Gene Tierney signs off as our star of the month

As March is ending today also our time with Gene Tierney at the show ends for now..

But I am pretty sure that one fine day she will return!

So: Thank you very much, Gene Tierney! We hope to meet you soon again!

Thank you all for listening!

Irene

My Favorite Gene Tierney Films...or lack thereof

I love making lists of my favorite films of my fave actors/actresses. And usually the only problem I have is deciding which to rank higher or lower because of the quantity I have seen of said person. Well that's not the case when it comes to our star of the month, Gene Tierney. In fact it is the opposite. I haven't really seen enough of her work to make a long enough list. But I have seen four of her films that I think are just awesome. In fact I have only seen 5 of her films total with one being a stinker. To me anyway...The Shanghai Gesture. But let's not dwell on the bad. Let's talk about the good Gene ok?

First we have The Razor's Edge (1946) which I just happenstance to see a few weeks ago. Irene was kind of enough to post about this film and let me know how good it was. I saw it for myself and she was right, it was amazing. Loaded with an all-star cast in Gene, Tyrone Power, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb, Lucile Watson, Herbert Marshall, Elsa Lanchester and John Payne. Gene's character Isabel is not an easy person to like. She is quite mean and does some questionable things. But Gene delivers a solid performance. I can't wait to see this film again.

Is Gene not drop dead gorgeous?

Also from 1946 is Leave Her To Heaven, which allows Gene to really work her skill as a top actress as Ellen Berent Harland, a socialite who loves her husband..just a tad too much. Bordering on obsessive. A powerhouse performance by Gene for this one and she looks absolutely stunning in glorious color. 

One of my favorite roles Gene did is Lucy Muir

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) allowed Gene a much more different character from the previous two films. Her Lucy Muir, a recent widow who moves to a seaside cottage who encounters a ghost (Rex Harrison). Gene has a plum role here as Lucy, as she gets several comedic and dramatic moments in this lovely film.

Sharing the screen with Vincent Price

And finally, one of my absolute favorite films of all time is Laura (1944). Now I don't want to give away any details of this great film noir film because it's better to go in not knowing anything about it. I will say while it is a top notch film, I don't think it is Gene's best film in which she shines. You will understand when you watch it. Don't get me wrong..she is good, but she is much better in the three films I talked about above. But she is backed by one strong cast in Laura. With the likes of Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, Clifton Webb and Judith Anderson.


So there you have it, my little post on the sadly small amount of Gene Tierney films I have seen. Maybe by next year this time, I will come back and will have watched a few more.

Count our lucky stars

Monty

Let's watch.. ..DRAGONWYCK (1943)

One of the three Films I am aware of that Gene Tierney did together with Vincent Price is

DRAGONWYCK (1946)

Connecticut, 1844: Her devout parents (Walter Huston and Anne Revere) are not too happy when cousin Nicholas van Ryn (Vincent Price) invites Miranda (Gene Tierney) to live with his wife (Vivienne Osborne – it was her last film) - who is merely interested in desserts - and him and to take care of his daughter (Connie Marshall) - but because they think it’s God’s will they let Miranda go. 

Nicholas – who is a rich patroon with tenant farmers who are not so happy about having a patroon at all – is very much attracted to Miranda and she likes him, too. Also very interested in her: Doctor Turner (Glenn Langan) – a friend of the tenant farmer’s – not of the patron..  

The manor Dragonwyck where Nicholas, his family, and his servants live is quite a haunting place: years ago a Van Ryn had taken her own life here. It is said that she cursed the Van Ryn family and that she still can be heard playing the harpsichord and singing. When Nicholas’ wife dies under mysterious circumstances Miranda goes back to her parents – but not for long because Nicholas brings her back to Dragonwyck and takes her for his wife – but when she gives birth to their son the little boy isn’t strong enough to survive – and Nicholas starts acting very strange..

When Monty and I were distributing the films to review this month on The Show I was very, VERY avid to get at least one film Gene Tierney did together with Vincent Price to write about - and was very happy to receive DRAGONWYCK, which is as I think the first film I ever saw Gene Tierney in.. Still: Maybe it wasn’t a good idea at all for me to pick this film: You see, I merely don’t see anything or anyone else in this film but Vincent Price. When he appears on screen my eyes a practically glued to him. I think his performance is just wonderful.. (I always think that - whatever he does..) 

Gene Tierney does a good job as the a little bit naïve and good willing country girl – and after all I aslo still notice the supporting cast in this film: It has among others the wonderful Spring Byington and also Jessica Tandy -  and Harry Morgan who is credited as Henry Morgan here.

During the filming of DRAGONWYCK Gene Tierney met a man and started to have an affair with him who later should become quite a name in US politics: Ever heard of John F. Kennedy?

The first choice to play the part of Nicholas van Ryn was actually Gregory Peck – and I am sure he would have done it perfectly. The second choice would have been one of my very high ranked favourites: Laird Cregar who would have been just amazing in this kind of character – but sadly he didn’t live long enough – so Vincent Price finally was engaged to perform as the male lead in this film – he did lost some weight to do it.

Another one who was actually meant to work on this film was Ernst Lubitsch – but he became ill so Joseph L. Mankiewicz – another one of my favourites – took over as the director. He managed to put in the name of his ex-in-lawes in a little gossip dialogue in this film – a name Gene Tierney’s character furiously claimed to have never heard of: Schermerhorn.. 

If you are looking for a gothic drama  – I highly recommend this marvelous film!

Thank you very much for listening!

Enjoy the show!!

Yours

Irene

Let's watch.. ..HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943)

Based on a play is one of my most favourite films ever:

HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943)

Henry van Cleve (Don Ameche) always enjoyed his life – and had more than just an eye for female beauties. He even eloped with Martha (Gene Tierney) - the fiancée of his cousin (Allyn Joslyn).. So when he dies in his 70s he decides that Heaven can wait and reports in the anteroom to hell.  But “his Excellency” (Laird Cregar) isn’t convinced about Henry’s qualification – so Henry tells him about his "sinful" live.. – like so often the way we see ourselves differs a lot from other people’s view..

~ Henry (Don Ameche) reporting to His Excellency (Laird Cregar) ~

In this film Gene Tierney ages from a young woman to a middle-aged lady – and she always looks great. (I am ignoring one of her worst film-hairstyles ever here..) She and Don Ameche work great together and their onscreen love story is just wonderful.. And I confess that I get a bit teary eyed every time I watch this film..

~ I am really a bit uneasy with her hairstyle here.. ~

As I said: This is one of my favourite films of all time. It was directed by one of my favourite directors: Ernst Lubitsch – it is his only completed film in Technicolor and looks divine.. It also has a marvelous cast – with some of my favourite actors ever: Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Marjorie Main, Louis Calhern and Don Ameche..

~ Eugene Pallette and Marjorie Main as loving Martha's parents. (gee.. I love this cast!) ~

Gene Tierney and director Ernst Lubitsch had some troubles in the beginning: According to her memoirs one day she finally told him that she couldn’t go on like that - with him shouting at her all day long. When he said that he was paid for shouting at her – she replied: “Yes, and I am paid to take it – but not enough..” When – after a tough pause – Lubitsch started to laugh the ice was finally broken.

Ernst Lubitsch also in the first wasn’t too happy with the casting of Don Ameche for the lead part – he would have preferred Frederic March or Rex Harrison. In the end he was actually very pleased with Don Ameche’s performance. Don Ameche himself later stated that this film was - of all the films he did - his favourite.

~ gorgeous in Technicolor.. ~

During the filming Gene Tierney discovered that she was pregnant – well.. the audience would hardly discover that – I for one didn’t: she is (as always) as slim as can be.

I could go on singing songs about this film - but I will close this post with this:

If you’re looking for a witty and elegant comedy – I highly recommend this film to you!

Thank you very much for listening!

Enjoy The Show!

Yours

Irene

Gene Tierney makes it three in a row

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Gene won again in the favorite classic movie tourney over on my main blog, All Good Things. She knocked off Lauren Bacall 53-45 for her third straight win. Add Bacall to the list of the other actresses she has beaten including top seed Vivien Leigh and Greer Garson. Gene has proven that she is certainly popular enough among fans to compete with the elite. Congrats Gene and here's to you and your continued success in the tourney.

Let's watch.. ..TOYS IN THE ATTIC (1963)

Usually when one thinks of Gene Tierney - the films that come to one's mind might be those of her "career's peak" like e.g. LAURA (1944) and LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945). Wonderful films indeed - but today I'd like to highlight a film of hers which features her in her second to last big movie (excluding some TV movies of course):

TOYS IN THE ATTIC (1963) 

Julian Berniers (Dean Martin) isn’t very successful – in his live he lost a big amount of money. But now he is back to his home town New Orleans - visiting his two spinster sisters Carrie (Geraldine Page) and Anna (Wendy Hiller).  With him he brings a lot of expensive presents - and his young and pretty wife Lily (Yvette Mimieux). 

Lily's very rich mother, high society lady Albertine Prine (Gene Tierney), isn’t at all fond of Julian - but that’s not his biggest problem: Without the knowing of his wife and sisters he wants to help Charlotte Warkins (Nan Martin), an old flame of his who is married to a gangster (Larry Gates). 

Lily is jealous – but even worse is Carrie – who is madly in love with her brother (in a way which is not very far from incest - but Julian is completely unware of that..) and she makes Lily call the husband of Charlotte..

~ Dean Martin and Gene Tierney ~

The film is based on the very successful play by Lillian Hellman. If you watch out you might spot in this film  Joe Grey  in a bar as an uncredited extra. He was a good friend of (and for a long time a double for) Dean Martin. They appeared together in about 16 films. Joe Grey also was a friend of Frank Sinatra - together they appeared in 10 of Sinatra's films. 

~ Dean Martin and Yvette Mimieux ~

Though this film is all about who does Dean Martin’s character bed, who did he bed – and who won’t he bed:  the best in this are the scenes of Wendy Hiller – of course I am a big fan of hers so not only maybe I am prejudiced in this aspect..

~ Frank Silvera and Gene Tierney ~

Gene Tierney is also really wonderful. She is perfect as an elderly society lady - still looking beautiful. She does her scenes in a very elegant - and partly a bit impish way.

I may step on some toes when I say that I think Yvette Mimieux looks at some moments more like she wa Dean Martin’s daughter than his wife – but I think this is one important aspect of the story: a more aged and by that maybe selfassured woman would have more trust into her husband (I guess.. I wasn't married to any men yet..) – and Miss Mimieux is doing her part quite well. 

After all: the whole cast is really wonderful. 

~ Dean Martin, Wendy Hiller (like me he loves her!! ..) - and Geraldine Page ~

There is one scene which really is a but heavy: Charlotte’s face gets cut with a knife. Frankly: That is a really shocking scene - for those who are not fond of any kind of brutality in films - or trained by watching Horror films.. So please: If you are not easy with this kind of scenes – make sure to have someone in reach who can tell you that it’s over.. 

~ Geraldine Page and Dean Martin.
this is from an amazingly done scene - it's all in the looks.. ~

Besides that I really can recommend this film to everyone who likes a good drama.

Thank you very much for listening!

Enjoy the show!

Yours 

Irene

My apologies...

I had written a nice little post about Gene Tierney. Well just some facts about her and for whatever reason Blogger was acting crappy and showed everything I wrote in highlights. I tried to edit it and it kept coming up as the same horrid typeface. Irked me big time. And I was getting tired and cranky because it wouldn't let me do what I wanted to do. So I said forget it and just thought about winging it. Just doing a post on why I love Gene Tierney. So here goes. Now while I may not have seen a lot of her movies, the ones I have seen, she is amazing. And I'm not just talking about her physical beauty, which is stunning to say the least. But her acting ability was never given a fair shake I think. To those who think Gene can't act, I say check her out in The Razor's Edge (which I finally saw for the very first time a few weeks ago) or Leave Her To Heaven (which I think is the first time I saw Gene in a film...back during the AMC days when I was watching and recording everything on VHS). Oh and let's not forget about The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. This may be my favorite performance of Gene. She is determined and very witty. I love her in this film. I know some classic film and star fans may not put Gene in the upper tier rankings with Bette, Katharine, Ingrid or others but I do think she can be mentioned in the company of those aforementioned women. Well I will talk about her. And let everyone know she is one of my favorites. Ok, that's my little post about Gene. Like I said nothing too fancy just something I wanted to say. Thanks for listening. And on with the show!

Count our lucky stars

Monty

The Little Things Gene Tierney Does Just Like Regular People

I try to do a post of photos featuring the star of the month for very occasion. This month it's Gene Tierney and the topic is everyday things that regular people do. That Gene did also. Enjoy!

 Listening to some records

 Walking the dogs

 Playing cards

 Feeding the animals

 Horseback riding

 Drinking coffee

 Rowing a boat

 Some light reading

 Riding a bike

And Gene just being simply beautiful!

Count our lucky stars

Monty

Congrats to Gene Tierney

Congratulations to Gene Tierney for her hard fought first round victory over Greer Garson 40-35 in the 40's era of the favorite classic movie actress tourney. The two battled back and forth for the entire three days before Gene was able to finally secure the win. Gene will now move on to round 2 next week where she will face top seed and last year's final four finalist Vivien Leigh. It will be a tall order for Gene to take down Scarlett O'Hara but I'm in her corner. Let's go Gene! Here's the link to go vote for that era: rosalind-russell: Dazzling Star

Let's watch.. ..THE RAZOR'S EDGE

High time for our first review of a Gene Tierney film, I guess.. 

So let's start with a film based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham:

THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946)

Shortly after WWI at a fancy party author W. Somerset Maugham (Herbert Marshall) meets inter alia rich snob Elliot Templeton (Clifton Webb) and his niece Isabel (Gene Tierney), also her admirer Gray Maturin (John Payne) and her fiancé Larry Darrell (Tyrone Power, jr.) and Larry's childhood friend Sophie (Anne Baxter).

After serving in war Larry likes to find out about the meaning of live and wants to live in Paris for some time. Isabel would rather like to have a family and doesn't want to forgo her luxurious lifestyle - so they call the engagement off. Isabel marries Gray - she doesn't love him but he has money - and Larry spents some time in France and India. 

Years later Somerset Maugham, Elliot Templeton, Isabel and Gray, Larry and Sophie meet again in Paris. After Sophie's husband and child were killed due to a car accident she became an alcoholic. That Larry starts to take an interest in her helps her a lot and she stays clean. But when Sophie and Larry are about to be married Isabel doesn't agree at all.. 

~ just a marvellous cast - here in the 1918 party scene:
 Gene Tierney, Tyrone Power, Herbert Marshall, Clifton Webb, Anne Baxter and Lucile Watson as Isabel's mother~

Before Gene Tierney was casted her part was actually meant to be played by Maureen O'Hara. 

For the part of Sophie also Judy Garland and Betty Grable were on the list.. - well.. at last it went to the amazing Anne Baxter, who does a wonderful job as Sophie. - For those who care for things like that: she won an Oscar that year for this part. - She later stated that her breakdown in this film when she learns about the death of her husband and child are based on her feeling about the death of her three-year-old brother when she was a child. Anne Baxter is for sure a great actress - but this scene is especially moving..

~ Best supporting actress 1947: Anne Baxter in THE RAZOR'S EDGE ~

Another very moving scene is done by Clifton Webb - who is of course as snobbish as ever - but in the end he has a scene in which you really can feel sorry for his character..

Gene Tierney's dresses were designed by her fiancé Oleg Cassini - the wedding dress was meant for their wedding - but then they eloped and Gene didn't need it - so her stand-in later wore it for her own wedding.. Have a look at the said dress in the film:

It's a wonderful film - with several outstanding performances. I am of course very happy that one of my number one actresses (Elsa Lanchester!!) has a ( though much too short..) appearence in this film - same goes for legendary Austrian actor Fritz Kortner. I must admit that I am very, very fond of the whole cast - it has many of my favourite actors - besides Elsa Lanchester of course.. : Esp. Herbert Marshall, Tyrone Power jr. and Anne Baxter. With 145 minutes it's no short movie - but I think it's worth every single minute. So: If you don't know this film - maybe you can give it a try.. 

Hope you all enjoy the show!

Thank you for listening

Yours

Irene

Welcome to The Show - Miss Tierney!!

Welcome to a new month with a new guest at THE SHOW! 

I am happy to pronounce that we'll have a very lovely lady as our guest:

It's the gorgeous Miss Gene Tierney!

Have a few looks at her preparation to be a guest at THE SHOW! 

(yes, you are going backstage now.. ]

~ making a few calls -next in line here: Don Ameche ~

~ going through the script - though THE SHOW is pretty much ad-lib.. ~

~ getting ready to go - with a little help of Vincent Price ~

~ waiting for her cue.. - and looking just fabulous! ~

And again: please take your seats, relax, give our guest an affectionate welcome

- here she is..:

~ Gene Tierney, Ladies & Gentlemen!! ~

 - and now: 

Please, enjoy The Show!!

Yours truly

Irene