"Portrait of Jennie" Anchor Bay R0 NTSC vs Freemantle R0 PAL

(aka " Jennie " or "Tidal Wave")

directed by William Dieterle
USA 1948

"A haunting story of a rift in time, "Portrait of Jennie" (1948) was taken from a novel by Robert Nathan and directed by William Dieterle. Cotten plays struggling artist Eben Adams who finds inspiration and happiness with Jennie, (Jennifer Jones) a mysterious girl he meets by chance in Central Park. When she first appears, Jennie is a precocious twelve-year-old who chatters on about places and events that happened years ago as if they were current. Eben never knows when he will next meet her, but each time he does, Jennie has grown a little older. One day she is in his apartment when he returns home, a beautiful young woman of eighteen, and Eben begins to sketch her for a portrait.

Jennie appears once more, now in her twenties, and Eben finishes his masterpiece, his Portrait of Jennie. Now deeply in love, the two plan to be together forever, but Jennie tells Eben she must first be away for a short time - she mentions Land's End at Cape Cod.

Months go by, and when Jennie does not reappear, a despondent Eben tries to trace her - a nun (Lillian Gish) at a convent where Jennie attended school remembers her very well, but tells Eben that Jennie died years ago - drowned in a huge storm that struck...Land's End. Eben makes the journey to Cape Cod, and must race against time and the elements for the chance to alter destiny.

Not a success upon its release, "Portrait of Jennie" has grown in its appeal in the years since - the ethereal story of an expansion of time, a collapse of boundaries, or an overlapping of both. The chemistry between Cotten and the luminous Jennifer Jones was never better. The stunning cinematography by Oscar-nominated Joe August and composer Dimitri Tiomkin's use of themes by Claude Debussy add immeasurably to the dreamlike quality of the film. "

Excerpt taken from Rav'in Mav'ins website found HERE

Poster - CLICK to enlarge

Theatrical Release: December 25th, 1948 - USA

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DVD Comparison:

Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Freemantle - Region 0 - PAL

(Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Freemantle - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Anchor Bay Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	Freemantle Home Entertainment Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:26:07	1:22:22 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	None	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Black & White, Color • Theatrical trailer (2:28) • Photo Gallery DVD Release Date: November 28, 2000 Keep Case Chapters 28	Release Information: Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: DVD Release Date: 6 August, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 12
Comments:	The 'Out of Print" Anchor Bay edition is far sharper than the Freemantle PAL version. You can even see a shade of film grain on the Anchor Bay. The only trouble with the NTSC disc is that it is unavailable and extremely costly 'used'. The Extras go toward the Anchor Bay too with a trailer and Photo gallery. The AB has no Extras. Buy the Anchor Bay if you ever see it anywhere. - Gary W. Tooze

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(Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Freemantle - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)