Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films

279 Pages·2011·5.08 MB·English

by  Paul Green

Jennifer Jones
ALSO BY PAUL GREEN
Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns: Supernatural and Science
Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics,
Films, Television and Games (McFarland, 2009)
Pete Duel: A Biography
(McFarland, 2007; paperback large print edition 2009)
A History of Television’s The Virginian, 1962–1971
(McFarland, 2006; paperback 2010)
Jennifer Jones
The Life and Films
P G
AUL REEN
Foreword by Robert Osborne
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
To Asha and Kelli,
my two favorite dogs
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Green, Paul, 1955–
Jennifer Jones : the life and films / Paul Green ;
foreword by Robert Osborne.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Includes filmography.
ISBN 978-0-7864-6041-0
softcover : 50# alkaline paper
1. Jones, Jennifer, 1919–2009. 2. Motion picture actors
and actresses—United States—Biography. I. Title.
PN2287.J59G54 2011
791.43'028'092—dc23
[B] 2011028247
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2011Paul Green. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, i ncluding photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without p ermission in writing from the publisher.
Front cover: Jennifer Jones in Duel in the Sun, ¡946
(Selznick/RKO/Kobal Collection/Madison Lacy)
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Foreword by Robert Osborne 1
Preface 5
Introduction 7
1. Oklahoma to Hollywood 11
2. Republic Pictures 16
3. Return to New York City 21
4. The Song of Bernadette 27
5. Since You Went Away 43
6. Love Letters 55
7. Cluny Brown 61
8. Duel in the Sun 68
9. Portrait of Jennie 80
10. We Were Strangers 91
11. Madame Bovary 97
12. Gone to Earth 105
13. Carrie 116
14. Ruby Gentry 126
15. Stazione Termini aka Indiscretion of an American Wife 130
16. Beat the Devil 136
17. Love Is a M any-S plendored Thing 143
18. Good Morning, Miss Dove 150
v
vi Table of Contents
19. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit 154
20. The Barretts of Wimpole Street 159
21. A Farewell to Arms 165
22. Tender Is the Night 172
23. The Idol 180
24. Angel, Angel, Down We Go 186
25. The Towering Inferno 190
26. Life After Film 197
27. The Plays of Jennifer Jones 206
28. Jennifer Jones on Radio 215
29. The Films That Got Away 219
30. Reluctant Sex Symbol 231
Filmography 233
Appendix: Jennifer Jones Credits and Memorabilia 241
Chapter Notes 249
Bibliography 260
Index 265
Acknowledgments
Jennifer Jones lived to an advanced age and the majority of her film con-
temporaries died many years ago. This made my task more difficult than on
my previous books as you cannot interview those no longer with us. My
research has been exhaustive and I have attempted to gather as much infor-
mation from as many varied and sometimes obscure sources as possible. I am
thankful to those few surviving people who knew and worked with Jennifer
Jones during her film years for their contributions. My thanks go out to:
Rhonda Fleming, a former David O. Selznick contract player, and a tal-
ented and beautiful actress in her own right. Former child star Carlena Gower,
who shared the majority of her scenes on The Towering Inferno with Jones.
Carlena’s mother Dorothy Gower who accompanied her on the Culver City
set.
Robert Osborne, author, journalist and host of Turner Classic Movies
and long- time admirer of Jennifer Jones, for his foreword and contributions.
Thelma Schoonmaker, wife of the late film director Michael Powell. Fiona
Williams of Berlin Associates, London, agents for Powell’s estate, for granting
permission to publish quotations.
Artist Lois Constantine for sharing her memories of her friendship with
Portrait of Jennie artist Robert Brackman. Artist Gainor Roberts for her help
with Robert Brackman research. Brooks Preik for her memories of Jones’ visit
to Southport, North Carolina, in 1953 as background research for her role as
Ruby Gentry. Author Dorothy V. Corson for sharing her research on the mak-
ing of The Song of Bernadette. Fellow film historian and author Michelle Vogel
for her continued support, encouragement and help with research. Bill Cap-
pello and Bill Doyle for researching Jones’ death certificate. Ron Simon, cura-
tor of Television and Radio at the Paley Center for Media, New York City.
Liberty University and Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg,
Virginia, and Sweet Briar College, Amherst, Virginia, for the use of their
excellent libraries which stock many rare editions of novels and books con-
vii
viii Acknowledgments
nected to Jones’ films. And my local Campbell County Library, Rustburg,
Virginia. Finally I’d like thank my wife Bev for her patience and continued
support.
Quotations from Michael Powell Million Dollar Movie, the second vol-
ume of his Life in Movies, published by Heinemann, London, copyright ©
1992, are by kind permission of the estate of Michael Powell.
Foreword
by Robert Osborne
I’ll never forget the first time I ever saw Jennifer Jones in person. It was
in the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and I
was there to have lunch with her, to interview her for a story—well aware
that she had a reputation for disliking interviews (she rarely did them during
her career) and that talking to reporters was probably the one thing above all
others she most disliked doing. I didn’t know her, only her image on screen,
but she had agreed to do the interview as a favor to a friend of hers in order
to bring attention to a cause she and her friend were very keen to support,
an organization which was providing help to people who wanted and needed
some psychiatric counseling but who
couldn’t afford individual sessions.
The year was 1970; Jennifer was,
at this point, no longer actively
involved in making films. Her husband
David O. Selznick had died five years
earlier and she had not yet married
Norton Simon. Knowing of her trepi-
dation about interviews, I had asked a
friend of hers that I also knew to give
me some suggestions as to what to say
and do in order to get our time
together off to a good start and, overall,
make her comfortable. Don’t use a tape
recorder, I was told. Don’t take notes.
Don’t do anything to keep reminding
her it’s an interview or she’ll be nervous
Robert Osborne the entire time. Another suggestion:
1