Ike Jones was a trailblazing film producer and actor who made history as the first African American to have his name on a major motion picture. He also had a secret marriage to actress Inger Stevens, which was only revealed after her death in 1970. Jones died of complications from a stroke and congestive heart failure in 2014 at the age of 84. This article will explore his life, career, and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Early Life and Education
Ike Jones was born Isaac Lolette Jones on December 23, 1929 in Santa Monica, California. He attended Santa Monica High School, where he excelled in academics and athletics. He studied motion picture production at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, becoming the first African American graduate of the program in 1953. He also played end for the Bruins football team and was named to the All-Pacific Coast Conference team in 1952. He declined an offer from the Green Bay Packers in the 1953 NFL Draft to pursue his film career.
Career in Film and Television
Jones started his career as an actor in bit parts and as an assistant director on The Joe Louis Story in 1953. He later worked as an assistant producer for Hill-Hecht Lancaster Company, which produced films starring Burt Lancaster. He then joined Harry Belafonte’s Harbel Productions as vice president of development, overseeing projects for the singer and actor. In the 1960s, he headed Nat King Cole’s Kell-Cole Productions, which produced the singer’s live shows and television specials.
Jones achieved his breakthrough as a producer on A Man Called Adam, a 1966 film starring Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Armstrong as jazz musicians. This was the first time that an African American was hired as a producer on a major motion picture. Jones also had a small role in the film as a reporter. He later produced other films and television shows, such as The Comedians (1967), The Split (1968), The Lost Man (1969), and A Woman Called Moses (1978), a miniseries starring Cicely Tyson as Harriet Tubman.
Secret Marriage to Inger Stevens
Jones married Swedish-born actress Inger Stevens on November 18, 1961 in Tijuana, Mexico. Stevens was known for her roles in films such as The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959) and Hang ‘Em High (1968), and for her Emmy-winning performance in the television series The Farmer’s Daughter (1963-1966). Jones suggested that they keep their marriage a secret to avoid harming her career, as interracial marriages were still taboo in Hollywood at the time. They also spent much time apart due to their busy schedules, which strained their relationship. They eventually separated, but never divorced.
On April 30, 1970, Stevens was found semi-conscious in her Hollywood Hills home by her friend Lola McNally. She died on the way to the hospital of acute barbiturate intoxication, which was later ruled a suicide. She left no will and Jones filed to become administrator of her estate, making their marriage public for the first time. Despite being unable to produce a valid marriage license, he was granted his request by the court, with the support of Stevens’ brother Carl O. Stensland. Jones announced that he would use part of Stevens’ estate to open a mental health care clinic in her name in Watts, Los Angeles, but no such clinic was ever established.
Death and Legacy
Jones continued to work in the film industry until the early 1980s, when he retired from producing. He suffered a stroke several months before his death and also had congestive heart failure. He died in an assisted-living facility in Los Angeles on October 5, 2014. He was survived by his son Joshua Jones from a previous relationship.
Jones was a pioneer of Black Hollywood who paved the way for other African American producers and actors. He also had a fascinating personal life that was shrouded in mystery until after his wife’s death. He is remembered as a talented and visionary filmmaker who broke barriers and challenged stereotypes.
