Darby Jones facts for kids

Darby Jones (born February 10, 1910 – died November 30, 1986) was an American actor. He is best known for playing the zombie-like character Carrefour in the 1943 horror movie I Walked with a Zombie. He also played a similar role in the 1945 film Zombies on Broadway.

Darby Jones appeared in many other movies. These include Broken Strings (1940), Virginia (1941), and White Cargo (1942). He was also in several Tarzan films, like Tarzan the Fearless (1933) and Tarzan Escapes (1936). A film critic once said that Jones was often given similar roles, especially in "jungle pictures."

Early life and talents

Darby Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. When he was in high school, he was a talented athlete. In 1929, while attending Polytechnic High School, he broke the Los Angeles high jump record. He jumped an impressive 6 feet, 2.3125 inches!

Acting career

Starting out in films

Darby Jones began his acting career in 1933. His first role was in the movie series Tarzan the Fearless. He played a character called the Head Bearer. Sometimes, actors have "uncredited roles," which means their name isn't shown in the movie's opening or closing credits. Jones had several of these.

In 1936, he appeared as Bomba in another Tarzan film, Tarzan Escapes. The next year, he was in the romantic comedy Swing High, Swing Low. He played a Black Santa Claus relaxing in a café. In the same year, he was a background extra in the Marx Brothers movie A Day at the Races. He played a trumpet player during a musical scene.

In 1940, Jones played a character named Stringbeans Johnson in Broken Strings. In one part of the movie, he dances to swing music and does some amazing mid-air splits! The following year, he was Joseph, a loyal servant, in the film Virginia. In 1942, he played a Swahili chief in Tarzan's New York Adventure and a houseboy named Darby in White Cargo.

I Walked with a Zombie

One of Darby Jones's most famous roles was in the 1943 horror film I Walked with a Zombie. He played the mysterious, zombie-like character Carrefour. This movie was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton. Many horror movie fans recognize Carrefour.

The film takes place on a Caribbean island called Saint Sebastian. It has a sugar plantation, a small white community, and people descended from African slaves. Some of these people practice voodoo.

Carrefour is a very powerful character in the film. He represents the difficult history of slavery and the strength of Black people during World War II. Film experts have called Jones's portrayal of Carrefour "monumental" and "iconic." His "bug-eyed zombie look" was said to have stayed in viewers' minds for a long time.

After I Walked with a Zombie, Jones had two more uncredited roles in 1943. He was a bellhop in Passport to Suez and a cannibal in Sleepy Lagoon.

Later films

In 1945, Darby Jones played another zombie character named Kolaga in the comedy horror film Zombies on Broadway. Unlike Carrefour, Kolaga was a more violent character.

In 1947, Jones appeared in The Macomber Affair as a Masai warrior. In 1949, he played Keega in the adventure film Zamba, also known as Zamba, the Gorilla. His last known role was a small part in the 1957 drama film Something of Value.

Film critic Danny Peary noted that Darby Jones was often "typecast." This means he was usually given similar roles, especially in movies set in jungles.

Selected filmography

See also

A robot, symbolizing learning for kids.

• In Spanish: Darby Jones para niños