Water Rails & Oil - Historic Mid & South Jefferson County

L. Q. JONES
Justus Ellis McQueen, born in Beaumont in 1927, adopted the name of L.
Q. Jones from the character he played in a film titled Battle Cry, based on a
novel by Leon Uris.
McQueen was graduated from Port Neches-Groves High School in 1945,
then from the University of Texas, where he studied law, business, and
journalism. While in college he performed in comedy clubs and roomed with
another future actor, Fess Parker.
Parker sent McQueen a copy of Uris’ novel when he auditioned for a part
in director Raoul Walsh’s film version of the story of a squad of U.S. Marines
in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. McQueen decided that he wanted
to play the part of L. Q. Jones, one of the principal characters in the story
usually involved in some humorous activity. He came to Hollywood, won the
part, and decided to adopt “L.Q. Jones” as his theatrical name.
After the success of Battle Cry, Jones won parts in several films released by
Warner Brothers during the 1950s and 1960s, especially in Westerns. He later
appeared in such major films as Ride the High Country and The Wild Bunch, both
classics of the Western genre directed by Sam Peckinpah. Jones also played
featured roles in such television series as Cheyenne and Cimarron Strip. He has
appeared in more than seventy theatre films, twenty-five television movies, and
played scores of single roles in individual episodes of television series.
Jones remains active in film work as an actor, director, and writer based in
California, but he is a frequent visitor to his hometown.
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Above: Actor L. Q. Jones, a graduate of
Port Neches High School, where he was
a cheerleader. Jones, whose career
spans nearly 50 years, has appeared in
78 motion pictures and dozens of
television productions including Hawaii
Five-O, Perry Mason, Charlie’s
Angels, and Rawhide. He has played
supporting roles in such classics as
Love Me Tender, Casino, and The
Mask of Zorro, creating unforgettable
characters along the way.
COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST,
PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
Right: Texaco employees having their
annual picnic on Pleasure Island in
1952. Note Port Arthur’s silo-like threehundred-thousand-gallon
water tank in
upper left hand corner. The U.S. Naval
Reserve facility is the barn-like metal
building on the left side of the boulevard.
COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF THE GULF COAST,
PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
46 ✦ WATER, RAILS & OIL