Jan 31st: Portrait of Jennie (1949), a film DS Borrowed From, to air on TCM

[David]

I'm convinced that the DS storyline of Victoria & Peter loving each other, and following each other through the centuries, was borrowed from the sublimely romantic Portrait of Jennie (1949), one of my favorite films.

In the film, Joseph Cotten plays Eben, a struggling artist. He meets a young girl named Jennie (Jennifer Jones).
As he does her portrait, they begin to fall in love.
She speaks of the past in present tense & appears to be a few years older every time they meet.

When you see who Jennie turns out to be, you'll see the DS connection.

The film airs Thur Jan 31st at 9:45 Eastern on TCM.

And here's the casting for my proposed TV remake, produced by Dan Curtis in 1973:

David Selby (Eban)
Kathryn Leigh Scott (Jenny)
Grayson Hall (Miss Spinney)
Louis Edmonds (Mr. Mathews)
Joel Crothers (Eban's cab driver friend)
Dennis Patrick (Irish bar owner)
Clarice Blackburn (Mrs. Jeeks)
Jane Draper (Mrs.Bunz)
and
Joan Bennett as
the Reverend Mother

David

[barnabasjr]

Thanks for the heads up, David. I haven't seen this before but it sounds great!

[joe integlia]

i dont get this channel but i would be curious to know if the last few seconds of the film is shown in COLOR. when this film was shown on local tv stations it was probably thought to be entirely in b+w and was shown that way on most stations. but the last few seconds of the film was shot in technicolor.   

[Julianka7]

Thanks for the heads up David. I haven't seen this movie in years.

[Charles_Ellis]

I have the film on DVD, and yes, the final image is in Technicolor.  Also, look for an early appearance by Anne Francis in the finale.  This brings back memories of the legendary Footlight Records in Manhattan, a store that specialized in old cast recordings and soundtracks.  There was a framed color print of the finished painting there in a spot you couldn't miss.  David O. Selznick spent a bundle on this as something of a valentine to his wife Jennifer Jones.  Unfortunately the critics didn't get it and the movie lost money.  There's a climatic storm that's tinted green, and for that scene in select theaters it was shown in a widescreen process.  Like Berkeley Square, it's a romatic fantasy that'll attract all DS fans!

[David]

I remember seeing that portrait at Footlight Records back in my NYC days.

That storm sequence won an Oscar for special effects.
In fact, The Academy created the Effects category because of this film.

Though the film lost money in 1949, it's now considered a classic.
It has aged well & has many admirers.

David

[David]

I watched the film on TCM last night.
The closing shot of the portrait was indeed in color,
and the magnificent storm sequence  was tinted green

David

[Midnite]

Thanks to David, I watched it too.  What a lovely and entrancing movie!  And yes, the parallels to the Vicki/Peter story are clear, but what a shame it wasn't nearly as compelling as this.

[David]

I never pass up a chance to see this film.
I watched it last night even though I have it on DVD & saw it at the Castro Theatre.

More Jennie trivia:
the three girls looking at the portrait in the last scene:
the blonde was a teen Anne Francis, years before Forbidden Planet!

Re: my imaginary Dan Curtis remake cast:
replace Jane Draper (too young) with Marie Wallace.
Add Jim Storm as Zeke (boat owner) and John Karlen as the Captain.

David

[Philippe Cordier]

I forgot to watch this, but fortunately I have the DVD (which I've never viewed!).

I remember having dismissed this movie after watching the first five minutes one time, when Jennifer Jones was playing the character as a young girl, which I thought looked silly.  Glad I stuck with it on a subsequent airing, though, as this was a nicely done, haunting film.  I don't really recall the DS parallels, so I'll look forward to seeing it again in the future.

[David]

To those who don't have the DVD, TCM airs this masterpiece again on Feb 27th.

David

[barnabasjr]

I finally made the time to see this magical gem! Thanks again for the recommendation. I tried to watch it a couple of days after it aired on TCM but I guess it was too late at night and I couldn't get into during the first couple of minutes, so I set it aside, but today I was almost instantly whisked away. What a great job by Joseph Cotton!