In Morticia's Shadow: The Life and Career of Carolyn Jones
Logline
Before captivating America as Morticia in “The Addams Family,” actress Carolyn Jones appeared in 30 movies and had a decade-long marriage to producer Aaron Spelling. But the road to Hollywood from her native Amarillo, Texas, was studded with rejection and typecasting.
Genre
Biographical,Drama
Short Summary
During her lonely childhood in the Texas Panhandle, Carolyn Jones escapes from her strict, volatile family home through stories flashing on the silver screen. Transforming her walk-in closet into a dressing room and her bedroom into a stage, Carolyn performs before a make-believe audience.
Stereotyped by her iconic “Addams Family” role, Carolyn struggles to find work. Yet terminal illness strikes just as she is cast in a new role. Dying, she determines to breathe life into the character—giving her one last chance to revisit a facet of her personality: the tough, strong leading lady.
Setting
Texas, Hollywood
Based on a True Story
Yes
Plot - Premise
Rags to Riches,Internal Journey/Rebirth
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Main Character Details
Name: Carolyn Jones
Age: Childhood to 53
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Charming,Complex,Confident,Engaging,Gracious,Sexy,Outspoken,Skillful,Funny,Secretive,Seductive,Sophisticated
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Development Pitch
In the midst of a divorce in the mid-1960s, movie star Carolyn Jones has no interest in the small screen. But her soon-to-be former husband, producer Aaron Spelling, pleads with her to portray Morticia in a new TV series, “The Addams Family.” She agrees, not imagining her indelible impact upon millions of fans. In transforming the cartoon character to life, the actress creates a mystique that forever entwines Carolyn with Morticia. In this true, family-authorized story, Carolyn copes with parental abandonment and a tense, volatile childhood. She finds confidence to project allure as an actress while believing she lacks Hollywood beauty. Failed marriages, financial loss, ageism, and typecasting gnaw at Carolyn. Yet she learns to gratefully accept small acting roles. Facing a terminal cancer diagnosis at 51, Carolyn resolves to shed her hurt, bitter feelings. She triumphantly returns to TV, breathing vivacity into a starring role as her own life slowly ebbs away. “Addams Family” reruns continually spawn a new generation of Carolyn Jones fans around the world. She and her alter ego are the subjects of countless YouTube tributes. The 2021 release of “The Addams Family 2” and Tim Burton’s plans for a new “Addams Family” series paves the path for a movie about the inspiring true story of the mesmerizing, iconic actress who brought Morticia to life.