tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5154292810213123565.post1026793299730649242..comments2023-05-18T02:44:45.157-07:00Comments on Anthony Balducci's Journal: Joseph Cotten Triple Feature: Portrait of Jenny (1948), The Steel Trap (1952) and A Blueprint For Murder (1953)abaldu8246http://www.blogger.com/profile/09727909582571090283noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5154292810213123565.post-13905764612326517492021-05-07T02:36:18.640-07:002021-05-07T02:36:18.640-07:00David O Selznick certainly gave us an enigmatic vi...David O Selznick certainly gave us an enigmatic visual feast when he concocted this strange production. Probably made to promote his star (and soon to be wife) Jenifer Jones.<br /><br />This was the final film for Award-winning Cinematographer Joseph H. August (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame ’39) who created many beguiling visuals for this impressive oddity. The epic storm at sea, featuring the haunting abandoned Graves Lighthouse in Massachusetts, is quite an eye opener - with its eerie tinted sequences and the final full color shot of the stunning portrait - making for an unforgettable closing. <br /> <br />Joseph Cotton is convincing as the obsessed painter, living on poverty Rd and continually searching for the elusive Jenny. He gets good support from Cecil Kellaway and Ethel Barrymore, as a couple of art dealers who take pity on the struggling artist. Dimitri Tiomkin provides the descriptive musical moods by adapting several melodies by Debussy - but he also has some additional help from Bernard Herrmann. <br /><br />A failure when originally released, it’s now regarded as a Fantasy Masterpiece, but finding a quality transfer on DVD will take some research, as there are several sub-standard editions on the market. I purchased The Film Collection release which claimed to be Re-mastered but has visible scratches and soft focus, making playing on a large screen a somewhat disappointing experience. A good-looking treat for those with a liking for the classically unusual. <br />KenRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13158317807406605461noreply@blogger.com