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Portrait of Jennie

Play trailer Poster for Portrait of Jennie Released Dec 25, 1948 1h 26m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In Depression-era New York, painter Eben Adams (Joseph Cotten) despairs at his lack of success. One cold winter evening in Central Park, he meets an enigmatic, old-fashioned little girl, Jennie Appleton (Jennifer Jones), who captures his fancy when she asks him to wait for her to grow up. Soon after, Eben sells a sketch of Jennie to kindly art dealer Miss Spinny (Ethel Barrymore) and, as he meets the oddly mutable Jennie in fleeting moments, begins to realize they share a special destiny.

Critics Reviews

View All (15) Critics Reviews
Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine William Dieterle's 1948 masterpiece Portrait of Jennie is not only an unabashedly romantic melodrama but also a fascinating ghost story. Rated: 4/4 Jun 27, 2001 Full Review Zita Short InSession Film Selznick’s vision for this film was clearly different than that of director William Dieterle and cinematographer Joseph H. August but they were able to create something that is more than the sum of its parts. Feb 1, 2023 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Somehow, it all works, though perhaps it should not. Loving Portrait of Jennie is an imperfect experience, but just as Jennie accepts her fate for a few cherished moments with Eben, so too does the viewer revere the film's many pleasures. Rated: 4/4 Feb 12, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A haunting fantasy that's both arty and intoxicating. Rated: 3/4 Sep 22, 2021 Full Review Elsa Branden Photoplay It is romance plus, beautifully acted, directed and produced. Rated: 3/3 Aug 20, 2021 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row Hasn't aged well in the interim either, putting an awkward romance front-and-center that makes one wonder whose fantasy this was in the first place. Rated: 2/4 Jun 4, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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William H I saw this movie many years ago, and it stuck with me. A strange hauntingly beautiful film, filled with light, shadows, and timeless yearning. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/25 Full Review Ronnie M This is truly a great movie with an all-star cast. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/31/24 Full Review Catherine R Brilliant ghost story. Incredible film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Amazing movie one of my favorites Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/14/21 Full Review Ken R Portrait Of Jenny – A Mystery With Epic Touches David O Selznick certainly gave us an enigmatic visual feast when he concocted this strange production. Probably made to promote his star (and soon to be wife) Jenifer Jones. This was the final film for Award-winning Cinematographer Joseph H. August (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame '39) who created many beguiling visuals for this impressive oddity. The epic storm at sea, featuring the haunting abandoned Graves Lighthouse in Massachusetts, is quite an eye opener - with its eerie tinted sequences and the final full color shot of the stunning portrait - making for an unforgettable closing. Joseph Cotton is convincing as the obsessed painter, living on poverty Rd and continually searching for the elusive Jenny. He gets good support from Cecil Kellaway and Ethel Barrymore, as a couple of art dealers who take pity on the struggling artist. Dimitri Tiomkin provides the descriptive musical moods by adapting several melodies by Debussy - but he also has some additional help from Bernard Herrmann. A failure when originally released, it's now regarded as a Fantasy Masterpiece, but finding a quality transfer on DVD will take some research, as there are several sub-standard editions on the market. I purchased The Film Collection release which claimed to be Re-mastered but has visible scratches and soft focus, making playing on a large screen a somewhat disappointing experience. A good-looking treat for those with a liking for the classically unusual. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/07/21 Full Review Audience Member Between 2.5 and 3 stars. Too much predictable maybe. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Portrait of Jennie

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Portrait of Jennie

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Depression-era New York, painter Eben Adams (Joseph Cotten) despairs at his lack of success. One cold winter evening in Central Park, he meets an enigmatic, old-fashioned little girl, Jennie Appleton (Jennifer Jones), who captures his fancy when she asks him to wait for her to grow up. Soon after, Eben sells a sketch of Jennie to kindly art dealer Miss Spinny (Ethel Barrymore) and, as he meets the oddly mutable Jennie in fleeting moments, begins to realize they share a special destiny.
Director
William Dieterle
Screenwriter
Robert Nathan, Leonardo Bercovici, Paul Osborn, Peter Berneis, Ben Hecht, David O. Selznick
Distributor
Selznick International Pictures, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Fox
Production Co
Vanguard Films Production
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 1948, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Oct 19, 2004
Runtime
1h 26m