Actor who voiced ‘Pinocchio’ dies

Actor Richard Percy Jones, who provided the voice of Pinocchio in the 1940 Walt Disney movie of the same name, died at his Northridge home of apparent natural causes. He was 87.

Jones died at his home in the 17000 block of Romar Street about 7:45 p.m. Monday, coroner’s Chief Craig Harvey said.

As a child, Jones, a native Texan and son of a newspaper editor, worked in Hoot Gibson’s rodeo as a trick rider and roper and later moved to Hollywood with his mother to become an actor, acting in Western movies and on television, according to IMDb.

Sometimes billed as Dick or Dickie Jones, he also was a bit player in Hal Roach’s “Our Gang” shorts and appeared in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

In 1940, he served as the voice of Pinocchio in the animated movie.

He later appeared in a number of Gene Autry productions in film and on
television, including in “The Range Rider” television series in 1951, and the
“Buffalo Bill Jr.,” television series in 1955.

He retired from acting after the 1960s and pursued a career in real estate and banking.