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Biography
Childhood (1919-1938) Phylis Lee Isley was born March 2, 1919 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her parents, Phil and Flora Mae (Suber) owned and operated a small acting troop called the Isley Stock Company. They would tour small towns outside of Tulsa and perform plays for ten cents a patron. It was in this environment that young Phylis decided she wanted to be an actress. By the time she was six, she was in her first grade play, playing a candy cane. In her free time and during summer vacations, she worked with her parents selling tickets and refreshments. The Isley's made good money during this time and in 1929, when the stock market crashed, Phil Isley used the money that he had made to buy several independent movie theaters and equip them with sound. It was a smart investment and Isley's chain of theaters paid off nicely. Phylis spent many hours in the movie theaters and was determined as ever to become an actress. |
Age 2
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After she graduated from high school, she enrolled in Monte Cassino, a junior college for girls which was run by Benedictine sisters. Phylis was unlike most of the other girls in that she was more interested in a career than dating boys. She appeared in many of the school plays and usually played the leading role. Phil Isley was impressed with his daughter's enthusiasm and suggested that she go to Hollywood where his connections might land her a movie contract.
Phylis was more interested in Broadway (her curiosity had been peaked at the age of nine when her parents took her on a trip to New York). She made plans to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a college that was well known for its' drama department. She was disappointed, however, with Northwestern. Her courses were not challenging and she felt as though she was wasting her time there. She wrote a letter to one of her idols, stage great Katherine Cornell, and asked her if she should continue with her schooling or get stage experience. Cornell suggested that she needed a "cultural background". |
Age 12
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Phylis took her advice but instead of returning to Northwestern, she decided that she wanted to attend the American Academy Of Dramatic Arts in New York. Her parents accompanied her to New York and got her a room at the Barbizon Hotel For Women. To be admitted, Phylis had to audition and she chose one scene from Romeo And Juliet and another from Wingless Victory. Her audition went very well and she was admitted as a student in the fall
of 1937. Phylis was much happier at the Academy than she had been at Northwestern and her first semester went well. Following the Christmas break and a trip back home to Tulsa, Phylis returned for the Winter semester in January of 1938. She was about to meet someone who would take her mind off of acting. |
Age 17
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Early Career (1939-1942)
When Phylis Isley resumed her classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on January 2, 1938, she met a fellow
student from Utah named Robert Walker. They immediately became very close friends. They both shared a passion for
acting. As the semester progressed, Robert and Phylis were inseparable. They spent most of their spare time together
discussing acting and the theater as well as taking long walks around New York. They shared a common dream - to make a living in the craft that they loved best.
It was not long before they were in love. Toward the end of the semester, the students were required to audition again
for the following year. Robert and Phylis decided to do their scene together and they chose one from The Barretts of Wimpole Street, one of Phylis' favorites. Both passed the test and were invited back for another year.
Phylis was to return to Tulsa for the summer and Robert stayed in New York to look for work. He was not very successful, and in a spur of the moment decision, decided to work on a banana boat. Phylis overlooked his odd career move but was surprised when they reunited in the Fall and Robert told her that he had decided to quit the Academy. He felt that it was a waste of his time and he thought he could find work on his own. Phylis agreed with him, and much to the dismay of her parents, she quit the school also.
They soon found that their prospects in the theater were bleak and they were unable to find work. Phil Isley, worried over his daughter's situation, lured her back to Tulsa with a $25 a week radio job. Phylis told him that she would accept only if Walker was offered the same deal. Isley agreed and the young couple moved to Tulsa. The new job would be a 13 week stint radio program called "The Phylis Isley Radio Theater". The Isley's soon became very fond of Robert Walker.
When Phylis Isley resumed her classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on January 2, 1938, she met a fellow
student from Utah named Robert Walker. They immediately became very close friends. They both shared a passion for
acting. As the semester progressed, Robert and Phylis were inseparable. They spent most of their spare time together
discussing acting and the theater as well as taking long walks around New York. They shared a common dream - to make a living in the craft that they loved best.
It was not long before they were in love. Toward the end of the semester, the students were required to audition again
for the following year. Robert and Phylis decided to do their scene together and they chose one from The Barretts of Wimpole Street, one of Phylis' favorites. Both passed the test and were invited back for another year.
Phylis was to return to Tulsa for the summer and Robert stayed in New York to look for work. He was not very successful, and in a spur of the moment decision, decided to work on a banana boat. Phylis overlooked his odd career move but was surprised when they reunited in the Fall and Robert told her that he had decided to quit the Academy. He felt that it was a waste of his time and he thought he could find work on his own. Phylis agreed with him, and much to the dismay of her parents, she quit the school also.
They soon found that their prospects in the theater were bleak and they were unable to find work. Phil Isley, worried over his daughter's situation, lured her back to Tulsa with a $25 a week radio job. Phylis told him that she would accept only if Walker was offered the same deal. Isley agreed and the young couple moved to Tulsa. The new job would be a 13 week stint radio program called "The Phylis Isley Radio Theater". The Isley's soon became very fond of Robert Walker.
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Robert and Phylis were married on January 2, 1939, one year after they met. Phil Isley urged the young couple to go to Hollywood. In their brand new Packard convertible (a wedding gift from the Isleys), they headed West, stopping briefly in Utah to visit Walker's family. However, once in Hollywood, even with her father's letters of recommendation, work was hard to find. As a last resort, Phylis found a job at the low budget Republic Studios. She was immediately assigned her first film role in a John Wayne "Three Mesquiteer" western called New Frontier. It was only a week's work and following that, she was cast in a Dick Tracy serial called Dick Tracy's G-Men. Walker had only found work in a handful of bit roles. Disheartened, they decided to go back to New York. Phylis asked to be released from her contract at Republic. Republic at first refused but changed their minds after Phylis's father gave them a call and explained that the two merely wanted to leave Hollywood and not go to another studio.
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Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones (c1943)
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They sold the Packard and headed back East where they rented an unheated apartment in Greenwich Village. They started job hunting again but Phylis soon found that she was pregnant. Concerned about her health, Robert found them a house in Long Beach, Long Island. At 5:00 a.m. on the morning of April 15, 1940, Phylis gave birth to Robert Walker Jr. at Jamaica Hospital in Queens.
Robert began to find jobs in radio while Phylis modeled hats for the John Robert Powers Agency. The family again moved to a three bedroom house at 150 Brompton Road in Nassau County. Just three months after the birth of Robert Jr., Phylis was shocked to discover that she was pregnant again. She gave birth to Michael Walker on March 17, 1941. |
Robert and Jennifer at home with sons Robert Jr. and Michael.
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Shortly after the birth of Michael, on a rare evening out, the couple saw a play called "Claudia" starring Dorothy McGuire at the Booth Theater. Phylis loved the play and the lead part and saw the play several times. She was elated when she heard that the producers and author of the play were looking for another actress to play the role in Chicago.
Robert used his influence to get Phylis a reading through his agent Audrey Wood. Rose Franken, the author, was impressed by Phylis but it would be another Phyliss - Phyliss Thaxter - who eventually won the role. However, Hollywood producer David O. Selznick was searching for an actress to play the part on screen and Franken recommended that he see both Phyllis Thaxter and Phylis Walker and decide for himself. |
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July 15, 1941 was a hot day when Phylis reported to the New York offices of David O. Selznick to read for the role of "Claudia." Phylis was overcome with nerves and did what she thought was a bad reading and left the office upset and in tears. Selznick was impressed enough, however, to have his secretery Kay Brown, call her back the next day for another reading. Phylis thought they were merely being polite and forgot the episode and had just stepped out of the shower when Kay Brown called her the next day to inquire why she was not at the office. Phylis quickly hailed a cab, hanging her head out the window on the way to dry her hair. This time her reading went much better and within two weeks, during the last week of July 1941, Selznick signed her to a contract.
First screen test
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Actress - The David O. Selznick Years (1943-1970)
David O. Selznick had been captivated by the "big-eyed girl" (as her referred to her in one of his famous memos). She would become his obsession and he would spend the rest of his life nurturing her career. Selznick had been married to Irene Mayer Selznick (Louis B. Mayer's daughter) since 1930. He was one of Hollywood's most brilliant independent producers and his resume included such memorable films as King Kong, Dinner At Eight, A Star Is Born, Anna Karenina, Rebecca and of course, Gone With The Wind. He had a keen eye for worthwhile projects and new talent. |
The "big-eyed" girl who captivated David Selznick
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Selznick learned that Twentieth Century Fox was looking for a newcomer for the title role in The Song Of Bernadette, which was based on the popular best-selling novel about the French peasant girl who claimed to have seen visions of the Holy Mother in Lourdes. This was the kind of role that he was looking for to introduce his new find to the movie-going public. In October of 1942, Jennifer received the call that she was to test for Bernadette (For more about Jennifer's screen test, see The Song Of Bernadette in the Films section). In early December, Jennifer was informed that the role was hers and she and her family were on their way to Hollywood
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At first, the turn of events in Robert and Jennifer's careers could not have been better. Jennifer started work on Bernadette and Walker (with the help of Selznick) was signed on at the prestigious MGM where his future also looked very promising. However, Selznick's attention toward Jennifer was becoming more and more intense. For her twenty fourth birthday on March 2, 1943, he gave her a beautiful leather bound copy of The Song Of Bernadette that had been autographed by the author Franz Werfel.
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Franz Werfel, Jennifer Jones and Charles Bickford on the set of "The Song of Bernadette"
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There are conflicting accounts as to when Robert and Jennifer's marriage began to unravel but it was obvious that Selznick's attention to Jennifer was creating problems. Vincent Price claims that it began to happen during the filming of Bernadette. Whatever the case, their relationship grew very tense by the time The Song of Bernadette had wrapped in July of 1943. Jennifer and Robert were both assigned to Since You Went Away where filming their love scenes was most difficult. Jennifer, who was high-strung and highly sensitive, often fled the stage in tears after filming a scene with Walker. By October, the two had separated. The Song Of Bernadette opened in December of 1943 and Jennifer was an overnight star. Robert Walker too had gained star status with the film Bataan.
Everyone involved in the drama managed to keep what was going on under wraps so that "The Song of Bernadette" would not be affected by adverse publicity. Walker and Jones began divorce proceedings in March of 1944 and Robert Walker did not cope with the situation well. He began to drink and his volatile temper got him into trouble with the police on several occasions. Despite his promise of a successful film career (he was well liked by the movie going public) he lost all interest in his work. He remarried in 1948 to Barbara Ford (director John Ford's daughter) but it only lasted six weeks. Later, Walker spent time at Menninger's Clinic for his alcohol problem and he suffered several nervous breakdowns. He made a memorable comeback in Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train but he died suddenly in 1951 when doctors gave him sedatives following an emotional outburst. (Robert Walker's obituary is included in the Articles section)
David Selznick's chief concern was the career of Jennifer Jones. He wisely chose roles that would portray her in
diverse characterizations and as a result she was not typecast. Her roles ranged from sweet and innocents like
Bernadette, Jennie, and Miss Dove to sultry vixens like Pearl Chavez and Ruby Gentry. She would portray contemporary women as well as classic literary characters like Madame Bovary and Sister Carrie. Selznick's judgment, however, often faltered. In 1944, Jones was offered the part of the lead role in Laura but Selznick turned it down. Selznick also seemed to have an aversion to comedic roles. Jones proved brilliant in the 1946 Ernest Lubitsch comedy "Cluny Brown" but she would appear in only one more comedy, almost a decade later, in the offbeat "Beat the Devil" (1954).
Everyone involved in the drama managed to keep what was going on under wraps so that "The Song of Bernadette" would not be affected by adverse publicity. Walker and Jones began divorce proceedings in March of 1944 and Robert Walker did not cope with the situation well. He began to drink and his volatile temper got him into trouble with the police on several occasions. Despite his promise of a successful film career (he was well liked by the movie going public) he lost all interest in his work. He remarried in 1948 to Barbara Ford (director John Ford's daughter) but it only lasted six weeks. Later, Walker spent time at Menninger's Clinic for his alcohol problem and he suffered several nervous breakdowns. He made a memorable comeback in Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train but he died suddenly in 1951 when doctors gave him sedatives following an emotional outburst. (Robert Walker's obituary is included in the Articles section)
David Selznick's chief concern was the career of Jennifer Jones. He wisely chose roles that would portray her in
diverse characterizations and as a result she was not typecast. Her roles ranged from sweet and innocents like
Bernadette, Jennie, and Miss Dove to sultry vixens like Pearl Chavez and Ruby Gentry. She would portray contemporary women as well as classic literary characters like Madame Bovary and Sister Carrie. Selznick's judgment, however, often faltered. In 1944, Jones was offered the part of the lead role in Laura but Selznick turned it down. Selznick also seemed to have an aversion to comedic roles. Jones proved brilliant in the 1946 Ernest Lubitsch comedy "Cluny Brown" but she would appear in only one more comedy, almost a decade later, in the offbeat "Beat the Devil" (1954).
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David and Jennifer's relationship intensified over the years (Irene Selznick left her husband in 1945) but it was not until July 13, 1949 that they were finally married on a yacht off the coast of Italy. They moved into a beautiful home on Tower Grove Road in Beverly Hills that had once belonged to John Gilbert. On August 12, 1954, Jennifer gave birth to their first child, Mary Jennifer. Her first pregnancy with Selznick had ended in a miscarriage in 1951.
Jennifer's career hit a slump in the late 40s and early 50s when her films did not do well at the box office but she rebounded in the mid 50s with Love Is A Many Splendored Thing and Good Morning, Miss Dove and she was very popular with the public. However, Selznick's overblown production of A Farewell To Arms was a disaster and did little to benefit Jennifer's career. She was off the screen for three years following A Farewell To Arms and returned in 1961 in Tender Is The Night which was also poorly received. |
David Selznick, Mary Jennifer Selznick, Jennifer Jones
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Selznick's health began to deteriorate (he had a bad heart and was a heavy smoker) and he died on June 22, 1965. Jennifer was devastated and soon discovered that Selznick's gambling habits had left their estate deeply in debt. The debts were paid off by sales of Selznick's films to ABC. Jennifer was now alone and had lost the driving force behind her life and career.
Jennifer was always highly secretive about her personal life. A decade after the death of David Selznick, she did make the following statement about her feelings toward the man who guided her career. "I felt appreciated right from the beginning. I felt totally at ease. I don't know whether that's love at first sight." When she was offered a part in a low budget London production titled The Idol to replace Kim Stanley, she had only three days to make a decision and she quickly accepted. The film was released with little fanfare and it was obvious that this was not the caliber of film that Jennifer Jones was known for. |
Jennifer Jones and David Selznick
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She next appeared on stage in "The Country Girl" at the New York City Center. She had initially been the ideal choice for the screen role twelve years earlier but pregnancy forced her to withdraw. The role went to Grace Kelly, who won the Oscar. The stage production, however, was not a success and the play closed within a month.
At this point, she was deeply depressed. In November of 1967, she was found unconscious in the surf near Malibu after taking an overdose of pills. News accounts claimed that she was distraught over the death of her close friend Charles Bickford. However, Daniel Selznick later recounted the details in "West of Eden" and claimed that she was upset over the end of an affair with her analyst. She later claimed that the incident had been an accident. "I don't think I wanted to die," she told the Washington Post several years later. "These accidents happen." It was evident, however, that the 60s were very troubled times for Jennifer. |
Jennifer Jones and Rip Torn in "The Country Girl"
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Her next film role choice was perhaps the most bizarre of her career. No one could explain why she signed on to play the role of Astrid Steele, a former porn star, in "Angel, Angel Down We Go" (also known as "Cult of the Damned"). The film was universally panned and not given a wide release.
Jennifer did not seem concerned with the fate of her film career. She was heavily in analysis and spent two hours every day with the famed therapist Milton Wexler, Her personal focus was evolving to that a caregiver and philanthropist for people in need. Another phase of her life was about to begin. Milton Wexler later remarked, "Helping others helped Jennifer heal herself".
Jennifer did not seem concerned with the fate of her film career. She was heavily in analysis and spent two hours every day with the famed therapist Milton Wexler, Her personal focus was evolving to that a caregiver and philanthropist for people in need. Another phase of her life was about to begin. Milton Wexler later remarked, "Helping others helped Jennifer heal herself".
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Patron of the Arts - The Norton Simon Years (1971-2009)
Jennifer became very interested in the mental health field and especially The Manhattan Project, a program designed to help young people who were addicted to drugs. Jennifer opened her home for meetings and asked friends to donate money to the organization. Many of her friends claimed that she became a much stronger person during this time. At a party hosted by industrialist and art collector Walter Annenberg, she met multimillionaire art collector and businessman Norton Simon. |
Jennifer Jones and Norton Simon
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Norton Simon had made his fortune during the Depression years when he bought a bankrupt fruit and vegetable packing company and successfully turned the business around. He began buying stock in other undervalued companies with growth potential. One of these companies was Hunt Foods, which Simon gained a controlling interest in during the early 1940s. Simon was brilliant in the areas of marketing and advertising, and during the war years, he turned Hunt Foods Inc. into a billion dollar industry.
It was not until the 1950s that Simon developed an interest in art but once he did, his passion turned into an obsession. During the next twenty five years, he amassed one of the worlds greatest and most eclectic art collections. (For more about Simon, visit the Norton Simon Museum website.)
It was not until the 1950s that Simon developed an interest in art but once he did, his passion turned into an obsession. During the next twenty five years, he amassed one of the worlds greatest and most eclectic art collections. (For more about Simon, visit the Norton Simon Museum website.)
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Both Norton and Jennifer were interested in mental health (Simon's son had committed suicide) and both shared an interest in helping others. Simon did not know much about Jennifer's show business world but he was familiar with the Robert Brackman portrait of her from Portrait Of Jennie because at one time he had tried unsuccessfully to buy it.
Their whirlwind romance included a trip to Europe, where Simon proposed. They were married on May 29, 1971 on a yacht in the English Channel. One of Simon's wedding presents to Jennifer was the Francisco de Zurbaran painting Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose. Jennifer was always fond of lemons and usually requested arrangements of lemons instead of flowers in her dressing rooms. |
Norton Simon, Jennifer Jones and Robert Walker Jr.
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Jennifer was 52 and was about to embark on a new life. Simon taught her about art and she soon developed a critical eye and even bid on works for him at auctions that he could not attend. On one notable occasion, Jennifer, on Simon's behalf, successfully bid 3.7 million for a rare work by Dieric Bouts titled The Resurrection.
Simon encouraged Jennifer to do another film and she was enthusiastic about returning to the screen. She got a strong supporting part in the epic The Towering Inferno, a quality production that would hopefully erase all memories of Angel, Angel, Down We Go and The Idol. The film was a huge box office success and Jennifer received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Unfortunately she was overlooked for an Academy Award nomination. She looked forward to doing more films but a personal tragedy would take her mind off acting. |
Jennifer Jones and Norton Simon at the premiere of "The Towering Inferno"
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Mary Jennifer, Jones' daughter by Selznick, had developed deep emotional problems
and had never fully gotten over her father's death. She was living in a dark fantasy world and according to one source, experimented with drugs and had had a nervous breakdown. While Jennifer was on a visit to Tulsa to visit her dying father, Mary Jennifer jumped to her death from a twenty two story building in Los Angeles. A few weeks later, Phil Isley died in Oklahoma. Jennifer was devastated but her interest in mental health issues became even stronger and she donated one million dollars to establish the Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation For Mental Health And Education in 1980. She also donated many hours to the Wexler Hereditary Disease Foundation, founded by her personal analyst, Dr. Milton Wexler. In 1977, she spoke in Washington to the Senate Appropriations Committee to solicit more funds for the Foundation. In the early 1990s, Jennifer herself became a paraprofessional therapist and volunteered as a counselor at the Southern California Counseling Center in Beverly Hills. |
Mary Jennifer Selznick
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There would be no return to the silver screen. She did talk with producers about portraying convicted murderess Jean Harris but the plans were abandoned when a television film was made with Ellen Burstyn. She bought the rights to Larry McMurtry's novel Terms of Endearment but lost interest when producer James Brooks hinted that she was too old to play the role. It became a smash hit with Shirley Maclaine in the role. She made appearances at the 1987 Academy Awards where she presented the award for Best Cinematography as well as American Film Institute Tributes to Lillian Gish and Gregory Peck.
Norton Simon was diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome in 1989 and the couple moved into the Beverly Hills Hotel so that he could receive around the clock medical treatment. The Beverly Hills Hotel closed for a renovation in late 1992 and the Simons moved into a house in Beverly Hills. Simon's health steadily got worse and he died on June 1, 1993.
Norton Simon had named Jennifer Chairman of the Norton Simon Museum in 1989 and she continued in this position after his death. She was instrumental in the renovation of the museum and its grounds from 1996-99.
Norton Simon was diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome in 1989 and the couple moved into the Beverly Hills Hotel so that he could receive around the clock medical treatment. The Beverly Hills Hotel closed for a renovation in late 1992 and the Simons moved into a house in Beverly Hills. Simon's health steadily got worse and he died on June 1, 1993.
Norton Simon had named Jennifer Chairman of the Norton Simon Museum in 1989 and she continued in this position after his death. She was instrumental in the renovation of the museum and its grounds from 1996-99.
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She made rare public appearances on the Academy Awards in 1998 and 2003 in tributes to past winners. In 1997, she traveled to Germany to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from the German Film Awards. Despite these appearances, she never spoke to interviewers about her private life or her past illustrious career. Even when she was active in the film industry, she rarely gave interviews.
In 1957 she was quoted as saying "Most interviewers probe and pry into your personal life, and I just don't like it. I respect everyone's right to privacy, and I feel mine should be respected, too." Jennifer remained active as the director of the Norton Simon Museum until 2003 when she was given emeritus status. She also was a powerful advocate for for the rights of the mentally ill. The Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation pledged $400,000 to be used exclusively for the world renowned Mary Jennifer Selznick Workshop Program, named in honor of Jennifer's late daughter. |
Accepting the Lifetime Acheivement Award from the German Film Awards in 1997
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In May 2008, the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented "Saint and Sinner: The Tempestuous Career of Jennifer Jones", a week long retrospective that showcased fourteen of her films. "Jennifer represented a woman of mystery", said Joanna Ney, producer of arts programming at the Film Society and the curator of the series. "Her sui generis performances captured compassionate, vulnerable and sometimes bitter heroines who were also though they did not mean to be femme fatales, because her feminine drive challenged the guy in question." Jennifer herself did not attend the festival and asked her nephew Daniel Selznick, "Why would they bother to do that for a simple person like me?"” In a rare interview in 1977, she reflected, "Actually, every time I stop to think about it, I'm really amazed. I think I've had an extraordinary life. And lots of times I can hardly believe it's me." |
Appearance at the 1998 Academy Awards (top) and the 2003 awards (bottom)
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Jennifer Jones spent the last six years of her life living with her son, Robert Walker, Jr. and his family in Malibu. She died there of natural causes on December 17, 2009 at the age of 90. She was cremated and her ashes were spread near Point Dunne, Malibu (according to Find A Grave, a portion of her ashes were interred in the Selznick crypt at Forest Lawn Cemetery). Her survivors includes her son Robert Walker, Jr., eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her son, Michael Walker, died in 2007. Robert Walker, Jr. died in 2019.
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HDF President Nancy Wexler and Jennifer at the Hereditary Disease Foundation's 40th Birthday Gala in January 2008
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