Jennifer is a 1953 American film noir drama mystery film directed by Joel Newton and starring Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, and Robert Nichols.[2][3] The film is notable for the introduction of the jazz standard "Angel Eyes," composed and performed by Matt Dennis.[4]
| Jennifer | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joel Newton |
| Screenplay by | Bernard Girard Richard Dorso |
| Based on | the Feb. 1949 Cosmopolitan short story "Jennifer" by Virginia Myers[1] |
| Produced by | Berman Swarttz |
| Starring | Ida Lupino Howard Duff Robert Nichols Mary Shipp |
| Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
| Edited by | Everett Douglas |
| Music by | Ernest Gold |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Allied Artists Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editDown on her luck, Agnes Langley (Ida Lupino) is hired by Lorna Gale (Mary Shipp) to replace the "missing" Jennifer as caretaker for the Gale family's currently unoccupied Southern California estate. Agnes is immediately affected by the mysterious house and, after she finds a diary apparently belonging to Jennifer, becomes obsessed with determining the cause of the woman's "disappearance".
Cast
edit- Ida Lupino as Agnes Langley
- Howard Duff as Jim Hollis
- Robert Nichols as Orin
- Mary Shipp as Lorna Gale
- Ned Glass as Grocery Clerk
- Kitty McHugh as Landlady
- Lorna Thayer as Molly, Grocery Clerk
- Matt Dennis as himself
Reception
editTime Out magazine (London) writes of the film, "This is gothic romance crossed with early-'50s noir, worth a look for the sake of the great Wong Howe. Grey-listed and taking what work he could get, he tackles even this B-picture for Monogram with unfailing artistry, creating images that are strong without being showy, atmospheric yet perfectly naturalistic."[5]
References
edit- ^ Turner Classic Movies. Screenplay information. Powered by AFI; accessed July 18, 2013.
- ^ Jennifer at the TCM Movie Database.
- ^ Filmaffinity
- ^ Trouble with People: The Mystery of Jennifer - Art & Trash on Vimeo
- ^ TimeOut. Staff film review. Accessed: July 24, 2013.
External links
edit- Jennifer at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Jennifer at IMDb
- Jennifer at AllMovie
- Jennifer at the TCM Movie Database
- Jennifer essay by Kimberly Lindbergs at TCM's Movie Morlocks