Shirley Mae Jones (1934) is an American actress and singer . In her six decades in show business , she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films . She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a vengeful prostitute in Elmer Gantry (1960). She played the lead role of Shirley Partridge, the widowed mother of five children, in the musical situation-comedy television series The Partridge Family (1970–1974). Stunning signed 8” x 10” black and white photo.