A story about eben adams, who is a struggling and depressed artist, meets a young girl named jennie, who inspires him and changes his life forever. Jenny now offering portraits painted in acrylic paint on canvas. The portrait was a property of the producer, as it was painted as a prop to the movie. Portrait of jennie has never looked great on home video, but despite its deficiencies, this transfer still outclasses its predecessors, and until a full restoration is performed, it. Selznicks better films, 1948s portrait of jennie this superior fantasy was one of selznicks. Loose leaf notebook containing orchestral and vocal breakdowns, music notes and music timing cue sheets, mostly original typescript and some carbon typescript, very heavily annotated by dimitri tiomkin.
William dieterles 1948 masterpiece portrait of jennie is not only an unabashedly romantic melodrama but also a fascinating ghost story. Portrait of jennie is a beautifully made film, not perfect but lavish and constantly inventive and surprising in its design if not its story. This movie convinces the viewer that love is truly indestructable without resort to any unusual special effect. Almost always in the 1930s and 1940s, a film that was supposedly set in new york or chicago. Before the film proper begins, the title is announced by the narrator after delivering a spoken prologue, he says, and now, portrait of jennie. When he turns back a moment later, however, jennie is gone. Matthews cecil kellaway and miss spinney ethel barrymore dont quite reject the works of starving artist eben adams joseph cotten, the opening scene in portrait of jennie, 1949 view the tcmdb entry for portrait of jennie 1949. Intrigued at her thorough knowledge of the past, eben is about to converse with her further, but jennie. August was also nominated for an academy award for best cinematography black and white. Portrait of jennie 1948 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. In portrait of jennie, joseph cotten plays an artist, eben adams, who is unable to bring any true feeling to his work. There is such a thing as hunger for more than food, and that was the hunger i fed on. Portrait of jennie 1948 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
The fragile and wistful little story of a young artist who falls in love with a ghost, which was told by robert nathan in his portrait of jennie nine years ago, has been brought to the screen by. Portrait of jennie by robert nathan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Jenny now enjoys focusing on the medium of soft pastels which allows her the flexibility to create the intricate details of her animal friends. This story combines romance, fantasy, mystery, and the supernatural. There are many memorable scenes including the lighthouse segment with the tidal wave at the end of the film. According to wikipedia, it was exposed in the home of davide o. Portrait of jennie by robert nathan nook book ebook. My personal favorite film of all time is portrait of jennie thats why its so difficult to say the kino lorber bluray release is awful.
For all the turmoil surrounding this production, portrait of jennie, seen in a decent print, is a stunningly beautiful film. Over the next few months cotten meets jennie again and again. The film was highly unusual for its time in that it had no opening credits as such, except for the selznick studio logo. While painting in central park one morning, eben makes the acquaintance of a schoolgirl named jennie jennifer jones, who prattles on about things that happened years ago. Where is the portrait that robert brackman did for david. One of the most unusual romances ever filmed, portrait of jennie is the picture of sumptuousperfection. A moving portrait is a musicfilm project conceived by the awardwinning composer, singer, and violinist jenny scheinman. At the 21st academy awards, it won an oscar for best special effects. Although the film is meant to be inspirational, i came away with a feeling of tragedy and a sense of sadness. William dieterles 1948 film, starring jennifer jones and joseph cotten, is an enthralling meditation on memory, loss and transformative power.
Much like the complete portrait, portrait of jennie is a lovely feature where lovely people act lovely. The portrait of jennie is a perfect film in an achingly brief 86 minutes, and it effortlessly achieves the dreamy mythic quality of a longlost story from childhood. Portrait of jenny is a wonderful example of a great romantic fantasy story made all the more believable by the fine acting of joseph cotten and jennifer jones. What a strange trailer for a film as romantic, poetic and etherial as. Jennifer jones was never photographed more effectively her son was interviewed for a moving tribute to her for a tcm segment, stating it is his favorite of her films and the lighting and painters canvas filter effects connote the struggle of the artist caught in this ghost story. In depressionera new york, painter eben adams joseph cotten despairs at his lack of success. Jennifer jones is simply luminous, turning in her second quietly staggering performance, after cluny brown. Having been a pet owner to dogs, cats, horses, chickens and guinea pigs, jennys love of animals comes through in her artwork. By films end we have the final encounter between adams, who has gone to great lengths to determine if jennies past is as she says it is, and jennie on a rocky seashore during a violent storm. Portrait of jennie is in particular an enjoyable story about new york city. Portrait of jennie is a novel by american writer robert nathan, first published in 1940. The portrait of jennie jennifer jones was painted by artist robert brackman. He looks at his portrait of jennie the only technicolor shot in this otherwise blackandwhite film and understands what she meant when she said that their love would endure throughout eternity. Robert nathan was the author of over fifty volumes of novels, poetry, and plays, and from this body of distinguished work he acquired a reputation as a master of satiric fantasy.
A penniless artist strikes up a friendship with an enchanting girl who agrees to sit for a portrait but each time they meet he notices she has grown strangely. Winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Portrait of jennie 1948 eben adams joseph cotten is a talented but struggling artist in depression era new york who has never been able to find inspiration for a painting. One cold winter evening in central park, he meets an enigmatic, oldfashioned little girl, jennie appleton jennifer jones, who captures his fancy when she asks him to. The plot concerns a painter who draws inspiration from someone whom we gradually suspect is a ghost. Then he notices that he stills clutches her scarf in his hand. In this film, joseph cotten plays an artist who meets an intriguing schoolgirl named jennie. Before the film proper begins, the title is announced by the narrator who finishes his prologue with, and now, portrait of jennie. Its a shame disney releasing the title through mgm seems to have no interest at all in even the best of their selznick titles. Lee waters 19021997, who documented over 118 towns in the carolinas, virginia, and tennessee in the latter half of the great depression. Portrait of jennie by william dieterle joseph cotten.
After a filming start in february of 1947, selznick was unhappy with much of the material he was getting, and frustrated by bad weather. He had optioned the robert nathan story at least as early as 1944. It consists of a live score and sound design with reedited footage from the films of h. See the full list of portrait of jennie cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. Why portrait of jennie remains one of hollywoods strangest.
Starring joseph cotten citizen kane and oscara r winner jennifer jones a farewell to arms in a sensitive, appealing performance the hollywood reporter, this tender and poetic variety tale is enthralling from its touching beginning to its haunting conclusion. A moving portrait music by jenny scheinman film by finn taylor all footage shot by h. Portrait of jennie is one of several films that paired actors joseph cotten and jennifer jones together in a romantic scenario, but what is particularly noteworthy about this venture is the extent to which it blends sentimentality with supernatural fantasy. Portrait of jennie was highly unusual for its time in that it had no opening credits as such, except for the selznick studio logo. The most successful of nathans books, it is considered a modern masterpiece of fantasy fiction. Portrait of jennie 1948 joseph cotten and jennifer jones in portrait of. One of the most unusual romances ever filmed, portrait of jennie is a picture of. One day, after he finally finds someone to buy a painting from him, a. Portrait of jennie 1948 original trailer hd 1080p youtube. Before long, jennie has become his great muse and he is enjoying success and bliss.
Thanks to a classic film starring joseph cotten and jennifer jones, it is the one book title by this sadly almost forgotten author which is vaguely familiar to modern readers. Not since murnaus sunrise had a film so fascinatingly and tirelessly concerned itself with the nature of obsession as portrait of jennie. Portrait of jennie is a haunting evocation of one mans pained artistic process, and the genius of the film is how dieterle delicately equates the creative impulse to an everevolving spiritual crisis. Belying the trickery of its multiple techniques, however, portrait of jennie remains a simple story magnificently told, and definitively lives up to the frankly quite overwhelming ambition of its producer. My favourite moment comes when eben visits mother mary of mercy lillian gish in the convent which jenny attended. 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. Most scenes flaunt a lovely filmlike feel, but several appear soft, murky, and grainy, with crush occurring occasionally. All images from the film are credited to dvdbeaver and are captured directly from kino lorbers bluray release of portrait of jennie. The original trailer in high definition of portrait of jennie directed by william. If you have even a passing interest in jazz, they thought youd want to see the film bill frisell, a portrait, plus theres that extra bonus, yes, a movie with an opening act, and oh what an opening act, jenny scheinman, a local treasure whos played with bill will play some of his tunes who, unfortunately, bill will only be there on the. New york film locations from the movie portrait of jennie starring joseph cotten and jennifer jones.
Eben then begins his portrait of jennie, and the next day, while dining at a restaurant, tells his taxi driver friend, gus otoole, about her. Portrait of jennie by robert nathan 1,006 ratings, 4. The aforementioned portrait of jennie and the bishop s wife, as well as one more spring, wake up and dream from the novel the enchanted voyage and color of evening. Portrait of jennie had a hellacious production and distribution history, most of which can be blamed directly on the overcontrolling, egotistical selznick. Portrait of jennie is a 1948 fantasy film based on the novella by robert nathan. The film was directed by william dieterle and produced by david o. Portrait of jennie is a haunting evocation of one mans pained artistic process, and the genius of the film is how dieterle delicately equates the creative impulse to. Lonely and magical, portrait of jennie is often cited as a romantic fantasy masterpiece. The film was shot on location in parts at considerable expense and at a time when location shooting was not the norm. Inside his room at a boardinghouse, eben opens the package, which contains jennies silk scarf. There isnt anything negative about that, but with such an overly sweeping narrative about the power of love and watching the actors fawn and gush about how in love they are, a bolt of lightning and a massive tidal wave is the shock to the system this film needs. Anchor bay has followed its deluxe dvds of duel in the sun and the spiral staircase with an exceptionally goodlooking dvd of one of david o.
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