Tender Is the Night (1962)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

F. Scott Fitzgerald (novel)
Ivan Moffat (writer)

Release Date:

23 February 1962 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In the tender moments of the night...SHOULD LOVE BE ALL THERE IS?

Plot Keywords:

Composer | Actress | Beautiful Woman | Forbidden Love | Wealth

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Jennifer Jones	...	Nicole Diver
Jason Robards	...	Dr. Richard 'Dick' Diver (as Jason Robards Jr.)
Joan Fontaine	...	Baby Warren
Tom Ewell	...	Abe North
Cesare Danova	...	Tommy Barban
Jill St. John	...	Rosemary Hoyt
Paul Lukas	...	Doctor Dohmler
Bea Benaderet	...	Mrs. McKisco
Charles E. Fredericks	...	Mr. Albert Charles McKisco (as Charles Fredericks)
Sanford Meisner	...	Doctor Franz Gregorovious
Mac McWhorter	...	Colis Clay
Albert Carrier	...	Louis
Richard De Combray	...	Francisco Prado
Carole Mathews	...	Mrs. Hoyt
Alan Napier	...	Señor Pardo

Runtime:

142 min | 132 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #20019)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The Divers are based on real-life couple Gerald and Sara Murphy, friends and patrons of the famous, including the author of this story, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Poet Archibald Macleish once said of the Murphys that "there was a shine to life wherever they were".

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: Jennifer Jones: Portrait of a Lady" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Tender Is the Night

Jennifer Jones Splendid in Tender Is the Night

David O. Selznick was obsessed with this movie and was the driving force for get it made at 20th Century Fox. Over the years he approached George Cukor, Cary Grant, et al to join Jennifer Jones in the film version. Selznick had all sorts of ideas and frankly wanted the Company to shoot entirely in Europe and had grand suggestions for casting: Jane Fonda as "Rosemary" and was very unhappy with the casting of Tom Ewell Marcello Mastroanni for Tommy. David Selznick was a giant and I recommend two books on both Selznick and his dealings re this Movie: David Thomson's "Showman" and "Memo From David O Selznick"- which I feel is the finest book I have ever read on Hollywood.

Jennifer Jones is splendid in the lead role of Nicole Diver with great support from from Oscar Winners Paul Lukas, Joan Fontaine. Miss Jones had been off the screen for nearly 5 years and the Selznick's hoped that this film would be a critical and box office smash returning Jennifer to her place as a star of the first rank as she had been in the 40's and 50's due a string of great hit films. At First David Selznick was unhappy with the casting of Jason Robards but seen today, a fine choice. Jennifer and David wanted Bill Holden or Gregory Peck, and even had on their list as Peter O Toole. Likely Bill Holden and Greg Peck declined due to the fact that Ivan Moffat script favors Miss Jones as Nicole. Greg Peck was a long time friend of Miss Jones having co starred with Ms. Jonesn in "Duel In the Sun" and "The Man Flannel Suit" however Bill Holden who was so effective with Jennifer in "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" and a huge hit, did not get along at all off screen with the edgy Beautiful Jennifer Jones.

David Selznick who did not personally produce the picture was clearly active behind the scenes and send endless memos to Director Henry King musing about the Script, Photography (Leon Shamroy),the Lighting, Costumes, etc for his adored Jennifer. 20th approached this pic as just another Fox pic but David wanted it to be a special event and kept after the studio to send the Company overseas to Paris, Zurich and Riveria to shoot location scenes. As David Selznick complained 20th was content to use the "Bernadette back lot set at 20th, and substitute Malibu for the Riveria" Selznick won out. Oscar winning Jennifer retained the services of Paula Strasberg (MM's coach) for off set coaching, something Director King scoffed at. David Selznick did induce 20th to stage a big premiere in New York to welcome Jennifer back to the Screen.

Jennifer was in Her early 40's but to me she looked lovely and fresher than she had in years, the Marriage scene where she holds the Lillies of the Valley she could be 25 years old! David Selznick insisted that Pierre Balmain do Jennifer's clothes over 20th costumers Billy Travilla and Charles LeMaire and George Masters do Jennifer's hair. Nothing was ever too much for David Selznick when it came to Jennifer Jones. He hoped that the film would be a great hit and restore Jennifer to the top of the list of box office stars; It did not. David Selznick died a few years after the films release and was very unhappy to the day he died re the failure of "Tender Is The Night" he bemoaned the lack of a "roaring 20's": the sets were inaccurate per Selznick, and begged 20th to recall the released movie and to add the cut trims and film new scenes; 20th declined.

While Jennifer Jones went on to make two more movies in the 60's Miss Jones ended her career with a finale at 20th in the all star "Towering Inferno" and retired. "Tender Is The Night" was also the last for the legendary Henry King whom David Selznick personally requested to direct due to the fact "King gets the best results with Jennifer" having guided Jennifer on "Song of Bernadatte" and "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing". True as Jennifer got nominations for both of those films and won for "Song of Bernadette" ( I wish David had pursued the great Fred Zinneman who was European and may have had a better understanding of European Cafe Society than King).

To the day of his death David Selznick was planning films for Jennifer Jones, and some of the parts that got away were "Picnic" (Kim Novak), "War and Peace ( Audrey Hepburn), "Tea and Sympathy" ( Deborah Kerr) and "The Barefoot Contesa ( Ava Gardner). One pic that Jennifer despertely wanted never got made at all: "Mary Magdalene". David worked years on the script but could not get it produced. Jennifer would have been wonderful in this Part and in fact had it been one of those Biblical epics so popular in the 60's filmed in Italy, it would have been a departure for Jennifer Jones.

Miss Jones is now quite aged, retired from Films and has never completely discussed her marriage to Robert Walker ( they must have been smashing looking together), her affair and subsequent marriage to David Selznick, his death, the suicide of Jennifer and David's daughter Mary Jennifer, her marriage to Norton Simon and the death of her son Michael. Perhaps she was reticent, more likely a Lady.