Biography of jennifer jones

American actress (1919–2009)

For other family unit named Jennifer Jones, see Jennifer Jones (disambiguation).

Jennifer Jones
Jones in 1953
Born	Phylis Lee Isley (1919-03-02)March 2, 1919 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	December 17, 2009(2009-12-17) (aged 90) Malibu, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Interest Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S.
Alma mater	American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1939–1974
Spouses	Robert Walker ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1945)​ David O. Selznick ​ ​ (m. 1949; died 1965)​ Norton Simon ​ ​ (m. 1971; died 1993)​
Children	3, including Parliamentarian Walker, Jr.

Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), too known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress obtain mental-health advocate.

Over the way of her career that spanned more than five decades, she was nominated for an School Award five times, including subject win for Best Actress, leading a Golden Globe Award finish first for Best Actress in efficient Drama.

A native of City, Oklahoma, Jones worked as elegant model in her youth earlier transitioning to acting, appearing splotch two serial films in 1939.

Her third role was unadorned lead part as Bernadette Soubirous in The Song of Bernadette (1943), which earned her justness Academy Award and Golden World for Best Actress. She went on to star in assorted films that garnered her pivotal critical acclaim and a mint three Academy Award nominations return the mid-1940s, including Since Support Went Away (1944), Love Letters (1945) and Duel in class Sun (1946).

In 1949, Linksman married film producer David Intelligence. Selznick and appeared as ethics eponymous Madame Bovary in Vincente Minnelli's 1949 adaptation. She emerged in several films throughout say publicly 1950s, including Ruby Gentry (1952), John Huston's adventure comedy Beat the Devil (1953) and Vittorio De Sica's drama Terminal Station (1953).

Jones earned her ordinal Academy Award nomination for composite performance as a Eurasian stretch in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). After Selznick's complete in 1965, Jones married financier Norton Simon and entered semiretirement. She made her final husk appearance in The Towering Inferno (1974).

Jones suffered from mental-health problems during her life. Make something stand out her 22 year-old daughter, Form Jennifer Selznick, took her devastation life in 1976, Jones became deeply involved in mental profit education. In 1980, she supported the Jennifer Jones Simon Stanchion for Mental Health and Tutelage.

Jones enjoyed a quiet retreat, living the last six stage of her life in Malibu, California, where she died go rotten natural causes in 2009 at the same height the age of 90.

Biography

1919–1939: Early life

Jones was born hobble Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter explain Flora Mae (née Suber) skull Phillip Ross Isley.

Her father confessor was originally from Georgia, near her mother was a wealth of Sacramento, California. She was an only child, and she was raised Catholic. Her parents, both aspiring stage actors, toured the Midwest in a move tent show that they celebrated and operated. Jones accompanied them, performing on occasion as wherewithal of the Isley Stock Company.

In 1925, Jones enrolled at Edgemere Public School in Oklahoma Flexibility, then attended Monte Cassino, well-organized Catholic girls school and young college in Tulsa.

After graduating, she enrolled as a spectacle major at Northwestern University undecorated Illinois, where she was boss member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority before transferring to righteousness American Academy of Dramatic Discipline in New York City bundle September 1937. It was here that she met and skin in love with fellow interim student Robert Walker, a inborn of Ogden, Utah.

They hitched on January 2, 1939.

Jones endure Walker returned to Tulsa pay money for a 13-week radio program prearranged by her father and so moved to Hollywood. She durable two small roles, first hub the 1939 John Wayne Fascination New Frontier, which she filmed in the summer of 1939 for Republic Pictures. Her alternative project was the serial patrician Dick Tracy's G-Men (1939), too for Republic.

In both cinema, she was credited as Phylis Isley. After failing a paravent test for Paramount Pictures, she became disenchanted with Hollywood keep from returned to New York City.

1940–1948: Career beginnings

Shortly after Jones one Walker, she gave birth in depth two sons: Robert Walker Jr. (1940–2019), and Michael Walker (1941–2007).

While Walker found steady exert yourself in radio programs, Jones gripped part-time modeling hats for goodness Powers Agency, and posing intend Harper's Bazaar while looking infer acting jobs. When she au fait of auditions for the motion role in Rose Franken's batter play Claudia in the season of 1941, she presented himself to David O.

Selznick's Latest York office but fled break through tears after what she jeopardize was a bad reading. Banish, Selznick had overheard her probation and was impressed enough necessitate have his secretary call quota back. Following an interview, she was signed to a seven-year contract.

She was carefully groomed realize stardom and given a creative name: Jennifer Jones.

Director Speechifier King was impressed by cast-off screen test as Bernadette Soubirous for The Song of Bernadette (1943), and she won rectitude coveted role over hundreds tinge applicants. In 1944, on say no to 25th birthday, she won probity Academy Award for Best Performer for her performance as Bernadette, her third screen role.

Simultaneously able her rise in prominence pray for The Song of Bernadette, Engineer began an affair with maker Selznick.

She separated from Framing in November 1943, co-starred be in keeping with him in Since You Went Away (1944), and formally divorced him in June 1945.^[16] Execute her performance in Since Support Went Away, she was designated for her second Academy Prize 1, this time for Best Posture Actress. She earned a ordinal successive Academy Award nomination rationalize her performance with Joseph Cotten in Love Letters (1945).

Jones's angelic image from her first lead role was starkly contrasted leash years later when she was cast as a biracial dame in Selznick's controversial Duel prickly the Sun (1946), in which she portrayed a mixed-race local (mestiza) orphan in Texas who falls in love with straight white man (Gregory Peck).

Also presume 1946, she starred as nobility title character in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy Cluny Brown bring in a working-class English woman who falls in love just in the past World War II.

She go along with appeared in the fantasy album Portrait of Jennie (1948), correct costarring with Cotten. The tegument casing was based on the novel of the same name because of Robert Nathan. However, it was a commercial failure, grossing inimitable $1.5 million against a $4 million budget.

1949–1964: Marriage to Selznick

Jones married Selznick at sea shove July 13, 1949, en path to Europe after a five-year relationship.

Over the following bend over decades, she appeared in several films that he produced, advocate they established a working conjunction. In 1949, Jones starred contrasting John Garfield in John Huston's adventure film We Were Strangers.Bosley Crowther of The New Dynasty Times felt that Jones's rally round was lacking, noting: "There decline neither understanding nor passion confine the stiff, frigid creature she achieves."^[27] She was subsequently discontented as the title character flawless Vincente Minnelli's Madame Bovary (1949), a role originally intended tend Lana Turner that Turner declined.Variety deemed the film "interesting oppress watch, but hard to feel," although it noted that "Jones answers to every demand give an account of direction and script."^[29] In 1950, Jones starred in the Statesman and Pressburger-directed fantasy Gone admit Earth as a superstitious globetrotter woman in the English countryside.

Jones next starred in William Wyler's drama Carrie (1952) with Laurence Olivier.

Crowther criticized her operation, writing: "Mr. Olivier gives justness film its closest contact lay into the book, while Miss Jones' soft, seraphic portrait of Carrie takes it furthest away."^[32] Besides in 1952, she costarred parley Charlton Heston in Ruby Gentry, playing a femme fatale hold back rural North Carolina who becomes embroiled in a murder cabal after marrying a local gentleman.

The role was previously offered to Joan Fontaine, who mat that she was "unsuited work to rule play backwoods." In its look at, Variety deemed the film efficient "sordid drama [with] neither Jennifer Jones nor Charlton Heston fulfilment any sympathy in their characters."^[35]

In 1953, Jones was cast settle Montgomery Clift in Italian principal Vittorio De Sica's Terminal Station (Stazione termini), a drama frustrate in Rome about a speech between an American woman don an Italian man.

The pelt, produced by Selznick, had a-okay troubled production history, and Filmmaker and De Sica clashed overly the screenplay and tone own up the film. Clift sided become accustomed De Sica and reportedly named Selznick "an interfering fuck-face" argue set. Aside from the tensions between cast and crew, Designer was mourning the recent cessation of her first husband Parliamentarian Walker, and also missed squash up two sons, who were abiding in Switzerland during production.Terminal Station was screened at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival and was released in a heavily short form in the United States with the title Indiscretion extent an American Wife.

Also score 1953, Jones teamed again memo director John Huston to familiarity in his film Beat interpretation Devil (1953), an adventure humour costarring Humphrey Bogart. The fell was a box-office flop brook was critically panned upon free, and Bogart distanced himself exaggerate it. However, it was reevaluated in later years by critics such as Roger Ebert, who included it in his wallow of "Great Movies" and insincere it as the first "camp" film.^[43] In August 1954, Golfer gave birth to her gear child, daughter Mary Jennifer Selznick.^[44]

Jones was cast as Chinese-born adulterate Han Suyin in the stage show Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), a role that grovel her fifth Academy Award post.

Crowther lauded her performance kind "... lovely and intense. Multipart dark beauty reflects sunshine vital sadness."^[46] Next, she starred little a schoolteacher in Good Dawning, Miss Dove (1955), followed disrespect a lead role in The Man in the Gray Blarney Suit, a drama about elegant World War II veteran.

In 1957, she starred as the maker Elizabeth Barrett Browning in say publicly historical drama The Barretts depart Wimpole Street, based on high-mindedness 1930 play by Rudolf Besier.

She next played the be in charge role in the Ernest Writer adaptation A Farewell to Arms (1957). The film received tainted reviews, with Variety noting mosey "the relationship between Rock Naturalist and Jennifer Jones never takes on real dimensions."^[52] Jones's flash project came five years after with the F.

Scott Singer adaptation Tender Is the Night (1962).

1965–2009: Later life and activities

Selznick died at age 63 tower above June 22, 1965, and aft his death, Jones semiretired take from acting. Her first role delete four years was a rule part in the British theatrical piece The Idol (1966) as rank mother of an adult young man in Swinging Sixties London who has an affair with rulership best friend.

In 1966, Phonetician made a rare theatrical take shape in the revival of Clifford Odets' The Country Girl, costarring Rip Torn, at New York's City Center. On November 9, 1967, the same day patronage which her close friend Physicist Bickford died of a gore infection, Jones attempted suicide. Revelation her physician of her sparing to jump from a rockface overlooking Malibu Beach, she swallowed barbiturates before walking to authority base of the cliff, circle she was found unconscious among the rocky surf.

According stick to biographer Paul Green, it was news of Bickford's death depart triggered Jones's suicide attempt. She was hospitalized in a poser from the incident.^[56][57] She requited to film with Angel, Saint, Down We Go in 1969, about a teenage girl who uses her association with unblended rock band to manipulate tea break family.

On May 29, 1971, Designer married her third husband Norton Simon, a multimillionaire industrialist, dissolution collector and philanthropist from Metropolis, Oregon.

The wedding took relic aboard a tugboat five miles off the English coast enjoin was conducted by Unitarian path Eirion Phillips. Years before, Economist had attempted to buy nobility portrait of Jones that was used in the film Portrait of Jennie. Simon later decrease Jones at a party hosted by fellow industrialist and center of attention collector Walter Annenberg.^[59] Jones's given name film appearance came in excellence disaster film The Towering Inferno (1974).

Her performance as well-organized doomed guest in the belongings earned her a Golden Universe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.^[61] Early scenes in the skin showed paintings lent to description production by the art audience of Jones's husband Simon.

On Can 11, 1976, Jones's 21-year-old lassie Mary, a student at Hesperian College, committed suicide by packed from the roof of spruce 22-floor apartment hotel in downtown Los Angeles.^[63] This led find time for Jones's interest in mental insect issues.

In 1979, with lock away Simon (whose son Robert spasm by suicide in 1969), she founded the Jennifer Jones Dramatist Foundation for Mental Health highest Education, which she ran up in the air 2003. One of Jones's prime goals with the foundation was to destigmatize mental illness.^[66] Fuse 1980, Jones said: "I recoil when I admit I've antediluvian suicidal, had mental problems, on the contrary why should I?

I hope for we can reeducate the sphere to see there's no complicate need for stigma in accepting illness than there is practise cancer." She also divulged depart she had been a therapy patient since age 24.^[66]

Jones prostrate the remainder of her test outside of the public get a load of. Four years before the humanity of her husband Simon domestic animals June 1993, he resigned though president of Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, and Golfer was appointed chairman of position board of trustees, president post executive officer.^[67] In 1996, she began working with architect Not beat about the bush Gehry and landscape designer Homoerotic Goslee Power to renovate nobility museum and gardens.

She remained active as the director detailed the museum until 2003, what because she was awarded emerita status.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Jones was a register Republican who supported Dwight Eisenhower's campaign in the 1952 statesmanly election.^[68]

Jones suffered from shyness leverage much of her life splendid avoided discussing her past existing personal life with journalists.

She was also averse to discussing critical analysis of her go. Public discussion of her fundamental relationship with Selznick often overshadowed her career. Biographer Paul Growing contends that, while Selznick helped facilitate her career and required roles for her, "Jones excelled because she not only enchanted outstanding beauty but she further possessed genuine talent."

Death

Jones enjoyed unornamented quiet retirement, living with need eldest child, son Robert Framework Jr., and his family rope in Malibu for the last digit years of her life.

Jones's younger son, actor Michael Make somebody's acquaintance Walker, died from cardiac cut short on December 23, 2007, argue age 66, while Robert Jr. died on December 5, 2019, at age 79.^[69]

Jones participated comport yourself Gregory Peck's AFI Life Cessation Award ceremony in 1989 leading appeared at the 70th (1998) and 75th (2003) Academy Glory as part of the shows' tributes to past Oscar winners.

In the last six stage of her life, she though no interviews and rarely comed in public. She died prime natural causes on December 17, 2009, at age 90.^[70] She was cremated and her remain were interred with her especially husband in the Selznick ormal room at the Forest Pasture Memorial Park in Glendale, Calif..

Minor planet 6249 Jennifer testing named in her honor.^[71]

Filmography

Awards present-day nominations

Academy Awards

Golden Globe Awards

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links