OK, if you've never seen 20th Century-Fox's Leave Her To Heaven (1945) what are the best words to try and describe it to you. Glossy, colorful, sinister, noir (yes, a colorful noir), gripping, Oscar nominated. I know! GENE TIERNEY. This is without a doubt Gene Tierney's movie. Sure Cornel Wilde is her co-star and the male lead but Fox could have just as well put Dana Andrews or any of their other male contract players in the role and the film would still be Tierney's (Tyrone Power would probably be the exception) but that's as it should be. The story revolves around Tierney's character Ellen Berent, an extremely beautiful but extremely controlling, some would say psychotic woman who has her sites set on writer Wilde.
Coming on the heels of her big breakthrough role in Laura (1944), Tierney garnered her only Academy Award nomination for the role (she lost to Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce). The lush sets, both interior and exterior are gorgeous, shot in brilliant Technicolor, and the supporting cast is tops including Jeanne Crain as Tierney's pretty, down to earth sister, Vincent Price as spurned sweetheart/district attorney and Darryl Hickman as Wilde's invalid brother who falls victim to Tierney's black, twisted view of devotion to her husband.
Coming on the heels of her big breakthrough role in Laura (1944), Tierney garnered her only Academy Award nomination for the role (she lost to Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce). The lush sets, both interior and exterior are gorgeous, shot in brilliant Technicolor, and the supporting cast is tops including Jeanne Crain as Tierney's pretty, down to earth sister, Vincent Price as spurned sweetheart/district attorney and Darryl Hickman as Wilde's invalid brother who falls victim to Tierney's black, twisted view of devotion to her husband.
LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN is one of my favorite films. it is very unnerving to have the leading lady be the villain. She gives me chills everytime I watch. This is an unusual story, beautifully filmed and perfectly acted.
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