Justus McQueen, later known as Jones, was a tall, sandy-haired, mustachioed actor from Texas, born with a distinctive craggy, gaunt appearance. He began his career in minor character roles in numerous World War II films, including The Young Lions, The Naked and the Dead, Hell Is for Heroes, and Battle of the Coral Sea.
In 1962, Jones collaborated with maverick director Sam Peckinpah for the first of five appearances in his films. He played one of the lowlife Hammond brothers in Ride the High Country, alongside Charlton Heston in Major Dundee, and alongside his real-life friend Strother Martin as one of the scummy, murderous bounty hunters in The Wild Bunch.
The chemistry between Jones and Martin was undeniable, leading Peckinpah to team them up again in The Ballad of Cable Hogue in 1970, and Jones' final appearance in a Peckinpah film was in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid in 1973.
In 1975, Jones directed the cult post-apocalyptic film A Boy and His Dog, starring a young Don Johnson. He continued to work in Hollywood, often taking on roles as crusty old westerners, particularly in multiple TV guest spots.
One notable performance was in Martin Scorsese's violent and powerful Casino, where he played a seemingly good ol' boy Nevada cowboy who was actually a powerful behind-the-scenes player in state politics, who leaned on Robert De Niro's Las Vegas mob gambler.
