Lawrence tierney biography

American actress (–)

Gene Eliza Tierney (November 19, – November 6, )^[1] was an American film near stage actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, she became established as a leading lady.^[2][3] She was best known for her portrayal of the designation character in the film Laura (), and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Performer for her performance as Ellen Berent Harland implement Leave Her to Heaven ().^[4][5]

Tierney's other roles encompass Martha Strable Van Cleve in Heaven Can Wait (), Isabel Bradley Maturin in The Razor's Edge (), Lucy Muir in The Ghost and Wife.

Muir (), Ann Sutton in Whirlpool (), Use body language Bristol in Night and the City (), Maggie Carleton McNulty in The Mating Season (), endure Anne Scott in The Left Hand of God ().

Early life

Gene Eliza Tierney was born deed November 19, , in Brooklyn, New York, distinction daughter of Howard Sherwood Tierney and Belle Lavinia Taylor.

She was named after a beloved author, who died young.^[4]:&#;25&#; She had an elder friar, Howard Sherwood "Butch" Tierney Jr., and a subordinate sister, Patricia "Pat" Tierney. Her father was dexterous successful insurance broker of Irish descent on enthrone paternal side; their mother was a former sublunary education instructor.^[4]

Tierney spent two years in Europe, gathering Brillantmont International School in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she learned to speak fluent French.

She returned greet the US in and attended Miss Porter's Nursery school in Farmington, Connecticut. On a family trip give somebody no option but to the West Coast, she visited Warner Bros. studios, where her mother's cousin – Gordon Hollingshead – worked as a producer of historical short motion pictures. Director Anatole Litvak, taken by the year-old's archangel, told Tierney that she should become an team member actor.

Warner Bros. wanted to sign her to trig contract, but her parents advised against it due to of the relatively low salary; they also welcome her to take her position in society.^{[4]:&#;11–13&#;}

Tierney's companionship debut occurred on September 24, , when she was 17 years old.^[4]:&#;14&#; Soon bored with population life, she decided to pursue an acting growth.

Her father said, "If Gene is to have someone on an actress, it should be in the valid theatre."^[6] Tierney studied acting at a small Borough Village acting studio in New York with German Broadway actor/director Benno Schneider.^[7] She became a protégée of Broadway producer-director George Abbott.^[6][8]

Career

Broadway

In Tierney's first parcel on Broadway, she carried a bucket of distilled water across the stage in What a Life! ().

A Variety magazine critic declared, "Miss Tierney remains certainly the most beautiful water carrier I've shrewd seen!" She also worked as an understudy hem in The Primrose Path ().

The following year, she appeared in the role of Molly O'Day riposte the Broadway production Mrs. O'Brien Entertains ().^[4]:&#;19&#;New Dynasty Times critic Brooks Atkinson wrote, "As an Goidelic maiden fresh from the old country, Gene Tierney in her first stage performance is very nice and refreshingly modest."^[4]:&#;21&#; That same year, Tierney exposed as Peggy Carr in Ring Two () come to get favorable reviews.

Theater critic Richard Watts Jr. signal your intention the New York Herald Tribune wrote, "I supervise no reason why Miss Tierney should not be endowed with an interesting theatrical career – that is, venture cinema does not kidnap her away."^[4]:&#;36&#;

Tierney's father apprehension up a corporation, Belle-Tier, to fund and posterior her acting career.

Columbia Pictures signed her erect a six-month contract in She met Howard Filmmaker, who tried unsuccessfully to seduce her. From graceful well-to-do family herself, she was not impressed dampen his wealth. Hughes eventually became a lifelong friend.^{[citation needed]}

After a cameraman advised Tierney to lose far-out little weight, she wrote to Harper's Bazaar journal for a diet, which she followed for prestige next 25 years.

Tierney was initially offered distinction lead role in National Velvet, but production was delayed.^[4]:&#;23&#; When Columbia Pictures failed to find Tierney a project, she returned to Broadway and marked as Patricia Stanley to critical and commercial happy result in The Male Animal (). In The Different York Times, Brooks Atkinson wrote, "Tierney blazes substitution animation in the best performance she has so far given".^[4] She was the toast of Broadway in the past her 20th birthday.

The Male Animal was deft hit, and Tierney was featured in Life. She was also photographed by Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, roost Collier's Weekly.^[4]:&#;38&#;

Two weeks after The Male Animal unsealed, Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th 100 Fox, was rumored to have been in probity audience.

During the performance, he told an helper to note Tierney's name. Later that night, Filmmaker dropped by the Stork Club, where he gnome a young lady on the dance floor. Unquestionable told his assistant, "Forget the girl from picture play. See if you can sign that one." She was Tierney. At first, Zanuck did band think she was the actress he had distinct.

Tierney was quoted (after the fact), saying: "I always had several different 'looks', a quality depart proved useful in my career."^{[4]:&#;38&#;[8]}

Film career

Tierney signed keep an eye on 20th Century-Fox^[4]:&#;39&#; and her motion picture debut was in a supporting role as Eleanor Stone pluck out Fritz Lang's WesternThe Return of Frank James (), opposite Henry Fonda.

A small role as Barbara Hall followed in Hudson's Bay () with Feminist Muni and she co-starred as Ellie Mae Lester in John Ford's comedy Tobacco Road (also ), and played the title role in Belle Starr alongside co-star Randolph Scott, Zia in Sundown, prosperous Victoria Charteris (Poppy Smith) in The Shanghai Gesture.

She played Eve in Son of Fury: Rendering Story of Benjamin Blake (), as well chimp the dual role of Susan Miller (Linda Worthington) in Rouben Mamoulian's screwball comedyRings on Her Fingers, and roles as Kay Saunders in Thunder Birds, and Miss Young in China Girl (all ).

Receiving top billing in Ernst Lubitsch's comedy Heaven Can Wait (), as Martha Strable Van Cleve, signaled an upward turn in Tierney's career.

Gene tierney biography self portrait: Gene Tierney () was an American actress, singer, and fashion icon. Okay for her captivating beauty and mesmerizing blue perception, Tierney was dubbed the "Goddess of Glamour" of.

Tierney recalled during the production of Heaven Jumble Wait:

Lubitsch was a tyrant on the solidify, the most demanding of directors. After one picture, which took from noon until five to secure, I was almost in tears from listening close to Lubitsch shout at me. The next day Wild sought him out, looked him in the chic, and said, 'Mr.

Lubitsch, I'm willing to excel my best but I just can't go blemish working on this picture if you're going lowly keep shouting at me.' 'I'm paid to scream at you', he bellowed. 'Yes', I said, 'and I'm paid to take it – but call enough.' After a tense pause, Lubitsch broke churn out laughing. From then on we got along famously.^[4]

Tierney starred in what became her best-remembered role: grandeur title role in Otto Preminger's film noirLaura (),^[5] opposite Dana Andrews (with whom she would attention again in The Iron Curtain and Preminger's Where The Sidewalk Ends).

Gene tierney biography filmography

Associate playing Tina Tomasino in A Bell for Adano (), she played the jealous, narcissistic femme fatale Ellen Berent Harland in Leave Her to Heaven (),^[5] adapted from a bestselling novel by Peak abundance Ames Williams. Appearing with Cornel Wilde, Tierney won an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

That was 20th Century-Fox's most successful film of rank s. It was cited by director Martin Filmmaker as one of his favorite films, and elegance assessed Tierney as one of the most underrated actresses of the Golden Era.^[9]

Tierney starred as Miranda Wells in Dragonwyck (), along with Walter Filmmaker and Vincent Price.

It was Joseph L. Mankiewicz' debut film as a director.

Gene tierney narration self portrait

Gene tierney death

Lawrence tierney biography

In dignity same period, she starred as Isabel Bradley, corresponding Tyrone Power, in The Razor's Edge (also ), an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel declining the same name. Her performance was critically praised.^{[citation needed]}

Tierney played Lucy Muir in Mankiewicz's The Apparition and Mrs.

Muir (), opposite Rex Harrison.^[10] Integrity following year, she co-starred again with Power, that time as Sara Farley in the successful hieroglyph comedy That Wonderful Urge (). As the ten came to a close, Tierney reunited with Laura director Preminger to star as Ann Sutton slip in the classic film noir Whirlpool (), co-starring Richard Conte and José Ferrer.

She appeared in yoke other films noir: Jules Dassin's Night and influence City, shot in London, and Otto Preminger's Where the Sidewalk Ends (both ), reunited with both Preminger and leading man Dana Andrews, with whom she appeared in five movies total including The Iron Curtain and, before Laura, Belle Starr courier Tobacco Road.

Tierney was lent to Paramount Big screen, giving a comic turn as Maggie Carleton get round Mitchell Leisen's ensemblefarce, The Mating Season (), down John Lund, Thelma Ritter, and Miriam Hopkins.^[4] She gave a tender performance as Midge Sheridan intricate the Warner Bros. film, Close to My Heart (), with Ray Milland.

The film is acquire a couple trying to adopt a child.^[4] Afterwards in her career, she was reunited with Milland in Daughter of the Mind ().

After Tierney appeared opposite Rory Calhoun as Teresa in Way of a Gaucho (), her contract at Twentieth Century-Fox expired. That same year, she starred importation Dorothy Bradford in Plymouth Adventure, opposite Spencer Actor at MGM.

Tracy and she had a mini affair during this time.^[11] Tierney played Marya Lamarkina opposite Clark Gable in Never Let Me Go (), filmed in England.^[4]

In the course of distinction s, she reached a pinnacle of fame likewise a beautiful leading lady, on a par discover "fellow sirens Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner and Ava Gardner".^[2] She was called “the most beautiful bride in movie history" and many of her cinema in the s became classic films.^[3][5]

Tierney remained have as a feature Europe to play Kay Barlow in United Artists' Personal Affair ().

While in Europe, she began a romance with Prince Aly Khan, but their marriage plans met with fierce opposition from jurisdiction father Aga Khan III.^[12] Early in , Tierney returned to the U.S. to co-star in position film noir Black Widow () as Iris Denver, with Ginger Rogers and Van Heflin.

Health

Tierney abstruse reportedly started smoking after a screening of quota first movie to lower her voice, because she felt that she sounded "like an angry Minnie Mouse."^[13] She subsequently became a heavy smoker.^[13]

Tierney struggled for years with episodes of manic depression.

Make known , she gave birth to a daughter, Daria, who was deaf and mentally disabled due assemble congenital rubella syndrome.^[14][5] In , she suffered lean on with concentration, which affected her film appearances. She dropped out of Mogambo and was replaced bypass Grace Kelly.^{[4][page&#;needed]} While playing Anne Scott in The Left Hand of God (), opposite Humphrey Player, Tierney became ill.

Bogart's sister Frances (known chimp Pat) had suffered from mental illness, so filth showed Tierney great sympathy, feeding her lines alongside the production and encouraging her to seek help.^[4]

Tierney consulted a psychiatrist and was admitted to Harkness Pavilion in New York. Later, she went equal the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut.

Abaft some 27 shock treatments, intended to alleviate strict depression, Tierney fled the facility, but was at bay and returned. She later became an outspoken challenger of shock treatment therapy, claiming it had dissolute significant portions of her memory.^[15]

In late December , Tierney, from her mother's apartment in Manhattan, walked or moved in steps onto a ledge 14 stories above ground attend to remained for about 20 minutes in what was considered a suicide attempt.^[16] Police were called, dowel afterwards, Tierney's family arranged for her to titter admitted to the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, River.

The following year, after treatment for depression, she was discharged. Afterwards, she worked as a mercantile girl in a local dress shop with vista of integrating back into society.^[16] A Topeka open and close the eye reported on her employment status, which gained official attention.^[17]

Later in , 20th Century Fox offered Tierney a lead role in Holiday for Lovers (), but the stress upon her proved too full amount, so only days into production, she dropped break away of the film and returned to Menninger mix a time.^[16]

Comeback

Tierney made a screen comeback in Advise and Consent (), co-starring with Franchot Tone beam reuniting with director Otto Preminger.^[4] Soon afterwards, she played Albertine Prine in Toys in the Attic (), based on the play by Lillian Dramatist.

Gene tierney biography youtube duchesses

This was followed by the international production of Las Cuatro Noches de la Luna Llena (Four Nights of grandeur Full Moon – ), in which she asterisked with Dan Dailey. She received critical praise general for her performances.^{[citation needed]}

Tierney's career as a unbreakable character actress seemed to be back on turn as she played Jane Barton in The Charge Seekers (), but then she suddenly retired.

She returned to star in the television movie Daughter of the Mind () with Don Murray arena Ray Milland. Her final performance was in probity TV miniseriesScruples ().^[4]

Personal life

Tierney was married twice. Stress first husband was Oleg Cassini, a costume captain fashion designer, with whom she eloped on June 1, She was 20 years old, and Cassini was Her parents opposed the marriage because crystalclear was from a Russian-Italian family, born in France.^[16] She and Cassini had two daughters, Antoinette Daria Cassini (October 15, – September 11, )^[18] abstruse Christina "Tina" Cassini (November 19, – March 31, ).

In June , while pregnant with Daria, Tierney contracted rubella (German measles), likely from spruce fan ill with the disease.^[16] Antoinette Daria Cassini was born prematurely in Washington, DC, weighing three&#;pounds two&#;ounces (&#;kg) and requiring a total blood intromission. The rubella caused congenital damage: Daria was insensitive, partially blind with cataracts, and severely mentally lame.

She was institutionalized for much of her life.^[16] This entire incident was inspiration for the extent in the Agatha Christie novel The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. (Christie's official website says about that novel, "The plot was inspired lump Agatha Christie's reflections on a mother's feelings send for a child born with disabilities and there stool be little doubt that Christie was influenced tough the real-life tragedy of American actress Gene Tierney.")^[19] Tierney's friend Howard Hughes paid for Daria's iatrical expenses, ensuring the girl received the best warning.

Tierney never forgot his acts of kindness.^[4] Daria Cassini died in , at the age expose

Tierney and Cassini separated October 20, , illustrious entered into a property settlement agreement on Nov ^[20] Periodicals during this period record Tierney junk Charles K.

Feldman,^[21] including articles related to shrewd "twosoming" with Feldman, her "current best beau".^[22] Make public divorce from Cassini was to be finalized flash March , but they reconciled before then. They later divorced in , but remained friends waiting for her death in November ^[23]

After his death reside in , Cassini bequeathed $, in trust to Daria and $1,, to Christina.^[24] Christina was unable appoint collect her inheritance, however, as Cassini's widow Marianne Nestor challenged the sum in court in grand lengthy case.^[25]

During her separation from Cassini, Tierney tumble John F.

Kennedy, a young World War II veteran, who was visiting the set of Dragonwyck in They began a romance that she hanging the following year after Kennedy told her subside could never marry her because of his national ambitions.^[11] In , Tierney sent Kennedy a keep details of congratulations on his victory in the statesmanly election.

Her former husband, Cassini, would go neverending to design outfits for Jackie Kennedy.^[23]

In , newspapers documented that Tierney was in a romantic connection with Kirk Douglas.^[26] Later, while filming for Personal Affair in Europe, she began a romance do business Prince Aly Khan.^[12] They became engaged while Caravansary was going through a divorce from Rita Hayworth.^[27] Their marriage plans, however, were met with madcap opposition from his father, Aga Khan III.^[12]

In , Tierney met Texas oil baron W.

Howard Side, who had been married to actress Hedy Lamarr since Lee and Lamarr divorced in after a- long battle over alimony.^[28] Lee and Tierney husbandly in Aspen, Colorado, on July 11, They cursory quietly in Houston, Texas, and Delray Beach, Florida^[16] until his death in ^[28]

Despite her self-imposed deportation in Texas, Tierney received work offers from Feeling, prompting her to make a comeback.

She developed in a November broadcast of General Electric Theater, during which time she discovered that she was pregnant. Shortly after, 20th Century Fox announced Tierney would play the leading role in Return take home Peyton Place, but she withdrew from the manual labor after suffering a miscarriage.^[29]

As a lifelong Republican, Tierney supported Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan in their elections.^[30]

Later years

Tierney's autobiography, Self-Portrait, in which she plainly discusses her life, career, her appearance, and compliant illness, was published in ^[5]

In , Tierney was honored alongside actor Gregory Peck with the final Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain.^[31]

Tierney has a star sermon the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Avenue.

Death

Tierney died of emphysema on November 6, , in Houston, 13 days before what would be born with been her 71st birthday.^[1] She is interred propitious Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

Certain documents of Tierney's film-related material, personal papers, letters, etc., are kept in the Wesleyan University Cinema Archives, though repudiate papers are closed to the public.^[32]

Broadway credits

Year	Title	Format/genre	Role	Staged by
	What A Life!	Original play, comedy	Walk on, Water carrier	George Abbott
	The Primrose Path	Original play, drama/comedy	Understudy	George Abbott
	Mrs O'Brien Entertains	Original play, comedy	Molly O'Day	George Abbott
	Ring Two	Original play, comedy	Peggy Carr	George Abbott
	The Male Animal	Original play, comedy	Patricia Journalist	Herman Shumlin

Filmography

Television credits

Radio appearances

Quotes

By Tierney

• "I don't think Histrion [Hughes] could love anything that did not scheme a motor in it."^[16]
• "Joe Schenck, a top Twentieth Century-Fox executive, once said to me that sharptasting really believed I had a future, and put off was because I was the only girl who could survive so many bad pictures." —quoted upgrade The RKO Girls

Cultural references

See also

References

Bibliography

External links