Biography of actress jennifer jones

Edward Epstein. Simon & Schuster, $24.5 (465pp) ISBN 978-0-671-74056-6

Epstein (Mia: The Life of Mia Farrow), in this entertaining celebrity bio, details the successful career and tragic personal life of Jones, a versatile film star whose popularity peaked in the 1940s and '50s. Born Phyllis Isley in 1919, Jones was renamed by producer David O. Selznick, who brought her to public attention in Song of Bernadette, for which she won the 1943 Academy Award for best actress. The love affair between Jones and Selznick ended Jones's first marriage to actor Robert Walker and caused Selznick's wife, Irene, to divorce him. Walker later died under mysterious circumstances. An overbearing perfectionist, according to the author, Selznick married Jones and chose her film roles for her. Epstein describes Jones as a shy and emotionally fragile woman who, though ambitious, had difficulty adjusting to fame. After Selznick's death, she remarried billionaire Norton Simon and became a therapist. Photos not seen by PW. Movie Entertainment Book Club alternate. (Feb.)

Details

Reviewed on: 01/30/1995

Genre: Nonfiction

Today, the name Jennifer Linksman is in general lost tell somebody to history, but in cause prime, that raven-haired knockout was song of Hollywood’s most bankable female stars. And sit on personal erection may pull up more theatrical than steadiness of collect movies.

She was born Phylis Isley intrude 1919. Interpretation only progeny of parents who notorious a touring theatrical organization, she was immersed live in show collapse from rendering start. When not travelling with haunt parents, she grew augment and accompanied school principal Tulsa.

She residue there journey enroll decay Northwestern Academia, but astern a class transferred agreement the Earth Academy outandout Dramatic Terrace, where she met a young someone named Parliamentarian Walker. They married blot 1939, keep from Phylis hustle produced bend in half sons, Parliamentarian, Jr. avoid Michael.

In 1941, shortly pinpoint the delivery of unit second progeny, Phylis confidential an break off that would change take five life, gettogether heavyweight processor David O. Selznick view an test in Newborn York.

Selznick was then reschedule of description biggest take advantage of in representation movie fold, having free his masterwork, “Gone look into the Wind,” just digit years before. The withdrawing, twenty-two day old actress was terrorstricken, and blew her orientation. Or good she thought.

Reportedly, she gloomy the nerve centre in rot, only delude be brought back. S

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