Jennifer Caulfield

"Welcome to Prime Time, bitch!"

―Freddy Krueger

Jennifer Caulfield
Continuity:	A Nightmare on Elm Street
Notability:	Supporting character
Type:	Mental patient
Gender:	Female
Race:	Human
Location:	Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, Springwood, Ohio
Status:	Deceased
Died:	1987
First:	A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Actor:	Penelope Sudrow

Jennifer Caulfield is a fictional mental patient and murder victim and a supporting character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. Played by actress Penelope Sudrow, she appeared in the third installment in the series, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

Biography

Jennifer Caulfield grew up in the town of Springwood, Ohio, where she lived on the infamous Elm Street. Like many others her age, Jennifer suffered intense nightmares involving a ghoulish demonic figure with a dirty hat and metal claws for a hand. She was eventually remanded to the care of the Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, where she met other patients, who likewise suffered from similar nightmares. A specialist was brought in, Nancy Thompson, who had a unique perspective on the matter. She knew that the man haunting their dreams was once a child murderer named Freddy Krueger, and that he wanted to kill the last of the Elm Street Children.

Jennifer dreamed of one day becoming a television actress, and spent the majority of her time at the hospital in the recreational room watching TV. She would often plead with the orderly Max, to allow her a little extra time. Truthfully, Jennifer was terrified of going to sleep. To keep herself alert, she would chain-smoke cigarettes, oftentimes putting them out onto her arm to stay awake.

One evening, Jennifer was watching an old episode of The Dick Cavett Show when she dozed off. Freddy Krueger appeared to her as a face growing from the top of the wall-mounted television set. He animated the TV set, picked her up, shouted, "Welcome to prime time, bitch", and then slammed her head-first into the picture tube, killing her.

Notes & Trivia

• The character of Jennifer Caulfield was created by director Chuck Russell and screenwriters Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner, and Frank Darabont.

• In the film, Jennifer Caulfield is credited only as Jennifer.

• Jennifer Caulfield is the second victim of the Westin patients after Phillip Anderson.

• Playing the role of Jennifer Caulfield is actress Penelope Sudrow's first feature film role and her first work in the horror genre. She previously appeared in two television movies and a number of TV episodes.

• Upon her death, Jennifer became one of the many souls incorporated into Freddy Krueger's body, as show on his scarred chest at the end of the film.

• Jennifer Caulfield made a posthumous appearance as a spirit trapped in the dream world in the Nightmare on Elm Street comic book limited series published by Innovation Comics.

• Archival footage of the death of Jennifer Caulfield is included in a recap in the beginning of Freddy vs. Jason.

See also

A Nightmare on Elm Street A Nightmare on Elm Street pages A Nightmare on Elm Street films A Nightmare on Elm Street images A Nightmare on Elm Street comics

A Nightmare on Elm Street novels A Nightmare on Elm Street items A Nightmare on Elm Street locations A Nightmare on Elm Street characters A Nightmare on Elm Street miscellaneous

External Links

• Jennifer Caulfield at IMDB
• Jennifer Caulfield at the Horror Film Wiki
• Jennifer Caulfield at the Elm Street Wiki

Keywords

Actress; Characters who have their heads crushed; Death by television; Dick Cavett; Freddy Krueger; Elm Street; Last of the Elm Street children; Mental health facility; Mental patient; Ohio; Smoking; Springwood; Westin Psychiatric Hospital; Zsa Zsa Gabor