Walter Jones

Walter Newton Jones, better known as Walter Jones, (October 2, 1874- May 26, 1922) was an American actor, comedian, and singer who had an active performance career from 1886 through 1921. As a younger performer he was athletic, lanky, and slim, and often incorporated acrobatics into his work as a comedic actor. He later developed into a heavy set man who was known for his skills as a mimic. He was married to the dancer and actress Blanche Deyo (1878-1933). Jones began his performance career at the age of 12 as an acrobat and clown in the circus troupe the Cyclonic Vincents. He then performed briefly in blackface in minstrel shows before beginning his legitimate acting career in the theatre troupe of William A. Mestayer in which he performed from 1888 to 1891. In the early 1890s he toured nationally in vaudeville and in a variety of burlesque and musical comedy works. Scouted by the theatrical impresario Edward E. Rice, he joined the 1893 production of 1492 Up to Date in which he scored in the duo role of the comic tramp character Charley Tatters and King Ferdinand of Aragon. He made his Broadway debut in this work which had a lengthy run at Palmer's Theatre in 1893-1894. He became closely associated with portraying tramps on the stage; returning with some frequency to that type of character into the early twentieth century. Jones returned to the New York stage in Rice's Excelsior, Jr. in 1895. He starred in nearly twenty more Broadway production over the next 26 years; encompassing both musicals and plays. His final Broadway appearance was in Wilson Collison and Avery Hopwood's 1921 play Getting Gertie's Garter. His greatest success in New York was as Jimmy Jinks in the hit play Baby Mine which ran on Broadway in 1910–1911 with a cast led by Jones and Marguerite Clark. He later reunited with Clark in the 1920 silent film Easy to Get.