Dean Jones (1931-2015)

[Kai "the spy"]

Dean Jones, star of the classic "Herbie" movies, as well as several other Disney classics, passed away on Tuesday, September 1st, at 84 years of age.

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-dean-jones-20150903-story.html

As many others here, I'm sure, I grew up with "The Love Bug", but also loved "Blackbeard's Ghost", in which he co-starred with Sir Peter Ustinov.

 

[Melakon]

I first remember seeing Dean in the short-lived tv navy comedy Ensign O'Toole, around 1962.

 

[Samurai8472]

The love bug VHS movies were a staple of my childhood.

It was real nice for him to come back in 1997 for the ABC tv movie.

He played a really creepy vet too in "Beethoven"

 

[gblews]

I don't know how many are aware, but Dean Jones had an incredible (and I mean INCREDIBLE), singing voice. He was supposed to play the lead in the original Broadway cast of the musical, "Company", but opted out because of illness or nerves or something. They let him out of his contract but because his singing was irreplaceable, he had to do the cast album. You should check out the live recordings of "Being Alive" and "Barcelona", on Youtube,

RIP

 

[Shaka Zulu]

I'm losing everybody I ever cared about in the world of entertainment.

Not only was he in those The Love Bug movies, later in life he was the voice of the nice-guy version of General Sam Lane (USAF, as opposed to the comic book where Lane is in the U.S. Army) in the 'Monkey Fun' episode of Superman: The Animated Series.

Rest in peace, Mr. Jones.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT8VfInTtFQ[/yt]

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buGuphvMkp8[/yt]

 

[Greg Cox]

By coincidence, I saw him in an old horror movie a few weeks ago: TWO ON A GUILLOTINE with Connie Stevens and Cesar Romero. A fun movie, and he was good in it.

 

[JanewayRulz!]

We're all getting older and so are our touchstones.

I loved the Herbie movies, and Dean Jones.

 

[J.T.B.]

When I was a kid and The Wonderful World of Disney was must-see TV, Dean Jones was one of the biggest stars in the world to me. He could play decent, good guy straight men without making them dull or stiff, and always with a sly sense of humor underneath. Sorry to see him go.

I don't know how many are aware, but Dean Jones had an incredible (and I mean INCREDIBLE), singing voice.

NPR played some of that yesterday, it was really nice to hear.

 

[Timewalker]

I remember him more for That Darn Cat! and The Shaggy D.A.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

By coincidence, I saw him in an old horror movie a few weeks ago: TWO ON A GUILLOTINE with Connie Stevens and Cesar Romero. A fun movie, and he was good in it.

I saw that movie again a few months back myself, and I agree, he was good in it.

 

[VivienSM]

L just remember his awesome voice.