Portrait of Jennie movie storyline. In 1934, impoverished painter Eben Adams (Joseph Cotten) meets a fey little girl named Jennie Appleton (Jennifer Jones) in Central Park, Manhattan. She is wearing old-fashioned clothing. He makes a sketch of her from memory which involves him with art dealer Miss Spinney (Ethel Barrymore), who sees potential in him. This inspires him to paint a portrait of Jennie.
Eben encounters Jennie at intermittent intervals. Strangely, she appears to be growing up much more rapidly than is possible. He soon falls in love with her but is puzzled by the fact that she seems to be experiencing events that he discovers took place many years previously as if they had just happened. Eventually he learns the truth about Jennie and though inevitable tragedy ensues, she continues to be an inspiration to Eben’s life and art, and his career makes a remarkable upturn, commencing with his portrait of Jennie.
Portrait of Jennie is a 1948 fantasy film based on the 1940 novella by Robert Nathan. The film was directed by William Dieterle and produced by David O. Selznick. It stars Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. At the 21st Academy Awards, it won an Oscar for Best Special Effects (Paul Eagler, Joseph McMillan Johnson, Russell Shearman and Clarence Slifer; Special Audible Effects: Charles L. Freeman and James G. Stewart). Joseph H. August was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography – Black and White.
Portrait of Jennie (1948)
Directed by: William Dieterle
Starring: Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Cecil Kellaway, David Wayne, Albert Sharpe, Florence Bates, Felix Bressart, Clem Bevans, Maude Simmons
Screenplay by: Paul Osborn, Peter Berneis, Leonardo Bercovici
Production Design by: J. McMillan Johnson
Cinematography by: Joseph H. August, Lee Garmes
Film Editing by: William Morgan
Costume Design by: Lucinda Ballard
Set Decoration by: Claude E. Carpenter
Music by: Claude Debussy, Dimitri Tiomkin
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Selznick Releasing Organization
Release Date: December 25, 1948
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