Jane

1962, 53 mins

Credits

Robert Drew

Executive Producer

Hope Ryden

Producer - Filmmaker

D.A. Pennebaker

Filmmaker

Richard Leacock

Filmmaker

Gregory Shuker

Filmmaker

Abbot Mills

Filmmaker

Nell Cox

Editor

Nancy Sen

Editor

Eileen Nosworthy

Editor

James Lipscomb

Additional Photography

Alfred Wertheimer

Additional Photography

Albert Hague

Fun Couple Music

Arnold Horwitt

Fun Couple Music

Madeleine Sherwood

Actress at Actors Studio

Jane Fonda

Herself

Andreas Voutsinas

Himself

Bradford Dillman

Himself

Dyan Cannon

Herself

Lee Strasberg

Himself

Awards

Reviews/Media

"One of the best films about Broadway beyond Birdman"

Michael Riedel, New York Post

"Jane offered an unvarnished view, with spangles and false eyelashes off, of an actress' hard work and bright hopes before and behind the glitter of a Broadway opening"

John Horn, New York Herald Tribune

"The play was shut down after three performances, but JANE, the resulting documentary, is a black-and-white treasure"

Gregory Crofton, Channel Nonfiction

An intimate backstage look at a young Jane Fonda as she rehearses for a starring role on Broadway. As the daughter of the famous Henry Fonda, Jane strives to prove her acting chops in live theater – for her, the real measure of success.

The camera follows Jane through demanding rehearsals, testing the play for out-of-town audiences and, then, opening night in New York. Jane is often uneasy, but she plows through with her fellow cast members, Bradford Dillman and Dyan Cannon, who share a persistent, hard-working attitude toward the show.

Still, in a brief appearance shortly before opening night on Broadway, Lee Strasberg says it all: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much material looking for a play.”

The play’s director, Andreas Voutsinas, is also Jane’s off-stage lover and their tricky relationship makes the whole mess even more complicated.  And real.

Perhaps the most devastating scene is when Jane reads theatre critic Walter Kerr’s scorching review of opening night, sitting in her hotel room with Voutsinas. “It’s like needles,” Jane squirms, as Kerr pronounces The Fun Couple one of the five worst plays to ever open on Broadway.

Despite the devastating reviews, Jane’s love of acting, her determination and her resilience shine through the biting criticism. The film captures the early stirrings of the star Jane Fonda would become.

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