Jennifer Jones Passes Away
Filed under: Classics, Newsstand, Obits
The world lost one of the last actresses of Hollywood's golden era yesterday, as Jennifer Jones passed away. At 90 years old, she certainly lived a long and successful life, though certainly one that was touched by its share of tragedy.Jones is probably best known for her Oscar-winning performance in The Song of Bernadette, and for being the wife of legendary producer David O. Selznick. But she starred or costarred in a number of great films, including Duel in the Sun, Since You Went Away, Portrait of Jennie, Madame Bovary, The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, and many more. She was right up there with Katharine Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman, but her intensely private life didn't encourage the kind of stardom they enjoyed. But she was an enchanting and luminous actress, and very far removed from the majority of actresses working today. If you've never seen a Jones film, it's never too late to discover the classics. I recommend Since You Went Away or Portrait of Jennie for starters. Jennie really deserves to be seen not just for Jones' sad performance, but for its special effects. They were state of the art in 1948 and technophiles should find them very striking.
Rest in peace, Ms. Jones. Thank you for so many wonderful films!
