

Most divisive · actor

Big Jim McLain (1952)

66th percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Foreign Affair (1948)

Midcredits 90th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Gordon Jones work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gordon Jones' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Witney shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers