Thursday, October 30, 2014

Portrait of Jennie (1948)

 
The first time I saw Portrait of Jennie, it reminded me of several things. It reminded me of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) because of the ghost part (as well as the haunting music of Claude Debussy), and Laura (1944) because of the portrait/obsession part. It also reminded me of one of my favorite books, Tom's Midnight Garden (©1958) by Philippa Pierce, a must read.
 
The movie stars Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, and Ethel Barrymore. This is actually the first movie I have seen Ms. Barrymore in. You can see the resemblance between Lionel and her, especially in the eyes. Though she doesn't have much screen time, you certainly don't forget her performance. In Joseph Cotten's autobiography, Vanity Will Get You Somewhere, he recalls that after their final scene together, when Barrymore's character talks about the spirit of Jennie, he "looked into her wise, expressive eyes. We said nothing. Without words she told me that she believed in Jennie's existence" (82).
 
 
Release Date: April 22, 1949
Running Time: 86 min.
Director: William Dieterle
 
Synopsis: The movie opens in the winter of 1934. Eben Adams (Cotten) is a talented but struggling artist New York who has never been able to find inspiration for a painting. One day, after he finally finds someone to buy a painting from him, a pretty but odd young girl named Jennie Appleton (Jones) appears and strikes up an unusual friendship with Eben.
 
 
Jennie inspires Eben in a way that nothing has ever inspired him. He is able to sell a sketch of her.
 
 
Over the next few months Eben meets Jennie again and again, eventually uncovering evidence that he has been conversing and falling in love with the ghost of a girl who died years earlier.
 
 
They did a fantastic job of making Jennifer Jones "grow up" as the film progresses. You can watch the movie on YouTube.
 
 
Trivia:

No credits are shown at the beginning except for the studio logo, not even the title of the film. Instead, a narrator speaks the prologue and then announces, "And now, 'Portrait of Jennie'". The credits are saved for the end of the picture.
 
Bernard Herrmann was hired to write an original background score and did compose several themes but dropped out and was replaced by Dimitri Tiomkin who, at the insistence of Selznick, ended up using themes by Claude Debussy. All that remains of Herrmann's contribution is the haunting song sung by Jennie, "Where I Come From, Nobody Knows".

Based on a book of the same title by Robert Nathan (he also wrote The Bishop’s Wife).

UPDATE: The book was really good! Only slightly different from the movie. Mainly the ending. I copied several passages from it.

Although almost the entire film is in black and white, the tidal wave sequence towards the end is shown in green tint, and the final shot of the completed portrait of Jennie is in full Technicolor.
 
 
Quotes:
 
Jennie: How beautiful the world is Eben! The sun goes down in in the same lovely sky. Just as it did yesterday, and will tomorrow.
Eben: When is tomorrow, Jenny?
Jennie: Does it matter? It's always. This was tomorrow once.
 

Jennie: [singing] Where I come from nobody knows and where I am going everything goes. The wind blows, the sea flows, nobody knows. And where I am going, nobody knows.

 
Miss Spinney(Barrymore): [to Eben] As you get older, you'll come to believe in many things you don't see. Maybe you saw Jennie, or maybe you created her because you needed her, needed her to open up your talent."
 

Behind the scenes

This post is part of the Barrymore Trilogy Blogathon hosted by In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood. Be sure and check out all of the other posts on this talented family!
 

Sources:
Vanity Will Get You Somewhere by Joseph Cotten

7 comments:

  1. This sounds good! I'll have to add it to my movie list!

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  2. When I first heard about this movie, a few years ago, I did not want to see it because I thought it would be too schmaltzy and would ask too much of the audience. However, when I did see it, I was surprised at how quickly I was taken by its charm and atmosphere. It really is a remarkable movie, and your review is a wonderful tribute to it.

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    1. Thanks! I didn't have high expectations when I watched it. I just thought it looked interesting and then I was hooked! The book has the same feel to it. I think they did an excellent job capturing it.

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  3. Great review! I hadn't realized how it has touches of The Ghost and Mrs Muir. It is a very beautiful film, and it wouldn't have been the same without Ethel.
    Don't forget to read my contribution to the blogathon! :)
    Kisses!
    Le

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  4. Thanks so much for participating in the blogathon. I've only just got around to reading the entries now. I love "Portrait Of Jennie". It's one of my all time favorite movies. Great review.

    I would also like to invite you to participate in my new blogathon. The link is below with more details

    https://crystalkalyana.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/in-the-good-old-days-of-classic-hollywood-presents-the-lauren-bacall-blogathon/

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    1. Thanks! I will definitely want to participate, I love Lauren Bacall!!!

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    2. Ok great. Let me know what topic you want to do for the Lauren blogathon, and I'll add you to the roster.?

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