Jennifer Jones Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline

(For more detailed information see the Biography section)

1919	March 2 - Phylis Lee Isley is born in Tulsa Oklahoma to Philip and Flora Mae (Suber) Isley.
1925	The Isley family move to Oklahoma City where Phylis enrolls at the Edgemere Public School. She makes her acting debut playing a candy cane in a school play.
1929	The Isley family visit New York City where Phylis is enthralled by the Great White Way.
1935	September - Enrolls at Monte Cassino, a preparatory school for girls.
1936	May - Selected as "May Queen" at Monte Cassino.
	September - Enrolls at Northwestern as a drama major.
	December - The Isleys take another trip to New York City. Phylis sees her idol Katherine Cornell in “Wingless Victory”.
1937	Summer - Tours with a stock company, The Mansfield Players, throughout the Southwest.
	September 10 - Auditions at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. For her audition, she performs scenes from Wingless Victory and The Barretts of Wimpole Street.
1938	January 2 - Meets Robert Walker, a fellow classmate at AADA.
	May - Phylis and Robert appear in a class play together - The Barretts of Wimpole Street.
	September - Although readmitted to the AADA, Phyllis follows Robert Walker’s lead and decides not to continue her classes and look for work in the theater instead.
	October - Phylis and Robert appear in revivals at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village.
	November - December - Phylis and Robert are lured back to Tulsa by Phil Isley to appear in a six week radio program called “The Phylis Isley Radio Theater”.
1939	January 2 - Phylis and Robert are married on the one year anniversary of their first meeting. They exchange vows at Christ King’s Church in Tulsa with a small group of family members present.
	Winter/Spring - Phylis and Robert move to California to look for film work. The live in a boardinghouse called “Aunt Daisy’s” on La Brea Avenue. Both do screen tests at Paramount but are turned down.
	June 25 - Signs a six month contract at $75 per week at Republic Studios. She is immediately cast in a Three Mesquiteers western called “New Frontier” followed by a fifteen part serial called “Dick Tracy’s G-Men”.
	August 10 - “New Frontier” is released.
	August - Asks to be released from her contract at Republic and she and Robert return to New York.
	September 2 - “Dick Tracy’s G-Men” is released.
1940	April 15 - Robert Walker Jr. is born at Queens Hospital.
	Summer - While Robert is busy in radio work, Phylis models hats for the John Robert Powers Agency.
	November - Robert, Phylis and Robert Jr. visit Robert’s parents in Ogden, Utah.
1941	March 13 - Michael Ross Walker is born.
	July 21 - Reads for the part of “Claudia” at David Selznick’s office in New York.
	July 26 - Signs a seven year contract with David Selznick.
	August - Appears in a one-act play directed by John Houseman called “Hello Out There”.
	September 5 - Makes a screen test at the Selznick offices for “Claudia”.
	September 10 - David Selznick asks his staff to think of a new name for Phylis Walker.
1942	January 24 - Phylis Walker’s name is officially changed to Jennifer Jones.
	Spring/Summer - Takes acting lessons and awaits an assignment from David Selznick.
	October - Completes a screen test at the Fox Studios in Hollywood for “The Song of Bernadette”.
	December 9 - A press announcement is issued stating that a new discovery, Jennifer Jones, will play the most coveted role of the year – Bernadette Soubirous in “The Song of Bernadette”.
1943	January - Takes a training course at Los Angeles County Hospital and becomes a qualified nurse’s aide.
	March 15 - Filming begins on “The Song of Bernadette”.
	July 25 - Principal photography is completed on “The Song of Bernadette”.
	September 8 - Filming begins on “Since You Went Away”.
	October - Phylis and Robert separate.
	December 27 - “The Song of Bernadette” is released.
1944	January - Wins the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for “The Song of Bernadette”.
	February 9 - Filming is completed on “Since You Went Away” – the emotional farewell sequence between Jones and Walker is filmed last.
	February - Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for “The Song of Bernadette”.
	March 2 - Turns 25 and wins the Academy Award for Best Actress.
	March 3 - Begins divorce proceedings against Robert Walker.
	April - Selznick turns down the role of “Laura” for Jennifer.
	July 20 - “Since You Went Away” is released.
	July 24 - Appears on the cover of LIFE magazine.
	October 23 - Filming begins on “Love Letters”.
	December 22 - Filming is completed on “Love Letters”.
1945	February - Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in “Since You Went Away”.
	February 28 - Filming begins on “Duel In The Sun”.
	March 15 - Loses Academy Award to Ethel Barrymore. She presents Best Actress Oscar to Ingrid Bergman.
	June 20 - Divorce is granted to Jennifer on grounds of mental cruelty. Joint custody of the children is granted.
	August 17 - “Love Letters” is released.
	August 24 - Gossip columns report that David and Irene Selznick have separated.
	November - After an arduous nine month shoot, “Duel In The Sun” completes principal photography.
	December 3 - Filming begins on “Cluny Brown”.
1946	February - Receives her third consecutive Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress in “Love Letters”.
	March 7 - Loses Academy Award to Joan Crawford.
	April - Selznick announces that “Little Women” will be Jennifer’s next film. Production begins but plans for the film are soon cancelled.
	May 1 - “Cluny Brown” is released.
	December 30 - “Duel In The Sun” is released.
1947	January 17 - The Catholic Church condemns “Duel In The Sun” and urges followers not to see it.
	February - Receives her fourth Academy Award nomination, for Best Actress in “Duel In The Sun”.
	February 11 - Filming begins on “Portrait of Jennie” in New York but is halted two weeks later when Selznick is dissatisfied with the dailies that are being flown out to him in Hollywood.
	March 13 - Loses Academy Award to Olivia de Havilland.
	April - Filming resumes on “Portrait of Jennie”.
	May 7 - “Duel In The Sun” opens nationwide and is an enormous financial success.
	November - Irene Selznick files for divorce.
	November - Filming wraps on “Portrait of Jennie”. Jennifer and her sons embark on a three month European vacation.
	December - The Women’s Press Association name Jennifer as “the year’s most uncooperative actress”.
1948	January - David and Irene Selznick’s divorce is finalized.
	February - Selznick order re-shoots on “Portrait of Jennie”.
	August 14 - Jennifer appears on stage in “Serena Blandish” for a one week engagement at the La Jolla Playhouse.
	August 31 - Filming begins on John Huston’s “We Were Strangers”.
	November - Jennifer visits Switzerland in hopes of meeting Carl Jung but is unable to do so because he is ill.
	December 16 - Jennifer is loaned to MGM for Vincente Minnelli’s “Madame Bovary”.
	December 25 - “Portrait of Jennie” premieres to disappointing reviews. Selznick withdraws the film from further release and decides to re-work the ending.
1949	February - Filming is completed on “Madame Bovary". April 22 - “Portrait of Jennie” is re-released nationwide but it is a box office failure.
	April 27 - “We Were Strangers” is released.
	July 13 - Jennifer and David are married off the coast of Portofino.
	August 27 - “Madame Bovary” is released.
	August - Filming begins on “Gone To Earth”.
	December - Filming is completed on “Gone To Earth”.
1950	Winter - Selznick re-shoots portions of “Gone To Earth” and later re-releases it “The Wild Heart”.
	July - Filming begins on William Wyler’s “Carrie”. Shortly afterward, Jennifer learns that she is pregnant.
	November - Filming is completed on “Carrie”.
	December 16 - Suffers a miscarriage.
1951	May - Travels to Japan and Korea to visit wounded American soldiers and show support for the U.S. during the Korean War.
	August 28 - Robert Walker dies after having an adverse reaction to receiving a shot of sodium amytal (a sedative) from his doctor.
1952	March - Filming begins on “Ruby Gentry”.
	May 29 - “The Wild Heart” (Selznick’s re filming of “Gone To Earth”) is released to poor reviews and business.
	June 11 - “Carrie” is released but bombs at the box office.
	November - Filming begins in Rome on “Stazion Termini” (“Terminal Station”) (title later changed to “Indiscretion of an American Wife”.
	December 29 - “Ruby Gentry” is released and is a hit.
1953	February - Filming begins in Ravello, Spain on “Beat the Devil”.
1954	February - Jennifer accepts an offer from Paramount to star in “The Country Girl” but has to withdraw because she is three months pregnant (the role goes to Grace Kelly, who wins an Academy Award).
	March 3 - “Beat The Devil” is released and receives great critical reviews for Jennifer but fails at the box office.
	June - “Indiscretion of an American Wife” is released to poor reviews and fails at the box office.
	August 12 - Mary Jennifer Selznick is born.
	December 21 - Makes Broadway debut in “Portrait of a Lady” but the play opens to dismal reviews and closes after 7 performances.
1955	January - Signed for a three picture deal at Twentieth Century Fox.
	March - Filming begins in Hong Kong on “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”.
	June - Filming is completed on “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”. July 11 - Production begins on “Good Morning Miss Dove”.
	August 10 - “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” is released to excellent reviews and becomes a smash hit at the box office. August (mid) - Filming wraps on "Good Morning Miss Dove".
	November 22 – “Good Morning Miss Dove” is released.
	October - Filming begins on “The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit”, the last film for her Fox contract.
	December 6 - Accepts an AUDIE Award for Favorite Actress of the Year (voted on by the movie-going public) at a banquet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
1956	February - Receives her fifth Academy Award nomination – for Best Actress in “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”.
	February - Filming begins on “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” in London.
	March 21 - Loses Academy Award to Anna Magnani.
	April 12 - “The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit” is released.
	August - Filming is completed on “The Barretts of Wimpole Street”.
1957	February 1 - “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” opens to good reviews.
	March - Filming begins in Italy on “A Farewell To Arms”.
	August - Filming wraps on “A Farewell To Arms”.
	December 14 - “A Farewell To Arms” opens to bad reviews.
1958	February - Travels alone to India to avoid the bad press surrounding “A Farewell To Arms”.
1958-1960	Travels extensively to Zurich and India for analysis and spiritual explorations. She also takes acting classes at Lee Strasberg’s studio in New York.
1961	May - Filming begins in Europe on “Tender Is The Night”.
1962	February 1 - “Tender Is The Night” is released to bad reviews.
	Spring - Becomes a grandmother when son Robert Walker Jr. and his wife Ellie have a daughter (Michelle). The following year they have a son named David.
1964	Robert Walker Jr. wins a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer in “The Ceremony”.
1965	March-April - Appears on stage in “The Man With The Perfect Wife” in Palm Beach and Miami, Florida.
	June 22 - David O. Selznick dies of a heart attack.
	November - Filming begins in London on “The Idol”. Jennifer is a last minute replacement for Kim Stanley.
1966	August 1 - “The Idol” is released to poor reviews.
	September 29 - October 16 - Appears on stage in “The Country Girl” at New York City Center.
1967	November 9 - Checks into a Malibu motel and takes an overdose of sleeping pills - found unconscious on the beach and rushed to a nearby hospital.
1969	February - Filming begins on “Angel, Angel, Down We Go”.
	May 29 - Jennifer’s mother, Flora Mae Isley, dies.
	July - Filming wraps on “Angel, Angel, Down We Go”.
	August - “Angel, Angel, Down We Go” is released to terrible reviews and quickly disappears from theaters.
1970	Becomes interested in The Manhattan Project, an organization helping young people who are addicted to drugs.
1971	Early May - Meets multimillionaire art collector Norton Simon.
	May 30 - Norton Simon and Jennifer Jones are married on a yacht in the English Channel.
1974	Spring - Filming begins on “The Towering Inferno”.
	December 10 - “The Towering Inferno” is released to good reviews and big box office.
1975	January - Nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (she loses to Karen Black).
	May 11 - Mary Jennifer Selznick commits suicide by jumping from a twenty-two story building in Los Angeles.
	May 27 - Jennifer’s father, Phil Isley, dies.
1977	September - Named Chairman of the Norton Simon Museum.
1980	Donates $1 million to establish the Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation for Mental Health and Education.
	Shows an interest in returning to the screen to play convicted murderess Jean Harris but abandons plans when Ellen Burstyn appears in a televised movie.
1981	Buys the rights to Larry McMurtry’s novel “Terms of Endearment” with the intention of starring in the film but director James Brooks tells her that she is too old for the part (it eventually goes to Shirley Maclaine, who wins an Academy Award).
1984	March - Appears on television in “The AFI Salute to Lillian Gish”.
	May - Norton Simon is diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
1987	March 30 - Presents the Oscar for Best Cinematographer at the Academy Awards.
1989	March 19 - Appears on the AFI Salute to Gregory Peck.
1993	June 1 - Norton Simon dies in his sleep at home in Beverly Hills.
1996-1999	Oversees the renovation of the Norton Simon Museum and gardens in Pasadena.
1997	June 9 - Accepts a Lifetime Achievement Award from the German Film Awards.
	September 28 - Receives the Legend Award for Lifetime Achievement from the International Achievement in Arts.
1998	March 23 - Appears on the Academy Awards program in a special tribute to past Oscar winners.
2000	November 28 - Introduces the documentary “The Art of Norton Simon” at the inauguration of the newly renovated Norton Simon Museum.
2003	March 23 - Appears on the 75th Academy Awards in a special tribute to past Oscar winners.