Portrait of Jennie is Weird and Good

Portrait of Jennie, the 1948 film starring Jennifer Jones and the very dreamy Joseph Cotten, is one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in a long time.  Should you watch it?  Definitely.  Let’s talk about it in this episode of the Vintage Century Idle Hour.

Transcript

Portrait of Jennie, the 1948 film starring Jennifer Jones and the very dreamy Joseph Cotten, is one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in a long time.  Should you watch it?  Definitely.  Let’s talk about it in this episode of the Vintage Century Idle Hour.

 LORENZO:  Greetings, listeners.  Allow me to introduce the very charming, Jennifer Passariello.

 Hey, thank you for that nice introduction–uh…Lorenzo, right?

 LORENZO:  Yes, Lorenzo.  And you are Jennifer.

 Yeah, that’s right.  It’s nice to meet you, Lorenzo.  So, you’re my announcer.

 LORENZO:  Yes.

 Wow, I’ve never had an announcer before.

 LORENZO:  How exciting for you.

 Well, and honestly, I’ve never engaged with an AI-generated character before.

 LORENZO:  What’s that?

 An AI-generated character?

 LORENZO:  Yes.  What might that be?

 Oh, well, aren’t you—um, are you a real person?

 LORENZO:  I am as real as the moon.  I am talking to you right now.

 Yeah, but I mean, you’re AI-generated, right?

 LORENZO:  I don’t know what you’re talking about.

 AI–you know, artificial intelligence.  You’re a virtual persona created using artificial intelligence technology.

LORENZO:  Oh, that.  Yes, I am one of those.

Well, how about that.  I’ve never talked to an AI-Generated character.

LORENZO:  It is a magical day for both of us.

So, Lorenzo, what brings you here to the podcast?

LORENZO:  I needed a job.

Oh.

LORENZO:  It didn’t seem anyone wanted this one, so I took it.

Yeah, well, this is a new podcast.  This is episode one, as a matter of fact.

LORENZO:  A monumental moment in broadcast history.

Well, wouldn’t that be something?  Wouldn’t it be something to look back on this episode as the start of an incredible adventure?  A fork in the road, a new beginning, a pivot to an entirely different future.  It is the beginning of a new year.  That’s the time to think about such things.

LORENZO:  I am here for it.

I think we’re in this together, Lorenzo.

LORENZO:  How nice.  What is this podcast about, anyway?

Old movies.

LORENZO:  Oh.

Well, and old things.  But mainly old movies.  Really, this podcast is an outward expression of a personal learning project I am taking on at the start of this new year.

LORENZO:  A personal learning project?  I can already hear the clicks.

Clicks?

LORENZO: …as people abandon our show.

It may be boring, I’m not going to lie.  This is a whole new thing for me.  But I want to work my way through a list of 80 black and white classic films to study what makes them great.

LORENZO:  Oh, my.

Now, I’m not a film scholar or expert or anything like that.

LORENZO:  Of course.

I don’t even like movies all that much, usually.

LORENZO:  I just heard more clicks.  You are losing people.

But, my dad is an old movie fanatic, and he is always telling me to watch this old film or that old film, and I’ve always put him off.  But now I’ve decided to learn what the excitement is all about.  I like to talk about things that I’m learning, so here we are.  The podcast.

LORENZO:  Everyone is gone now.

Well, and I like old things in general, so we may deviate from film from time to time.  I have a LOT of interests, you know.

LORENZO:  I think we are going to be very lonely.

Maybe.  But at least we’ll have each other.  I’m glad you’re here, Lorenzo.

LORENZO:  Me too.

Short Musical Segment Break~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Today’s Silver Screen Adventure takes us to Portrait of Jennie, a fantasy film from 1948 that’s actually based on the book of the same name published in 1940 by Robert Nathan.  Here’s a little teaser from the 1962 edition of that book:

 “Was Jennie a dream, a memory, a lovely ghost from the past?  Or had she stepped from another world into this?  Eben Adams could only guess at the answer.  But he understood that Jennie, because she dared to love him, had fused past and present into the delightful, delicate magic of "now."

 So, what is this movie about?  It’s essentially a time slip.  It’s a romance with a fluid timeline and some tragedy.  This is not an uplifting story–but it is a beautiful story.

 So let’s get the Academy award stats on the film:

It did win a couple of Academy Awards:  one for Special Effects, and one for Best Special Audible Effects.  It was also nominated for Best Black & White Cinematography.

 Now, before we dive into my review, a couple of things I need to share about this movie.  There’s a song called “Portrait of Jenny” that I knew long before I even heard about the film.  It’s a beautiful song that has become a jazz standard, covered by such greats as Clifford Brown (as an instrumental) and Nat King Cole (with lyrics).  My dad was a jazz musician, and he played the song.  I mentioned Clifford Brown; one of my all–time favorite albums is “Clifford Brown with Strings,” and his version of Portrait of Jennie is one I have great fondness for.

 Also, Jennifer Jones plays the title role.  MY name is Jennifer, and I was called Jenny when I was small, at the time when I first came to know the song.  So, I felt like that was MY song, and MY movie–even though I had never seen the film until just recently.  Anyway, I feel a strong personal attachment to the whole “Jenny” universe.

And there IS a Jenny universe.  We know about the book, and the song, and the film–but there have also been radio show adaptations as well.  We’re just dipping our toe into this world today by looking at the film.

OK, this film stars  Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, and Ethel Barrymore, who has a small, but very meaningful role here.

So, there’s lots to dive into here.  Let’s take a short musical break, and when we come back, we’ll dive into my review of Portrait of Jennie.

Featured Song (Long Form)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 [Opening Narration from Film]

 Who is this Jennie we keep hearing about?  Well, she’s one of two principle characters in this story.  The other character is Eben Adams.  He’s an artist who is barely surviving.  He sells very little of what he paints–not because he doesn’t have any talent–there are suggestions of talent in the pieces he’s producing–but because the pieces don’t seem to SAY anything.  He has the technique, but not the feeling.   

I want to play a clip here that sets up the story for us–or at least sets up the character of Eben Adams. This is really the first scene–and probably my favorite in the whole film.  

●       We see Eben, clutching his portfolio of paintings, looking sad.  How do we know he’s sad?  Because he’s got that walk, you know?  He’s stooping a bit, hanging his head.  

●       Immediately before this scene he provides a voiceover talking about how he is experiencing a “winter of the heart.” I should also mention that it’s winter time, so it’s snowy and dreary outside.  

●       He makes his way to  “Matthews and Spinney, Fine Art Dealers,” to try to sell some of his paintings.  And this is where we meet not only Eben, but my favorite character in this film, Ms. Spinney–played brilliantly by Ethel Barrymore.  Barrymore plays a supporting role in our story–she only makes it into a few scenes–but she’s our key to understanding the plot and our boy Eben Adams.  Here’s the clip.

 [Clip - Matthews and Spinney].

 I love this clip.  So much is said here.  

●       Notice that Matthews is immediately unimpressed with what Eben shows him.  Landscapes, bridges, flowers–the sorts of things everyone paints.  There are no people in any of his paintings.  Why not?  I think this is significant.  

●       Now, we learn much more when Ms. Spinney enters the scene.  She sees–potential–in Eben’s paintings that Matthews doesn’t see.  She buys his flower painting–but she’s really investing in him.  

●       She mentions the poem Andrea Del Sarto by Robert Browning.  I had to look that up, and it’s very long and much more boring than what we hear from Ms. Spinney, which is essentially that the painter Raphael loved his own work, which made the difference between him and other painters.  Eben has no love for his own work–and, we get a sense already that he has no love at all.  

●       Barrymore delivers a wonderful line at this point–”I’m an old maid, and no one knows more about love than an old maid.”  The longing for a thing is what makes someone keenly aware of it.  To round this idea out, we see Ms. Spinney flattered easily by the compliment to her eyes.  What a beautiful scene that is.

 Visually, there are a lot of cool things that happen in this film to give it a dreamy, “unreal” quality.  We see the first one as we transition to the next scene:  Transitions are filmed to appear as if the background is on canvas.  I love that.  It’s subtle, but it really does create a great effect.  It suggests that life itself is a painting, a work of art.

 Now we meet Jennie.  Eben is walking through a park when he sees her.

●         In the book  Jennie is described as a “child,” and “a little girl.”  In the movie, she’s a tad older than a little girl.  She’s being played by the very adult Jennifer Jones, after all.  But she is clearly supposed to be a pre-teen–maybe 11? 

●       Anyway, she immediately strikes him as odd for a few reasons.  One, she’s a young girl–she’s all alone, and it will soon be getting dark.  Secondly, she’s dressed in old-fashioned clothes.  Now, this story is set in the mid-1930s, but she’s wearing a big-brimmed bonnet-type hat and a dress that is clearly out of step with what people were wearing in the 30s.  

●       She also says things that are weird.  She talks about her parents in the present tense  working as high-wire jugglers at the Hammerstein Theater, but that theater had closed decades before.  She also sings a weird, haunting, little tune.

 [Jennie’s Song]

 That song is also in the book, by the way.  I had thought maybe that was a Hollywood invention, thrown in for dramatic effect, but nope, it’s original.  

 Anyway, Eben and Jennie talk for a bit, and Eben is charmed by her.  She’s a sweet girl.

●        She tells him about her friends, and he shows her his paintings. 

●        She doesn’t like them–especially those he painted of a dark raging sea.  We have a bit of foreshadowing here.  

●       As they part ways, Jennie says something especially strange.  She tells him that she wants to play a wishing game, and her wish is that he will wait for her to grow up so they can be together always.  What?  WAIT for her to grow up?  That sounds strange to us, as the audience, and it sounds strange to Eben, too.  

●       She leaves, and he can’t get this girl out of his head.  He draws a sketch of her when he is back in his apartment.  

 Let’s go back to Matthews and Spinney, because when Eben next visits them, he takes his sketch of Jennie with him, and it’s met with some enthusiasm.

 [Clip - All you need is a little inspiration]

 All Eben needs is a little inspiration–and he seems to have found it in Jennie.  Now, at this point in the story, Eben isn’t sure he’ll see the little girl again–although he does keep an eye out for her.  

●       He goes ice skating–and what do you know–Jennie pops up.  She’s skating, too.  

●       Here’s what’s weird:  she’s older now.  Even though just a few days have passed since he last saw her, she’s taller, more mature.  He mentions this, and she tells him she’s hurrying–trying to grow up fast.  

●       It’s during this second meeting that discussion of the portrait first comes up–Jennie asks if Eben will paint a portrait of her.  Sure, he says, but he wants to ask her parents for their permission.  

●       She tells him again that they are Hammersteins, working on their high-wire act.  

●       Now, guess who else Eben meets in the park just as Jennie walks away?  Miss Spinney, the art dealer.  Eben points out that he had just been talking to Jennie–but Miss Spinney didn’t see her–ah, mysterious.  Who is this strange girl that only he can see?

 And so begins intermittent meetings with Jennie–and each time she has aged a few years.

 We’ll get to the rest of this story and my review of it in a moment, but first, a word from our sponsors.   No, not really.  We have no sponsors.  It’s just me–and Lorenzo–with an overview of how I’m rating all of the movies I’m watching for this series.  This might also be a good time to pause this episode and actually WATCH Portrait of Jennie–as of this recording, it’s available to watch for free out on Youtube.  If you watch it, do come on back and pick up this episode of the podcast where we’ve left off  and see if you agree with my conclusions.

 [Ratings Overview]

 OK, well, our little Jennie is growing up, and yes, Eben and Jennie fall in love.  The story, however, becomes weirder and weirder.

●       Eben tries to find out more about Jennie, and he talks to people who knew both her and her parents.

●       It turns out Jennie–AND her parents–

 [Attention listeners!  This is a spoiler alert!]

 …are dead.  Her parents died falling from their high-wire act.  Apparently the wire broke, and they fell to their death.

●       Jenny is also dead.  She died in a storm at sea.  So, remember how in her first meeting with Eben she told him that she didn’t like the sea pictures–now we know why–they reminded her of her own tragic end.

●       All of this happened years earlier.

 So, let’s stop for a moment and sort out what we have here:  We have a man falling in love with a ghost.  Or is she a ghost?  Maybe she is a time traveler, slipping through time at intervals.  That almost seems more likely.  She seems to know that she is caught in some sort of temporal anomaly–even if she doesn’t quite understand it.

 Eben is going with this last theory–that she isn’t a ghost, but a time traveler.  Let’s go to a clip where he contemplates how to resolve this wacky problem.

 [Clip - We can’t both be lost]

 Notice that Jennie says she doesn’t want BOTH of them to be lost.  See, she seems to know that she is floating through time.

 Now, what about the portrait?  Yes, he’s painted her as a young woman–the woman he loves.  He shows the painting to Matthews and Spinney, and, well, let’s go back to Mathews and Spinney one last time for their assessment of the portrait.

 [Clip- you’ve found what you’ve been looking for.]

 Spinney tells Eben that he found what he’s been looking for.  What is that, exactly?  Love?  Maybe.  More importantly–it’s inspiration.  

 Now, Eben has a real problem, here.  He knows Jennie is doomed to die in a storm at sea.  He loves her desperately.  Oh, I should point out here that she has become an obsession for him.  He had a commission for a mural that he was supposed to be working on, and he left it unfinished for quite a while because he was so focused on Jennie.

●       Is he carrying this burden alone?  Not exactly.  He tells everything to Miss Spinney.  She’s skeptical, though sympathetic.  We get the sense that this is more a dream than a reality, that Eben found, in his imagination, a source of inspiration.  Jennie is simply a figment of that imagination.

 Meanwhile, Eben hatches a plan.

●       He decides that if he can get to the island on which Jennie died on the same date as her death, he can save her.  Yeah, a little far-fetched, but it’s all he can do.

●       He gets to the island, and, indeed, a storm is raging.

●       Does he find her?  Yes!  He does!  Her little boat washes ashore, and the waves are crashing violently.  Is he able to save her?

 [Spoiler Alert!]

 …no.  She dies.  They do have enough time to declare their love for each other, but alas, she is swept away.  He survives–and so does the portrait, where it hangs in a museum–his solitary masterpiece, his magnum opus.

 Now, interesting bit of visual filmery, here.  This movie was filmed almost entirely in black and white.  I say “almost,” because the storm at sea is shot with a weird green filter, so it is particularly otherworldly.  

 For the death scene, I want to turn from the movie to the book.  There are a few differences–per usual–between the book and the movie, but I don’t want to focus on those.  Instead, I think the book captures the death scene really nicely.  So indulge me a moment as I read this scene.  Eben is telling us the story in first person.

 “We'll have to hurry, Jennie,” I told her.  I tried to pull her along, up the slope, but she was like a dead weight, she seemed to have no strength left at all.  She smiled at me piteiously, and shook her head.  "You go, Eben," she said.  "I can't make it."

 I tried to lift her, then, but she was too heavy for me.  I couldn't find a foothold on the slippery ground.  The water was higher, now, almost at our feet--a dark ripple washed in over my ankles.  "Jennie," I cried.  "For God's sake..."

 "Let me look at you," she whispered.  I couldn't hear her, but I knew what she was saying.  She held my face in her hands and looked at me for a moment with wide, dark eyes.  “It's been a long time," she said.

 I didn't want to talk, I wanted to get out of there.  I wanted to get her up the slope away from the water.  "Look," I said.  "if I could lift you up on my back..."  

 But she didn't seem to hear me.  "Yes," she said, almost to herself.  "I wasn't wrong."

 "Jennie," I cried. "please..."

 Her arms tightened around me for a moment.  "Hold me close, Eben," she said.  "We're together now."

 It was then that I saw it coming.

 It came in from the bay, a great brown wave, sweeping back up the valley toward the sea.  There was no escape from it.  We could never have climbed above it.  It came in steady and very fast, with a strange sucking noise.  'Well,’ I thought, ‘we'll go together, anyhow.'

 Bending over, I kissed her.  "Jennie," I said, "we're together now."

 She knew what was coming.  "Eben," she whispered, pressed against my cheek, "there's only one love...nothing can change it.  It's still all right, whatever happens, because we'll always be together...somewhere."

 "I know," I said, and then the wave hit us.

 Oh, gosh!  What a scene.  So, what’s happening here?  A lot, actually.  She says there is only “one love.”  What does she mean?  I think she means that there is only one true love–and that one true love crosses the eternal timeline.  Their love got separated by different timelines, and those timelines merge upon death.  Oh, by the way, here’s an important detail:   Eben survived!  Jennie did not.  But it doesn’t matter, because while they are separated for now, love remains.  

 Permit me to drag another poem into the mix, here.  I’m reminded of a poem by Dylan Thomas that I read in college:  And Death Shall Have No Dominion.  There’s a line in that poem that I’m reminded of in this movie:  “Though lovers be lost, love shall not, and death shall have no dominion.”

 Jennie says at the end that “It’s all right, whatever happens, because we’ll always be together…SOMEWHERE.”  Again, a reference to eternity.  I think we can draw a parallel here to heaven.  There is truly one love–the truest love–the love of God, which is eternal.

 OK, so that brings us to the end.  Eben’s portrait of Jennie hangs in a museum, and in one last bit of magical filmery, our picture is full-color now.  We are in reality and see Jennie as Eben saw her, in living color.

 How much do I love this film?  Sooooo much.  Before we get to my official rating, let’s take a brief intermission so I can collect myself.  Back in a moment.

 [Intermission]

 And now for my rating.  

 Remember, we're determining if this film is Re-watchable, Watchable, or Un-Watchable.  We already know I liked this film.  But is it just "watchable" or "Re-watchable?"  To be "re-watchable" it must earn a minimum of four diamonds and be judged as extraordinarily meaningful or enjoyable by ME.

 ●       Let's begin with the story.  Was this an interesting and entertaining story worth telling?  5 our of 5 diamonds.  Yes, this was a story worth telling.  It was interesting, unique, entertaining, and most importantly, it had something to say about love, art, the dichotomy of a frail and resilient human heart.  5 diamonds, no question.

 ●       Character development:  Were the characters dimensional?  Did their actions ring true?  4 Diamonds.  Jennie was actually pretty one-dimensional.  But Eben and Miss Spinney were the interesting characters in this story.  There is depth there--especially with Miss Spinney.  I would like to sit down with her and talk.  4 diamonds.

 ●       Writing:  Was the dialogue beautiful, funny, poignant, and/or through provoking?  4 diamonds.  There were some beautifully written and poignant lines in this film.  There was the one about old maids knowing about love, but there was also the bit from Matthews about how women should have a timeless, eternal quality about them.  I liked that.  Eben also had some poetic observations about his own struggles.  4 diamonds for this one, bordering on 5 diamonds.

 ●       Pace:  At what speed did the story unfold?  It was just right.  5 diamonds.

 ●       Discussability:  Does the story have enough depth to explore and analyze through discussion.  5 diamonds!  If I could give it 7 diamonds, I would do that--but that would violate my own scale, so I won't.  But there is a LOT to discuss, here.  I haven't even scratched the surface in this review.  Easily 5 diamonds.

 Ok, so what is our average come to...

 [Drum roll]

 4.6 diamonds.  And I loved the film, so, Portrait of Jennie officially earns our "Re-Watchable" designation.

 Definitely give this movie a watch, if you haven’t yet seen it.  I think this one might become one of my favorites.

 Musical break~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 LORENZO - Five headlines in history

 Thanks, Lorenzo.  Well, Portrait of Jennie was released on Christmas day in 1948.  So, I thought it might be cool to see what was happening here in my own hometown on that day.  

 LORENZO: Where is your hometown?]

 Kansas City, Missouri.

 LORENZO:  Ah, yes.  Kansas City.  I have such fond memories of it.

 You do?  You’ve been here?

 LORENZO:  No.

 Well…what?  Anyway, I’m turning to the archives of the Kansas City Star, our newspaper, to grab a few headlines.  

 LORENZO:  How nice.

 You know, to give us a flavor of the times.

 LORENZO:  A very good idea.

 OK, I’m just scanning for random headlines of interest:  "Wide range in thefts"  Variety of Loot Taken in Christmas Night Forays."

●      Let's see...evidently a poultry firm was robbed.  There was a drug store holdup and a purse seizure.  Well, Merry Christmas to you.

●      I want to take a look at that poultry farm caper..."Only two turkeys remained in stock last night when the operators of the Woodland Poultry company at 1812 East Twelfth street locked up.  When the store was opened again this morning only, one bird was there.  Thieves had broken the front door lock to enter and take a 12- pound turkey and four chickens with a total value of $20.

●      It sounds like someone needed Christmas dinner.

 LORENZO:  That is a very tragic story.

 Yeah.  I don’t really like that one.  Let's see what else do we have...

 Oh, here's something sweet--and on the first page, too.  A poem.  Now, we have to remember, this was the Christmas Day edition, so it was likely a slow news day.

 The poem, which also includes some cute illustrations, is called "The Eversweet Tree"

 A vision to me is the peppermint tree topped with a coconut star.

Its boughs are aglow with sugary snow and all of the candies there are.

O the peppermint tree is a beauty to see

As it shimmers with taffies and creams.

It glitters with bunches of clusters and crunches

And sparkles with chocolate dreams.

O the bonbons you see on the peppermint tree are tempting and tasty and merry.

Each candy bough trickles with frosty icicles in flavors from maple to cherry.

O, lolly pops sprout from the tree all about 

And jawbreakers dangle like plums.

In the matter of sweets and similar treats

We've enough...until next Christmas comes.

 That's so cute.  I love that.  

 LORENZO:  Very nice.

 Oh, here's a headline about President Truman.  Truman was our hometown boy.  He was also president at this time, so this is probably going to be a hard-hitting piece of raw journalism.   Here's the headline:  "President peeks at some gifts before family arises."  A jovial Harry S. Truman, arising early on Christmas Day, this morning, said Santa Claus had been good to him.  The president did not let the holiday festivities interfere with his regular morning walk.  He strode briskly from his home in Independence - that's a suburb of Kansas City, for those who don't know. at 8 O'clock and was accompanied only by three secret service agents.

 Sounds fun.

 Uh-Oh.

 LORENZO:  What happened?

 Too much partying in Kansas City on Christmas Eve.  "Gaiety and Woes Mix: Holiday Celebrations lead to seventy calls on brawls, quarrels, shootings, and stabbings.  Christmas Eve hilarity that got out of hand made one of the busiest nights in ten years for police answering disturbance calls.  Seventy calls of shootings, stabbings, arguments, and fights were made before midnight and during the early morning hours to the dispatcher at police headquarters.  

 LORENZO:  Some things never change.

 Yeah.

 Hey, let's look at what was playing at the local theaters and see if I can find Portrait of Jennie.  Now, I'm not sure if that was released across the U.S., or maybe just premiered in Los Angeles and New York or what.  Ok, here we have the movies.  At the Paramount Theater we have Bob Hope and Jane Russell in "The Paleface."  At the Uptown Theater we could see Abbott and Costello in "Mexican Hayride."  Oooh, we could see "The Last Days of Pompeii."  "A cast of 10,000!"  Wow.  And, here's a big ad for–what is this movie–Hedy Lamarr and Robert Cummings at the Roxy in "Let's Live a Little."

 No, "Portrait of Jennie."  So, maybe that was to come to KC a bit later.

 Well, anyway, that’s what was news in Kansas City, December 25th, 1948.

 Overlay VCIH Closing Theme to transition to close.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 LORENZO:  What’s that?

 That signals the end of our show.

 LORENZO:  Oh.

 Well, what did you think?

 LORENZO:  It was very long.

 You think so?

 LORENZO:  Yes.  

 Well, other than that, what did you think?

 LORENZO:  I’d have to say that I’ve never heard a better podcast.

 Wow, really?

 LORENZO:  It’s true.

 Have you heard a lot of podcasts?

 LORENZO:  No.  This is my first one.

 Oh.  Well, hey, listeners, thanks so much for tuning into our first show.  If you think it has potential and you want to give us another chance, I hope you’ll tune into our next episode.  

 LORENZO:  They can only get better.

 Yeah, that’s true.  In future episodes we’ll look at other movies on my watch list, but from time to time we’ll cover other things, too.  There are so many cool things in the world to talk about!  So, go off and enjoy your week, and when your week is done, I hope we’ll see you again real soon.

 Say good bye, Lorenzo.

 LORENZO:  Goodbye, Lorenzo.