User reviews

The primary appeal of this witchcraft and folklore entry is to see Anne Francis starring in the Zone again after the classic 'The After Hours', (series one). She plays Jess-Belle a country girl who is determined to still get her man Billy Ben (James Best) even when his engagement to Elly (Laura Devon) is announced. Jess-Belle is impulsively naughty in turning to Granny Holt (Jeanette Nolan)- a finely played prim but duplicitous witch. Anne Francis carries the piece in a long black wig as the passionate girl tormented by the consequences of her supernatural powers. She makes Jess-Belle a sympathetic character who never means any harm beyond her desperate action to steal away Billy Ben. She keeps this Valentine's Day/Halloween story from sinking amidst the form-changing silliness in the plot. It's light entertainment that's far from TZ at it's best, but is well played by all, including Virginia Gregg (from 'The Masks', series five) as Jess-Belle's mother.

Rod Serling introduces the tale as one with ancient elements put into a setting nearer our time. The story seems more like 'Night Gallery' than TZ - a little more in the vein of 'I'll Never Leave You-Ever' with Lois Nettleton in ancient Wales. Serling asked writer Earl Hamner Jr to produce a script using his knowledge of folklore. He surely got that.

Jeanette Nolan was married to John McIntire who also sold a love potion in 'The Chaser' (series one) as Professor A. Daemon. Those two stayed married- unsurprisingly.

Both Virginia Gregg and Jeanette Nolan provided the voice of Norma Bates in Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. I shall stop showing off my trivia knowledge now.

In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, lovesick Jess-Belle(played by Anne Francis) is heartsick that her great love Billy Ben Turner(played by James Best) is set to marry another woman(played by Laura Devon), who is the daughter of a successful farmer. In desperation, she turns to a witch named Granny Hart(played by Jeanette Nolan) who casts a love potion for her that works fine, but comes at a high price, so now Jess-Belle has a whole new problem to solve, even with Billy Ben's undying love... Nice little supernatural love story looks and feels authentic, with some clever touches and good performances, though again feels padded to fill out an hour.

A supernatural romance-novel of an episode, "Jess-Belle" stars the bewitching Anne Francis as the title character, a mountain girl who loses her man and will do whatever she can to get him back. Looking at it objectively, this episode shouldn't work nearly as well as it does - the dialogue is sometimes laughably melodramatic and Billy Ben doesn't seem handsome, intelligent, or charismatic enough to merit the undying devotion of two beautiful women - but the strength of the acting sells it. The fact that this was filmed in black and white does a lot to add to the spookiness of the story; I can't see it working nearly as well in color. Definitely recommend this one. Oh, and I love the fact that this was originally aired on Valentine's Day!

I was 12 when I saw this when it was first on TV and it scared me out of the living room. I first became aware of James Best in Dukes Of Hazard. He did a great job with that part but I certainly hope that does not cause people to not see the other excellent work that he did before and after that. Similar to the image that Elvis Presley has to a lot of people as the image just before he died and that was not the real Elvis either. I was saddened to hear last year that Mr. Best departed this life and may he rest in peace after a life well lived. This was one of this best performances just like all of his appearances in The Twilight Zone.

This was one very well written and acted program, Jezz-Belle, and I really liked how it ended. As a Christian, I appreciate the mention of the faith that many people have and how important it is in their lives.

Rod Serling made TV history with The Twilight Zone and later Night Gallery. Everything he wrote was first class and we lost him too soon at age 50. I only have one thing to say that bothers me. It appears that when he presented stories that were set in rural America that were understood to be contemporary, we were led to believe that the people still lived in houses with wooden cooking stoves and kerosene lamps. I don't know if he thought that is what people watching TV expected or if those around him really thought people outside of the the cities really lived that way in the 60's. This not meant to be disrespectful of Mr. Serling and the Hollywood of that time but it appears that some of them needed to get out into "flyover country" and get a good look at it.

I also wish for Mr. Serling to rest in peace and that his work will always be enjoyed and appreciated.

Earl Hamner (creator of "The Waltons") wrote this script. It is pretty light weight. For a Southerner, he depicts the characters as stereotypical hillbillies. Their accents and use of idioms are almost comical. The story begins with a barn dance. A handsome young man delivers a diamond ring to a pretty farm girl and she accepts his proposal. Her father announces that he has given his blessing. Slinking around in the background is Jess- Belle (Jezebel, I suppose, although it really doesn't follow the Biblical narrative), the raven- haired former lover of the young man. She is dark and driven. She confronts her former beau and he tells her kindly that this is over. She threatens him and his bride to be. There is a woman who is known as a spell weaver and a witch. Jess-Belle purchases a potion which will make her irresistible to her quarry. It works, but she pays a huge price. In a latter day take on Cinderella, she turns into a leopard after midnight each night, so even though he is hopelessly in love with her, she must leave him alone each night.

This leads to considerable consequences for all. There are so many questions one should ask. I supposed that since these people are superstitious (rightfully so) and seen as very simple, they have lost the ability to think. Anyway, it's a pretty lightweight effort.

In the countryside of USA, Ellwyn Glover, who is the daughter of a rich farmer, accepts the proposal of the local farmer Billy Ben Turner. Her father gives a party in a barn to celebrate their engagement. His former lover Jess-Belle Stone, who also loves him, becomes jealous and looks for the local witch Granny Hart. However, she does not have money to pay for a love potion to bewitch Billy Ben. Granny Hart gives the potion to her and tells to Jess-Belle that there is a high-cost involved, but the woman does not care for the price. She immediately bewitched Billy Ben that leaves Ellwyn alone in her party. But soon Jess-Belle learns the price she has to pay for accepting the deal with the powerful witch.

"Jess-Belle" is a different episode of "The Twilight Zone", with a love story. Jess-Belle and Ellwyn Glover are both in love with Billy Ben Turner. Their main differences are that Jess-Belle has given to him what every man looks for in a woman, while Ellwyn Glover stayed pure and is daughter of a wealthy farmer. Therefore, he selects Ellwyn Glover to get married with him. Jess-Belle gives her soul to a witch to have her lover back and there is no twist in the end as usual in The Twilight Zone episodes. The plot is not pleasant, but sad in the end. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Jess-Belle"

In the Blue Ridge hills blonde Ellwyn (Laura Devon) is going to marry hunky Bill Ben Turner (James Best). However another girl named Jess Belle (Anne Francis) wants him. She goes to the local witch named Granny Hart (Jeanette Nolan) and gets a potion that makes Billy fall for her and reject Ellwyn...but at a horrible price.

Haunting and eerie "Twilight Zone" episode. It's one of the hour long episodes and works beautifully. There's some beautiful black and white cinematography here that helps the mood of the story and all the acting is great--especially Nolan who is having lots of fun playing a witch. There's even a song that goes along chronicling the events of the story. Most of the "Twilight Zone" episodes are pretty boring and predictable...but this one sure isn't! Also I don't scare easy but this one really creeped me out! Recommended.

James Best was quite the ladies man in The Twilight Zone: in The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank he courted the drop-dead gorgeous Sherry Jackson, and in Jess-Belle he gets to canoodle with stunning blond Laura Devon AND the delightful Anne Francis.

Best plays (hill)Billy Ben Turner, who proposes to Ellwyn Glover (Devon) at a barn dance, much to the dismay of Turner's former lover Jess-Belle (Francis). Unable to accept that Billy Ben loves another woman, Jess-Belle visits local witch Granny Hart and purchases a love potion, paying for the magical elixir with her soul, which causes her to turn into a leopard at midnight. Jess-Belle wins Billy Ben's affection, but is unable to marry him for fear of him finding out what she has become.

Jess-Belle is an atypical episode of The Twilight Zone, a gentle supernatural folk-story lacking the show's by-now expected twist ending. It's the kind of tale one can imagine being told around a campfire in the deep South, and passed on from generation to generation. It's a haunting slice of Southern gothic romance that is entertaining enough, but it feels like it sits on the very fringes of The Zone rather than in the heart of it.

One of the best Twilight Zone Episodes ever, and several special effects that were especially frightening at the time, considering how difficult it was to produce this episode. Not to miss. Anne Francis, James Best, Laura Devon, Virginia Gregg, and Jennifer Nolan rattled everything they could out of Earl Hamner's script. Nolan's Granny Hart may have held some aspects of her earlier Lady Macbeth portrayal.

I really don't know what to think of thi episode. Does it really belong to the TWILIGHT ZONE scheme? yes maye, maybe. Ann Francis is outstanding in htis difficult character, but something missis in this topic. But the series also searched the largest audiences, so maybe this explains that. This tale will satisfyfemale audiences I guess. A little tribute to Jacques Tourneur, for Val Lewton atmosphere addicts.

I remember seeing this as a 10 year old kid, and I saw it recently on a New Years marathon on a cable channel.

Although it has been 50 years since I first saw it, I think it's rather unusual, if not a bit fascinating to watch.

JEANETTE NOLAN stole the show with her portrayal of Granny Hart (the Witch). She was rather scary when I saw her as a kid, and she still is now!!

Give it a look if it comes around....

9/10.

...the conversation between Granny Hart and Jess-belle is wonderful and worth watching over and over. But that's it. There's not else in it. Of course Anne Francis is always worth looking at and Jeanette Nolan is the perfect Appalachian witch.