Busier than ever at 75

Shirley Jones does wholesome as well as anybody in the business (with the possible exception of Doris Day).

She played the loving mum Shirley Partridge in the 1970-74 musical sitcom The Partridge Family and the lovable girl next door in such film musicals as Oklahoma! and Carousel.

But there is another side to her career: An actress of strong dramatic mettle willing to take risky roles.

She got glowing reviews in a 1956 Playhouse 90 drama The Big Slide and won a supporting actress Academy Award for her role in 1960's Elmer Gantry with Burt Lancaster.

“Those were great roles,'' says Jones, now 75 but still svelte and sporting the signature short hairstyle she has had for nearly 40 years. Her blond hair, though, is now a rich greyish white.

“The problem with Partridge — though it was great for me and gave me an opportunity to stay home and raise my children — when my agents came to me and presented it to me, they said if you do a series and it becomes a hit show, you will be that character for the rest of your life and your movie career will go into the toilet, which is what happened. But I have no regrets.''

She has a role in an upcoming episode of the A&E drama series The Cleaner scheduled to air this summer.

“It's an incredible part. I wear a black wig ...'' Jones is relaxing in the quaint living room of her sprawling home in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, which she shares with her second husband, comic actor Marty Ingels.

Decorating the walls are pictures of her sons with her first husband, the late singer-actor Jack Cassidy: TV producer-writer Shaun, actor Patrick, art director Ryan and stepson David, with whom she starred in The Partridge Family.

Shaun has created a new series for Patrick and David for ABC Family about two brothers who were big rock stars 20 years ago called Ruby and the Rockits. “I will pop in and out as grandma,'' Jones says.

Although Hollywood may be youth-obsessed, Jones is busier than ever.

Besides The Cleaner and Ruby, she is also joining Florence Henderson, aka Mrs Brady from The Brady Bunch, for a show with the Indianapolis Symphony in November.

And she is on tap to host a PBS special on film musicals. “It's in the works,'' Jones says. “They have to raise the money for it.''

Performing is just as much fun now as it was five decades ago although, Jones adds, “it is more of a challenge. I have to say that. I feel I have to prepare more.''

The lady reminisces about actors she worked with

Over the years, Shirley Jones has appeared opposite some of Hollywood's top leading men. Here is what she has to say about some of them:

• Robert Preston: ‘The Music Man' (1962)

“The lovely thing about him is that he had done ‘Music Man' on Broadway for three years. A lot of times when people have done a role [on Broadway] and they come out to the film and work with other people, the usual line is, ‘We did it this way.' He did none of that.''

• Burt Lancaster: ‘Elmer Gantry' (1960)

“He was my mentor. Burt is the one who saw me in ‘The Big Slide' and called me in San Francisco. I was doing a nightclub act with Jack Cassidy. He said, ‘Have you ever read the Sinclair Lewis novel ‘Elmer Gantry'? I said, ‘No.' He said, `Go get it and come down next week, I would like you to have a meeting with our writer-director Richard Brooks for the part of Lulu.'''

• Jimmy Stewart: ‘Two Rode Together' (1961) and ‘The Cheyenne Social Club' (1970)

“He was such a consummate actor. I remember I had a scene to do with him one day and I said, `I'm not sure of the words, Jimmy, they are escaping me today.' He said, ‘Well, nevermind, just make them up as you go along.'''

• Marlon Brando: ‘Bedtime Story' (1964)

“I got Brando at his best because he was dying to do comedy. It was nothing for him to do 60 takes on one scene. I said no wonder they said he is the greatest American actor because every actor who worked with him was so exhausted at the
end of a scene.''