What a banner year 1966 was in England!We won the FIFA World Cup in our country for Association Football (soccer) vs. West Germany, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones et all bestrode the pop world, trendy fashion, "dolly birds" and....Jennifer Jones came to England to make "The Idol" with fellow American Michael Parks.Our own John Leyton (who had had several pop hits e.g. "Johnny Remember me" and had appeared in "The Great Escape" (1963)),completed the star line-up.
Previously Jennifer Jones had not made a film since 1962 (Tender is the Night) with Jason Robards Jnr.She was a last minute replacement for Kim Stanley and as Selznick had died the previous year, Jennifer was again a widow and needed a project to keep her going.JJ is/was an old hand at making films in Europe and England c.f."Gone To Earth" (1950 ) made in Shropshire, "Indiscretion of an American Wife" (1953)made in Rome, "Beat The Devil" (1954)filmed in Sapporo, Italy,"The Barretts of Wimpole Street"(1957) filmed in England.Selznik had become disillusioned with Hollywood in the late 1940's after what was then the costly flop "Portrait of Jennie"(1948).It was a British film debut experience for Michael Parks. In this contemporary story, Michael Parks (Marco) is a talented American art student living in London who is friendly with John Leyton (Timothy), a 19 year old student.Timothy despite a contemplated career in medicine, actually has artistic leanings himself, especially in sculpture and he secretly admires the girl friend (Jennifer Hilary) of his American friend.Jennifer Jones (Carol) a divorcee, as John Leyton's mother, at first is wary of her fellow American thinking him a bad influence on her son.Although Carol has a mature male friend, (Guy Doleman), she too succumbs to "The Idol" especially when he rescues her son from a vicious beating from a couple of thugs.The Idol however appears to have cut himself off from his American parents and decides to spend Christmas in Wales instead.After his return to London he seems intent on bringing about his own self destruction and continues on a downward spiral, seemingly alienating himself from his friends on purpose. Timothy is distraught at a new year's party on a riverboat barge on "The Thames" to find out his mother has evidently been intimate with his friend who has arrived at the party in a drunken stupor with a prostitute.Somehow the Idol then completes his own self-destruction but Timothy refuses to implicate anyone especially his mother in what the police now see as a murder charge.
I have spent 1 1/2 years collecting on video all 24 films Jennifer Jones made, so have been able to compare and assess the transition of each of her roles from 1939(New Frontier)-1974(The Towering Inferno).Many of these titles are no longer available commercially if they have just been deleted by mainstream dealers.Readers may have to bid on "E-Bay" at auction, check with rare video dealers or in the case of "The Idol" buy it for $210 from a "video detective", as this title is so hard to find that not even rare US video dealers had a copy when I checked with them.
A certain video guide regards it as trash worthwhile only for Jennifer Jones fans to see her make it with a younger man.Another states it is not even worthy of the worst film of the year award missing that exalted status by a mile.I have not read one favourable review of this film.Personally, I found this film quite engrossing as my heroine filmed it in England with a British supporting cast well known to someone of my generation born in 1946.Its rarity status also added to a sense of exclusivity.The film lasts 108 mins and is in B&W and I have definitely seen worse films than this.I will therefore certainly run this "Idol" through my VCR again when I get the urge!
