The distinguished film career of Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Jones (1919-2009) is thoroughly chronicled from her faltering start as Phylis Isley (her real name) at Republic Studios in 1939, to her re-invention as a major star by producer David O. Selznick, the actress' second husband. Each of her 24 films—among them The Song of Bernadette, Since You Went Away, Duel in the Sun, Portrait of Jennie, Madame Bovary and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing—is discussed in depth.

Robert Osborne, host of the Turner Classic Movies cable channel, affectionately recalls his interview with Jennifer Jones in the Foreword. The actress' biography, radio appearances and unrealized projects are also covered, along with previously undocumented details of her limited stage career, including a 1966 revival of Clifford Odets' The Country Girl.