Portrait of Jennifer
by Edward Epstein
Since Jennifer Jones is my favorite actress of the 1950s, it’s only natural I’d want to get my hands on a biography. Edward Epstein’s extensively researched book was the first, and to this day only, study on the fantastic Academy-Award winning actress.
Coming from a theatrical family, young Phylis Isley married a fellow aspiring actor (Robert Walker) before either of them went to Hollywood. Her parents opposed the marriage, believing Robert to be too wild and destructive for their daughter. Their prediction proved true, and when the couple struggled to raise their two sons and break into the movie business, his alcoholism and tender actor’s ego took a toll on their marriage. Phylis was cast in low-budget westerns with John Wayne before her breakthrough performance in The Song of Bernadette (which contrary to the marketing campaign at the time wasn’t her first movie).
I already knew before picking up the book that Jennifer left Robert for David O. Selznick, but I didn’t know any of the details. Epstein paints such a vivid picture, it’s both overwhelming and a cautionary tale. Jennifer seemed to know what she wanted and how to get it, but she had to pay the price the rest of her life. David’s obsession, cruelty, and controlling nature drove her to nervous breakdowns and a lifelong insecurity of not really knowing who she really was. It’s quite a tragedy. For all the great talent she projected on the screen, her personal life was constantly in turmoil. Anyone who dreams of being an A-tier movie star, hosting huge soirees in a mansion, and having millions of dollars and power at her fingertips should read this book. Jennifer Jones sold her soul to the devil to have the kind of life she lived.
Epstein tracked down tons of people who knew Jennifer, Robert, and David for interviews, liberally using quotes throughout the book. He backs up his assertions, which is necessary because they’re quite shocking. It’s always a gamble to read a book about your favorite star, because if they’re painted in an unflattering light, you might not like them anymore. Thankfully, Epstein loves Jennifer even more than I do. She isn’t painted as a villain, merely a victim. David O’Selznick, however, is described as a monster. Controlling, demanding, addictions of drugs and sex, a frequent user of the “casting couch”, egotistical, impossible to satisfy, and unable to respect anyone but himself. A predator to underaged girls (including Shirley Temple, for goodness sake!) and capable of murder, this nonfiction biography was dramatic enough to have been a novel.
Then why is there only one book chronicling her life? Maybe it’s because Epstein wrote it so perfectly, no one else can add to his work.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's page dedicated to Jennifer Jones's films here!
Coming from a theatrical family, young Phylis Isley married a fellow aspiring actor (Robert Walker) before either of them went to Hollywood. Her parents opposed the marriage, believing Robert to be too wild and destructive for their daughter. Their prediction proved true, and when the couple struggled to raise their two sons and break into the movie business, his alcoholism and tender actor’s ego took a toll on their marriage. Phylis was cast in low-budget westerns with John Wayne before her breakthrough performance in The Song of Bernadette (which contrary to the marketing campaign at the time wasn’t her first movie).
I already knew before picking up the book that Jennifer left Robert for David O. Selznick, but I didn’t know any of the details. Epstein paints such a vivid picture, it’s both overwhelming and a cautionary tale. Jennifer seemed to know what she wanted and how to get it, but she had to pay the price the rest of her life. David’s obsession, cruelty, and controlling nature drove her to nervous breakdowns and a lifelong insecurity of not really knowing who she really was. It’s quite a tragedy. For all the great talent she projected on the screen, her personal life was constantly in turmoil. Anyone who dreams of being an A-tier movie star, hosting huge soirees in a mansion, and having millions of dollars and power at her fingertips should read this book. Jennifer Jones sold her soul to the devil to have the kind of life she lived.
Epstein tracked down tons of people who knew Jennifer, Robert, and David for interviews, liberally using quotes throughout the book. He backs up his assertions, which is necessary because they’re quite shocking. It’s always a gamble to read a book about your favorite star, because if they’re painted in an unflattering light, you might not like them anymore. Thankfully, Epstein loves Jennifer even more than I do. She isn’t painted as a villain, merely a victim. David O’Selznick, however, is described as a monster. Controlling, demanding, addictions of drugs and sex, a frequent user of the “casting couch”, egotistical, impossible to satisfy, and unable to respect anyone but himself. A predator to underaged girls (including Shirley Temple, for goodness sake!) and capable of murder, this nonfiction biography was dramatic enough to have been a novel.
Then why is there only one book chronicling her life? Maybe it’s because Epstein wrote it so perfectly, no one else can add to his work.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's page dedicated to Jennifer Jones's films here!