Jennifer Jones - Biography - Patron of the Arts

Norton Simon, Jennifer Jones &
Robert Walker Jr.

Patron of the Arts

Jennifer became very interested in the mental health field and especially The Manhattan Project, a program designed to help young people who were addicted to drugs. Jennifer opened her home for meetings and asked friends to donate money for the organization. Many of her friends claimed that she became a much stronger person during this time. During this time, she met multimillionaire art collector and businessman Norton Simon.

Norton Simon had made his fortune during the Depression years when he bought a bankrupt fruit and vegetable packing company and successfully turned the business around. He began buying stock in other undervalued companies with growth potential. One of these companies was Hunt Foods, which Simon gained a controlling interest in during the early 1940's. Simon was brilliant in the areas of marketing and advertising, and during the war years, he turned Hunt Foods Inc. into a billion dollar industry.

It was not until the 1950s that Simon developed an interest in art but once he did, his passion turned into an obsession and during the next twenty five years, he amassed one of the worlds greatest and most eclectic art collections. (For more about Simon, visit the Norton Simon Museum web site.)

Both Norton and Jennifer were interested in mental health (Simon's son had committed suicide) and both shared an interest in helping others. Simon did not know much about Jennifer's show business world but he was familiar with the Robert Brackman portrait of her from Portrait Of Jennie because at one time he had tried unsuccessfully to buy it.

Their whirlwind romance included a trip to Europe, where Simon proposed. They were married on May 29, 1971 on a yacht in the English Channel. One of Simon's wedding presents to Jennifer was the Francisco de Zurbaran painting Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose. Jennifer was always fond of lemons and usually requested arrangements of lemons instead of flowers in her dressing rooms.

Jennifer was 52 and was about to embark on a new life. Simon taught her about art and she soon developed a critical eye and even bid on works for him at auctions that he could not attend. On one notable occasion, Jennifer, on Simon's behalf, successfully bid 3.7 million for a rare work by Dieric Bouts titled The Resurrection.

Jones & Simon at the premier of "The Towering Inferno"

Simon encouraged Jennifer to do another film and she was enthusiastic about returning to the screen. She got a strong supporting part in the epic The Towering Inferno, a quality production that would hopefully erase all memories of Angel, Angel, Down We Go and The Idol. The film was a huge box office success and Jennifer received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Unfortunately she was overlooked for an Academy Award nomination. She looked forward to doing more films but a personal tragedy would take her mind off acting.

Mary Jennifer, Jones' daughter by Selznick, had developed deep emotional problems and had never fully gotten over her father's death. She was living in a dark fantasy world and according to one source, experimented with drugs and had had a nervous breakdown. While Jennifer was on a visit to Tulsa to visit her dying father, Mary Jennifer jumped to her death from a twenty two story building in Los Angeles. A few weeks later, Phil Isley died in Oklahoma.

Jennifer was devastated but her interest in mental health issues became even stronger and she donated one million dollars to establish the Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation For Mental Health And Education in 1980. She also donated many hours to the Wexler Hereditary Disease Foundation, founded by her personal analyst, Dr. Milton Wexler. In 1977, she spoke in Washington to the Senate Appropriations Committee to solicit more funds for the Foundation. In the early 1990s, Jennifer herself became a paraprofessional therapist and volunteered as a counselor at the Southern California Counseling Center in Beverly Hills.

Jennifer Jones at the German Film Awards, 1997
German Film Awards, 1997

Jennifer Jones at the 1998 Academy Awards

Academy Awards, 1998

Jennifer Jones at the 2003 Academy Awards

Academy Awards, 2003

There would be no return to the silver screen. She did talk with producers about portraying convicted murderess Jean Harris but the plans were abandoned when a television film was made with Ellen Burstyn. She bought the rights to Larry McMurtry's novel Terms of Endearment but lost interest when producer James Brooks hinted that she was too old to play the role. It became a smash hit with Shirley Maclaine in the role. She made appearances at the 1987 Academy Awards as well as American Film Institute Tributes to Lillian Gish and Gregory Peck.

Norton Simon was diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome in 1984 and the couple moved into the Beverly Hills Hotel so that he could receive around the clock medical treatment. The Beverly Hills Hotel closed for a renovation in late 1992 and the Simons moved into a house in Beverly Hills. Simon's health steadily got worse and he died on June 1, 1993.

Norton Simon had named Jennifer Chairman of the Norton Simon Museum in 1977 and she continued in this position after his death. She was instrumental in the renovation of the museum and its grounds in the late 90s.

She has also made rare public appearances on the Academy Awards in 1998 and 2003 in tributes to past winners. In 1997, she traveled to Germany to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from the German Film Awards.

Today Jennifer Jones serves as President on the Norton Simon Foundation Board. She also continues to contribute to mental health and charity organizations. She lives in Malibu near her son Robert Walker, Jr. She still guards her privacy closely and rarely talks with interviewers, especially about her private life or film career.