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Summary: one of my favorites as a child, and still is.
Review: Portrait of Jennie, memorable fantasy. A beautiful story. I still watch it, and recommend it to movie buffs. I have always enjoyed the talents of Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotton. Ethel Barrymore is wonderful as she always was. "The wind blows the sea flows nobody knows"..... rent or buy the movie.......
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Summary: Ethereal Jones
Review: Probably my favourite Jones film because I am interested in art and it is rare for Hollywood to stretch our brains with a bit of hocum physics in the opening reel -I confess I was lost after reading half way through "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking.Nevertheless it sets the scene for a fascinating and haunting story in which Ms Jones appears ever more beautiful each time she appears from the "other side" to artist Eben Adams.She has to age progressively from about 12-18 years old as she keeps re-appearing to her soul mate.Our little 'ole "gargoyle" from "Love Letters" (1945) makes a reappearance as the male half of an art gallery partnership played by(Henry Kellaway).In this role he excelled as did Ethel Barrymore as his spinster other partner who then save Eben from starvation.Slightly more irksome is the temptation to show Irish rebels as glamourous figures in US films.The B&W photography was exceptional and a nice touch is the finished portrait of Jennie in colour seen at the end as it hangs proudly in the Gallery after making Adams' reputation - and presumably paying him enough to pay off the outstanding rent owed to his landlady!
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Summary: angel like
Review: she is angel like, in all her movies, very special and this . is the one i've never forgotten. I'ts so sad.
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Summary: Shoulda been titled "The Deification of Jenny" instead!
Review: The almost idol-like worship of Jennifer Jones by husband David O. Selznick is fully evident in this frothily sentimental if not schmaltzy film, but perfect casting among the superb roster of actors keep this story from deteriorating into mawkish goo. Sadly this film bombed at the time of its release and is overlooked even today, but that doesn't matter--it's still great. Selznick spent much time and painstaking searching looking for a vehicle to showcase Jones' classic beauty and sublime, enchanting persona--and he found an ideal heroine for her in Jenny. In this lush, otherworldly tale Joseph Cotten plays bachelor Eben Adams, a cynical and uninspired "starving artist" whose paintings display his skill and raw talent but lacks spark or substance. Entering his life one day is the mystical Jenny Appleton, looking about 12-years old the first time he meets her, and disappears soon after. And so a pattern emerges, with Jenny showing up then vanishing--but each time she appears she's about a coupla years older while in Eben's present time only a few months has gone by. It turns out that Jenny is from the past and died long before Eben "meets" her, but in mystical fashion her spirit has come back in physical form and matures rapidly in order to be with the man she was destined for and to give the love and inspiration he so badly needs. Her maturing stops at what looks to be 18, which is about the age she died in a terrible tidal wave, and her presence as his muse--albeit sporadic--does indeed enhance Eben's being and inspires his art, which he soon has no trouble selling. Unfortunately, since Jenny was not among the living she could only return for a short while, and now that she completed her "mission" it is time for her to go to the same terrible fate she suffered so long ago. Of course at first Eben experiences many emotions of frustration, anger, stubborn resistance and refusal to understand, but in the end he is at peace and retains his inspiration since he realizes that even with Jenny gone, true love is eternal and never dies. Eben goes on to become a great painter and the movie ends memorably with a color image of his breathtaking "Portrait of Jennie" in a museum--she looks appropriately awe-inspiring in a pose that reflects her serene beauty, pensive mood, otherworldly quality and timeless aura. During the maturing sequences, instead of using child and adolescent actresses that resembled Jones, the lady herself played all those age roles, which in itself is quite remarkable that the 30-year old Jones could effectively portray such young girls not only with her youthful looks but in their manners and way of talking too! Also great are Ethel Barrymore as Miss Spinney, a crusty but kindly old art dealer, Cecil Kellaway as her partner, and Lillian Gish as Sister Mary of Mercy, a nun at the convent where Jenny once went to school. A somewhat dated movie but still abundantly appealing with its timeless theme of tragic but everlasting romance.
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Summary: An All Time Gem
Review: The haunting beauty of this film is something which invites the viewer to watch it again and again and never tire. The neo-
realism of the Italian cinema in the 50's is evident, such as 'Miracle in Milan'. However this is not surrealistic, it's poignant, poetry. My family and I watch it regularly, Joseph Cotton gives his best, understated performance.
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Summary: Fantasy done beautifully....
Review: There have been numerous articles written about the problems encountered during the making of this film, and there have been similar articles written about its alleged failure at the time of release. Forget all about that ! Fantasy of this romantic nature is enormously difficult to capture on film, but JENNIE skyrockets to the top of the list thanks to mood, performances, writing, directing (despite the "who"), and music. Jennifer Jones' work here is among the best of her career, and that is a strong statement. She has the ethereal luster that is just right to capture the odd sequences of the Jennie segments. For once, Joseph Cotten is right on top of the material, and the support of Ethel Barrymore and David Wayne, in particular, is stellar. The use of Ravel music ("Afternoon of a Faun" in particular) works wonders. There are several scenes that will create awe... the skating scene in Central Park, the work along the lonely, snowy path, the first art gallery meeting, and the tidal wave. Yes, one can see where there might have been the missing scenes...a couple of plot moves indicate that something else was to be there, but, in the final analysis, the brilliantly photographed scenes in which Cotten paints the portrait removes all doubts that this is a masterwork.
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Summary: On the short list of Hollywood's great ghost stories
Review: This delightfully unique movie would have been very, very easy to have marred. Fortunately, director William Dieterle maintained a light touch throughout, managing just the right mood for each segment of the film. What could have easily have been hokey instead is eerie and delightful. PORTRAIT OF JENNIE is unique not just for its subject matter, but for being one of the very, very few films of the Hollywood studio era to have been filmed on location in New York. Almost always in the 1930s and 1940s, a film that was supposedly set in New York or Chicago would in fact be filmed on a Hollywood back lot. In this case, that would have been a serious blow to the atmosphere of the film, since the numerous scenes shot in Central Park, with the unique skyline framing the park, creates imagery unlike any other film of the time. The cast overall is quite excellent. Jennifer Jones is not completely believable in her role, but, then, I am not sure many actresses could have been. She is asked to age too much during the course of the film, and no adult actress is going to be completely believable as small girl and as an adult. I always love seeing Joseph Cotton in anything, and this was one of his finest romantic roles. The cast is filled out with a bevy of notable character actresses and actors, such as David Wayne, Lillian Gish, Ethel Barrymore, Florence Bates, Cecil Kellaway, and Henry Hull. The ending is a bit anticlimactic. The heart of the story is Eben Adams's (Joseph Cotton) meeting Jennie, and the way she changes at each meeting, until he is able to solve her mystery. The ending was much ballyhooed by Selznick, with the striking tinted waves, but ironically it pales next to the much quieter, but far more emotionally involving, story of a man and a woman.
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Summary: An artist's review
Review: This film is a haunting and moving insight into friendship and the spirituality of love,and how these things affect the emotional process of creation.As artists, we can relate to Joseph Cotton's "winter of the mind" since we all struggle to find that simple life experience that will inspire us to create truth or beauty in the world.Friendship and love can be the catalyst."Jennie" shows this process with simple warmth and humanity in a way that is all too rare in today's mega-movies.The story is punctuated with real insights into the emotional courage it takes to live a life in the arts.This is amazing for what is basically a Hollywood 1940s romance film.Wonderful performances by Ethel Barrymore, David Wayne and Joseph Cotton!The reason for my four star rating instead of five is ironically due to the disappointing quality of the portrait itself-it looks like an exercise out of a "How-to-paint-portraits" manual.The painting doesn't truly capture Jennie's character nor does it really look like her!For comparison,check out Medina's and Albright's amazing paintings for the film "The Picture of Dorian Gray"!Selsnick should've hired Medina to paint Jennie!Ultimately though,this beautiful story moved me to creation.I would love to own this movie and watch it when I'm creatively stuck!Recommended to everyone with an artistic,romantic bent.A major frustration that this video is out of print!
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Summary: Portrait of Jennie is an enchanting movie from the 1940's
Review: This is a great movie with a supernatural touch. Joseph Cotten is a not so successful artist who meets a young girl in the park (Jennifer Jones) who appears to be from the past. He anxiously awaits her next appearance and she is much older after each meeting. She inspires him to produce truly great paintings and they fall in love. The movie ends with a terrific climax at an old lighthouse during a terrible storm. Ethel Barrymore and Lillian Gish give great supporting performances. END
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Summary: Wonderfully Mysterious
Review: This is one of the old classics that is probably most often missed. I remember seeing it a long time ago and it was so mysterious, I wasn't sure I had even seen it. No one I ever asked had seen it. I thought it was a love story, but found out it was a horror movie. A Must see.
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