In the 1965-66 season, critics hailed Chris Jones, star of THE LEGEND OF JESSE JAMES as the acting find of the year! One great topic of discussion that dogged him, though, was his resemblance to the late James Dean, then already a cult figure. It got him noticed and talked about but he was more than just that look.
In 1968's feature film, WILD IN THE STREETS, Jones became the hottest thing in Hollywood but he didn't keep the momentum going with his next few films and, after a 1970 nervous breakdown, retired from show business to become a trivia question.
Ironically, like James Dean, his legacy consists of just a handful of screen appearances and some earlier TV roles.
Christopher Jones died on January 31st, 2014.
I wonder if "Wild in the Streets" was the inspiration for "Prez"?
ReplyDeleteI recall Jones was in the film version of John Le Carre's "Looking Glass War," with a young Anthony Hopkins.