Gene Tierney

Today is November 19th, Gene Tierney's Birthday! Had she been alive, she would've turned 99 years old today!

I searched endlessly for photographs of her birthday or at least of her with any cake, but couldn't find any, so I made this silly photoshoped picture of her. Afterall, I couldn't ruin my birthday posts with a regular picture hehe. I know it's silly, but I get very annoyed with myself if I don't get everything organised.



Gene Tierney is one of my favourite actresses of the golden age. She is one of the most beautiful and most glamorous women I've ever seen. Her acting although lacking, was notable and her presence demaded attention. She wasn't in many great films, but she made her films great.

Tierney's Biography:
Gene Eliza Tierney was born on November 19th, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, to parents of Irish and English descent.

She was the middle child - an older brother and a younger sister - and she had a rich upbringing where she attended the finest schools.

Gene Tierney (age 9) with her sister Patricia      
Whilst in school, she started writing poetry and continued to do so until her death.

At 15 years old, Tierney attended one of the most prestigious finishing schools, Brillantmont International School, in Lausanne, Switzerland. Two years later, she went back to the U.S.A to complete her education by attending, Miss Porter's School, in Connecticut.

In 1938, she decided to pursue an acting career after modelling for sometime, so her father enlisted her into an acting school. She worked on a few theatrical productions and was praised for her performances, no matter how small her parts were.
 

An artical about Gene Tierney in Life Magazine, published on 19th February, 1940 (Page 35 - 40)   
 
In 1940, while performing in The Male Animal, Darryl F. Zanuck spotted her and offered her a contract with 20th Century. Shortly after, she landed her first role in The Return Of Frank James.

In 1941, she was offered many roles and gained instant fame - but not until 1944 with Laura did she gain top Hollywood status for her outstanding performance.
She married her first husband, Oleg Cassini (fashion designer) the same year.


In 1943, while pregnant with her first child, she contracted Rubella - from a fan - that in turn affected her daughter.

Gene Tierney with her daughter Daria, 1943    

In 1945, Tierney starred in one of 20th Century's most successful 1940s films, Leave Her To Heaven, where she was Oscar nominated for Best Actress. This lead to many successful films.

In 1948, She had another daughter then divorced her husband, but remarried him again.


Gene Tierney with her daughter Christina, 1948                   

In 1952, She divorced her husband again and was engaged to Aly Khan, but the marriage didn't go through, because his father refused to accept another Hollywood starlet - after Rita Hayworth.

In the 1950s, she had symptoms of manic depression, so Humphrey Bogart advised her to seek treatment. She entered a clinic, but they made her condition worse by giving her extensive shock treatments.

She made many attempts to comeback to the motion pictures, but her illness got the best of her.

In 1960, she married her second husband, W. Howard Lee (Texas Oil Baron) - who was one of Hedy Lamarr's former husbands - and she stayed with him until his death in 1981. Unfortunately they couldn't conceive a child.


In the beginning of her career and after witnessing her first performance on screen, she felt her voice was too squeaky, so she decided to smoke to lower her voice. Unfortunately, it was the cause of her death.
In 1991, Gene Tierney died of emphysema.

How Many Gene Tierney Films Have You Seen?

I've watched 32 so far, but I don't think she really has beyond 40.

If there's anything I haven't seen yet from the 1940s or 1950s - which I think probably only one - I'd eventually watch it, but if it's in the 1960s, I don't think I'm up for that Gene hahhaha especially after watching Advise and Consent, 1962!

What Are Your Favourites?


My list had shrunk over the years. Not because I like the films any less, it's just that I think some more than others I could watch over and over without daydreaming hehehe
  • Leave Her To Heaven, 1945
  • The Ghost And Mrs Muir, 1947
  • That Wonderful Urge, 1948
  • The Secret Of Convict Lake, 1951
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I know it's funny and useless, but sometimes I feel like putting my favourite stars together. I tried finding pictures of the older them, but I'm crappy at Photoshopping. So I used their - Yul Brynner and Gene Tierney - childhood pictures instead, because the backgrounds were plain and thus the photos were easier to put together - with the exception of their different qualities...

Yul Brynner and Gene Tierney were born on the same year, but in this photo Brynner was 12 years old while Tierney was 10, weren't they cute!

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