#Fact1All though Oklahoma was her very first film, Shirley still regards legendary Austrian filmmaker Fred Zinnemann as the greatest director she ever had worked with.2Married Jack Cassidy at the Protestant Church of New Jerusalem in Cambridge, MA, at 2:00 pm on August 6, 1956. Four hours later they performed the evening show of John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera" at the Sanders Theatre on the Harvard campus.3Became pregnant by her husband Jack Cassidy soon after they married, but her agent persuaded her to have an abortion as her career had just taken off. Jones calls the termination the "biggest regret of my life".4Was just four years older than Susan Luckey, who played her daughter in Carousel (1956).5Knew David Cassidy when he was only 6.6When her The Partridge Family (1970) and Florence Henderson's The Brady Bunch (1969) were ruling the prime time airwaves, the tabloids were hungry for any hint of a feud between the two stars. Howerver, since the two had been good friends since 1954, there was never any "feud" to be reported about.7Her second husband, Marty Ingels, died on October 21, 2015. He lived to be 79.8She was so heartbroken when she lost Suzanne Crough, on April 27, 2015. On- and off-camera, Jones had a very good relationship with her, while working on The Partridge Family (1970).9Had screen-tested for the role of Kathy Selden in Singin' in the Rain (1952), but lost to Debbie Reynolds.10For her role on The Partridge Family (1970) she had to drive the family "bus", which had a standard ("stick")-shift transmission with the gearshift on the floor; she only knew how to drive a car with an automatic transmission, so she had to learn how to drive a stick-shift, which she never really got the hang of. That made for a nerve-wracking experience for cast members who had to be in the bus when she was driving.11Despite not being a lead vocalist, Jones was involved in every song of The Partridge Family (1970).12She recorded two or three shows at once, in a session, usually about 6 songs, every weekend and/or evenings for The Partridge Family (1970).13Had admitted that she had a crush on Gordon MacRae and was starstruck when she worked opposite him on Oklahoma! (1955). She said that she was the one who convinced him to take the part of Billy Bigelow in Carousel (1956). Frank Sinatra, who had originally been cast, suddenly dropped out during the first days of filming because each scene had to be shot twice, once in CinemaScope 55 (a wider-than-usual, 55mm, six-track stereo system) and once in 35mm CinemaScope. Sinatra felt that he should have been paid twice because technically he was shooting two films. Three weeks after he left, the producers found a way to film the scene once on 55mm, then transfer it onto 35mm.14The song, "I Think I Love You," reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart, making her the second person, after Frank Sinatra, and the first woman, to win an acting Oscar and also have a #1 hit on that chart.15Member of the Alzheimer's Foundation.16Friends with: Angela Lansbury, Bea Arthur, Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Doris Roberts, Della Reese, Marla Gibbs, Charlotte Rae, Florence Henderson, Marty Ingels, Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Harry Morgan, Alan Alda, Barbara Bel Geddes, Dick Van Dyke, Larry Hagman, Wink Martindale, Dick Van Patten, Mary Tyler Moore, James Garner, Bill Bixby, Ernest Borgnine, Andy Griffith, Rance Howard, Danny Thomas, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Robert Conrad, Larry Manetti, Karl Malden, Pat Boone, Betsy Palmer, Abby Dalton, Ruta Lee, Julie Adams, Piper Laurie, Anne Jeffreys, Katherine Helmond, Richard Mulligan, Shelley Morrison, Elizabeth Montgomery, Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Eddie Albert, Robert Wagner, Tony Randall, Peter Marshall, Dave Madden, Angie Dickinson, Michele Lee, James Stewart, Paul Junger Witt, Bob Claver, Drew Carey, Gordon Jump, Joanne Woodward, Jean Simmons, Shirley Knight, Mickey Rooney, Beverly Garland, Doris Day, Patti Page and Gordon MacRae.17Alongside Norman Lloyd, William Daniels, Dick Van Dyke, Ernest Borgnine, Mickey Rooney, Christopher Lee, Betty White, Angela Lansbury, Edward Asner, Marla Gibbs, Adam West, William Shatner, Larry Hagman, Florence Henderson and Alan Alda, Jones is one of the few actors in Hollywood who lived into their 80s and/or 90s without ever either retiring from acting or having stopped getting work.18From 1961-2000 she resided in a mansion in Beverly Hills, CA.19As of 2001 she was residing in Encino, CA.20While filming Fluffy (1965) she developed a special relationship with Hollywood's famous animal trainer Ralph Helfer's legendary African Lion Zamba.21Was engaged to Lou Malone, who was a West Point cadet.22Her favorite city is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.23Beat out Piper Laurie for the co-starring role in Elmer Gantry (1960).24An only child.25Her birthplace, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, is 30 miles, south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.26Her hobbies are singing, dancing, politics, philanthropy, spending time with her family, swimming and traveling.27A movie buff.28Other than herself, her former The Partridge Family (1970) co-star, David Cassidy, is the other singer of the band.29She traveled every summer to Pittsburgh where she took summer courses in college.30An animal lover.31Every summer her parents would take her to New York for her summer vacation.32Was going to attend Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ, to become a veterinarian.33Met Bernard Slade on a cruise, before she did The Partridge Family (1970).34Met Ken Welch at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, who asked her to do the musicals, at every audition.35On The Partridge Family (1970), her co-stars played musical instruments, as did her own family in real life.36When she was in school, the only subject she hated was math.37Before becoming a professional actress, she had been "Queen of the Children's Theater"' at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in Pittsburgh, PA.38Had a dog named Shane, which was a Shetland sheep dog.39Her grandparents owned and operated a hotel in Smithton, PA.40In 1946 she attended a summer camp in Lake Erie (NY) for girls.41A member of the National Honor Society.42Her favorite TV movie to date was Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969).43Former mother-in-law of Ann Pennington and Janice Pennington.44Originally, her character on The Partridge Family (1970) was going to be named Connie, but the producers eventually changed it to "Shirley".45Originally, on The Partridge Family (1970), the only cast member who was supposed to sing was her. However, after the producers heard David Cassidy's demos of the songs, they decided to let him sing as well.46Shirley and her sons are descendants of John of Gaunt and Katherine De Roet Swynford.47Is a supporter of PETA.48Of Welsh descent by her paternal grandfather.49Her ex-The Partridge Family (1970) co-star Dave Madden said in his memoirs that he did not get along with Jones' second husband Marty Ingels, and therefore had a limited relationship with her.50Met Eddie Albert on the set of Oklahoma! (1955), which was also her first movie. Their friendship would last for 50 years, until Albert's death on May 26, 2005.51Played a grandmother in two movies: Grandma's Boy (2006) and Family Weekend (2013).52Worked with Ron Howard twice: The Music Man (1962) and The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963).53Her first husband Jack Cassidy suffered from bipolar disorder.54Her mentor was Richard Brooks.55Met Florence Henderson when she and Jones were both in Richard Rodgers' and Oscar Hammerstein II's "Oklahoma"' in 1954.56The reason she turned down the lead role in The Brady Bunch (1969) is she didn't want to be seen as the mother at home, taking the roast out of the oven.57Her favorite television series to date was The Partridge Family (1970). She once said she liked that show, a lot, because it had music in it and Jones felt it had a chance to succeed because it was different.58The reason she took on the starring role on The Partridge Family (1970) was so she could play the first working mother ever to be portrayed on television.59Her favorite The Partridge Family (1970) episodes were the one with the skunk, and the show with Richard Pryor and Louis Gossett Jr..60She is most widely known to be a very private lady.61She was born in Charleroi, PA, but her family moved to Smithton, PA, in 1937, when Shirley was three.62Was the 52nd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Elmer Gantry (1960) at The 33rd Annual Academy Awards (1961) on April 17, 1961.63According to her autobiography, "Shirley Jones: A Memoir", she lost her virginity at age 21 to her future husband Jack Cassidy during the Italian leg of their "Oklahoma!" tour in July 1955.64Gave birth to her second child at age 27, son Patrick Cassidy on January 4, 1962.65Gave birth to her first child at age 24, son Shaun Cassidy, on September 27, 1958.66Gave birth to her third child at age 31, son Ryan Cassidy, on February 23, 1966.67Was named after Shirley Temple.68Acting ran in her family.69Besides being the only The Partridge Family (1970) members who sang for themselves, she and David Cassidy were the only ones who did not lend their voices to Hanna-Barbera's animated version of the series.70When she was 6, she began singing with the church choir.71Was a spokesperson for the popular California-based Ralphs Supermarkets in the 1980s.72Acting mentor and friend of ex-stepson David Cassidy, Danny Bonaduce and Ron Howard.73Was the producers' first and only choice for the lead role of The Partridge Family (1970).74Met David Cassidy's father, Jack Cassidy, during the stage production of "Oklahoma!" while in Paris, France. before she eventually married him. At that time David was only six years old. When he was 20 he auditioned and won the co-starring role in the popular comedy The Partridge Family (1970), opposite Jones as her eldest son.75Before she was a successful television actress, she worked with Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II on stage.76Had said in an interview that she wanted Jack Cassidy back, when it was too late, because of his death.77Had starred in a pilot with Jack Cassidy, before The Partridge Family (1970) aired a year later.78After she had refused an offer of reconciliation from Jack Cassidy, she received word that her ex-husband's penthouse apartment was on fire. Apparently, the fire started from his lit cigarette when he fell asleep on the couch; the following morning, firefighters found her ex-husband's body inside the gutted apartment. [12 December 1976].79Was invited by Michael Landon to an art exhibit, where she met her second husband Marty Ingels.80Replaced Jane Wyman in the role of Aunt Polly in The Adventures of Pollyanna (1982), despite being under contract starring in Falcon Crest (1981).81Has nine grandchildren: Caitlin Cassidy (b. 1981), John Cassidy (b. 1985), Juliet (b. 1998), Caleb (b. 2005), Roan (b. 2006), Lila (b. 2008) and Mairin (2011) via her son Shaun Cassidy, and Cole (b. 1995) and Jack (b. 1998) via her son Patrick Cassidy.82Turned down the role of Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch (1969). Jones wasn't ready to do a television series, hence, the role was given to her best friend Florence Henderson.83Remained good friends with David Cassidy before, during and after The Partridge Family (1970).84Was very disappointed that her show The Partridge Family (1970), was canceled after the fourth season. Her stepson and series co-star, David Cassidy, was growing tired of playing the same role, plus, the show had sunk in the ratings.85Is a vegetarian.86Her ex-The Partridge Family (1970), co-star and real-life stepson, David Cassidy, once admitted that he had a crush on her.87Best known by the public for her starring role as Shirley Partridge on The Partridge Family (1970).88She and Elizabeth Taylor are the only actresses to win Oscars for playing prostitutes in the same year: Jones for Elmer Gantry (1960) (Best Supporting Actress) and Taylor for BUtterfield 8 (1960) (Best Actress).89Played by Dey Young in The David Cassidy Story (2000) and Eve Gordon in Come On, Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story (1999).90When asked which of her musicals was her favorite, she has said it was The Music Man (1962). While she says she has special memories of Oklahoma! (1955) because it was her first movie, Carousel (1956) is her favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein score.91Strongly considered for Roberta Hertzel in About Schmidt (2002), but lost to Kathy Bates. Shirley was very disappointed by the decision.92Although in many ways she's like her wholesome public image, she does have another side to her personality, which shows in her liking books on true crime.93Had wanted to become a veterinarian.94On March 1, 2002, she filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court from Marty Ingels, but later withdrew the petition. Conflict between Ingels and Jones' sons (his version) and his outrageous behavior (her version) had caused them to separate several times in recent years, the longest being for 10 months in 2000.95All three of her sons were delivered via Cesarean section.96In December 2001 she and husband Marty Ingels spent more than $100,000 to outbid two developers for a half-acre commercial lot in downtown Fawnskin, CA. They plan to turn it into a public park.97Began her career on Broadway at 18 in the original production of "South Pacific" in 1952.98Born at 5:30 AM EST.99Son Shaun Cassidy--standing in for her deceased father--gave her away at her wedding to Marty Ingels.100Filed a libel suit in 1985 against the National Enquirer after it wrote that she was "drinking vodka like it was water"; won a retraction and a settlement.101Received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Valentine's Day, 1986.102Featured performer at the 1988 Republican National Convention.103Only child of Marjorie Williams, a strict strong-minded homemaker, and Paul Jones, owners of the Jones Brewing Company.104Received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Point Park College (Pittsburgh, PA)105Won the 1952 Miss Pittsburgh contest (the prize was $500 and a scholarship to drama school) and was first-runner-up in the Miss Pennsylvania pageant.106She, along with Marty Ingels, attended the "Hollywood Collectors Show", at Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn, in North Hollywood, California.107She was pregnant with son, Patrick Cassidy, during the filming of The Music Man (1962) in 1961. Special outfits were used to cover her showing stomach on the set.108Graduated from South Huntingdon High School in Ruffs Dale, Pennsylvania, in 1952.109Step-mother of actor David Cassidy