Jennifer Jones

It seems like every week some old star passes away--one that everyone figured was already gone.

Jennifer Jones has died. There aren't too many major stars from the WWII era (and earlier) still around. She actually didn't make that many films--about 25--most from 1943 to 1957. (She turned 40 in 1959--was that the end of the ride?) But among movie fans, she's remembered as a sexy brunette who was always an interesting screen presence.

She may be best known for her Oscar-winning screen debut (not including some minor, earlier work) in The Song Of Bernadette. She does a good job, but I think the film is a bit draggy and she'd go on to do far more interesting things.

It was during this period she met bigtime producer David O. Selznick, and they fell in love. She dropped her first husband, actor Robert Walker, and married Selnick. They stayed together till his death (she later married Norton Simon of museum fame) and he tried to shape her career.

It's far from certain his choices for her were helpful. He wanted his Duel In The Sun to be another Gone With The Wind, which I guess makes Jones the new Vivien Leigh, but the film fell far short. For that matter, I can't say I'm a big fan of many of her big, classy roles in films such as Since You Went Away, Madame Bovary, Carrie or Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing.

But when she got to do quirkier projects, her more charming, mercurial side got out. What roles? Well, her con-woman in Beat The Devil, her plumber in Cluny Brown and the ghostly but still very real title role in Portrait Of Jennie. She might have even done more exciting roles but, apparently, Selznick had a certain image of her and prevented her from fully spreading her wings. But what we did get was pretty good.

(BTW, knowing about the Jones/Selznick marriage won me $500 dollars on Jeopardy!)