Portrait of Jennie
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| Portrait of Jennie | |
|---|---|
| Image:Portraitofjennie.jpg Movie poster. | |
| Directed by | William Dieterle |
| Produced by | David O. Selznick David Hempstead |
| Written by | Paul Osborn Peter Berneis (screenplay) Leonardo Bercovici (adaptation) Robert Nathan (novel) |
| Starring | Jennifer Jones Joseph Cotten |
| Music by | Dimitri Tiomkin |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
| Editing by | William Morgan |
| Distributed by | Selznick Releasing/MGM |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 1948 |
| Running time | 86 min. |
| Country | US |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Portrait of Jennie is a 1948 fantasy film based on the novella by Robert Nathan. It tells the story of an impoverished painter in New York City, who meets a fey little girl in Central Park wearing old-fashioned clothing. He makes a lovely sketch of her from memory which involves him with an art dealer who is impressed with his work. This inspires him to paint a portrait of her - the "Portrait Of Jennie." He later falls in love with her, when she soon transforms into a mysterious young woman, as she has seemed to age a few years each time he meets her. It was directed by William Dieterle and produced by David O. Selznick.
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Jennifer Jones as Jennie Appleton
- Joseph Cotten as Eben Adams
- Ethel Barrymore as Miss Spinney
- Lillian Gish as Mother Mary of Mercy
- Cecil Kellaway as Matthews
- David Wayne as Gus O'Toole
- Albert Sharpe as Moore
- Henry Hull as Eke
- Florence Bates as Mrs. Jekes
- Clem Bevans as Capt. Cobb
[edit] Production
The book, on which the film was based, first attracted the attention of David O. Selznick, who immediately purchased it as a vehicle for rising star Jennifer Jones. Filming began in early 1947 in New York City and Boston, Massachusetts, but Selznick was unhappy with the results and scheduled re-shoots as well as hiring and firing five different writers before the film was completed in October of 1948. The film's major overhaul came when Selznick added a tinted color sequence for the final scenes. The final shot of the painting, appearing just before the credits, is in full Technicolor.
The movie is also unusual in that it may be the first sound film with actors not to have any opening credits, except for the Selznick logo. All of the other credits appear at the end. The title of the film, however, is shown at the beginning in a desciptive piece of text in a monograph and, before the film proper begins, is spoken by the narrator.
The portrait of Jennie (Jennifer Jones) was painted by artist Robert Brackman. The painting became one of Selznick's prized possessions, and he displayed it in his home after he and Jones married in 1949.
The film is notable for Joseph August's remarkably atmospheric cinematography, capturing the lead character's almost drugged obsession with Jennie, amongst the environs of a wintry New York. Also remarkable is Dimitri Tiomkin's masterful uses of themes by Claude Debussy with the addition of Bernard Herrmann's composition of "Jennie's Theme" utilizing an electronic musical instrument called a theremin, driving the film along sometimes almost orgasmically. August and Tiomkin's contributions add greatly to the film's ethereal quality.
[edit] Reception
When it was released in December of 1948, it was not a success but today it is considered a classic in the genre.
The song, "A Portrait of Jennie", became a hit for Nat King Cole, though that song is never heard in the film.
[edit] Radio program
A half-hour radio adaptation of the novel was presented in 1946 on CBS radio's misleadingly titled Academy Award Theater with Joan Fontaine and John Lund, two years before it was filmed. [1]
[edit] References
- ^ Terrace, Vincent [1999]. Radio Programs, 1924-1984:A Catalog of Over 1800 Shows. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0351-9.
