Gene Tierney's Prime

This looks to be from Laura (1944), Gene Tierney's quintessential role. I love her sophisticated demeanor, arty surroundings, and lovely dress. Too often Gene was cast as the goody-goody girl next door and so we rarely got to see her do more against-type roles. Even Laura finds her as a nice girl. However, her Oscar-nominated role in Leave Her to Heaven (1945) and her performance in The Razor's Edge (1946) find Tierney in two of her most fascinating roles. In the former she's a complete psycho, and in the latter she's also a not-so-nice character. Tierney gets an undeserved bad rap as being an average actress at best, but Tierney needed more parts that required her to "stretch", and she was more than capable of taking on such challenges. She was on quite a roll from 1944-46 and is it any wonder her career stalled after this, given her staggering personal problems? Let's see: philandering weasel of a husband, her baby born with severe birth defects, mental and emotional instability in a time when mental health care was icy sheets and wide-awake shock treatments. Yeah, I'd say that Gene had a rough time of things. It's hard not to be a booster for an underdog of sorts, isn't it?

Gene Tierney, Behind the Scenes

Looks like I'm making this week Gene Tierney Appreciation Week! This photograph amazes me because Tierney is off screen with her hair up and still she looks like the Silver Screen Goddess that she always was. I've seen several of her films and watched the A&E Biography episode on her, Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait, but have yet to read up on her often miserable life and times. The documentary is available on the wonderful Laura DVD, which contains more extras than a single disc could possibly hold. As for Tierney's life, it turned out to be a happy ending of sorts for the tormented legend, but what a rough road she had to travel. Just when I thought all you beautiful people had it so easy...I've added Gene's official website to the sidebar, too.

"Laura Five-O"

1944: Cop Mark Dixon (Dana Andrews) is gah-gah for Laura Hunt.

1971: Cop Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) is coo-coo for Mrs. Mondrago.

Remember the TV show Hawaii Five-O? There's a fourth season episode, Highest Castle, Deepest Grave, which is a nod to Otto Preminger's Laura. In the Five-O story, cop Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) takes on a ten-year-old missing persons case when the skeletons of two people are found in a cave. McGarrett discovers that the wife and alleged lover of millionaire industrialist Mondrago (Herbert Lom) have been missing for ten years. When McGarrett goes to the industrialist's home, the tough cop becomes mesmerized by the painting of Mondrago's missing wife, whose daughter Sirone (France Nuyen) just happens to uncannily resemble!

I won't reveal the ending, but there's a lot to like about this episode. "Highest Castle, Deepest Grave" is also noteworthy for the appearance of 1940s character actor Jeff Corey, who plays the artist who painted that Laura-esque portrait. He gives a tremendous performance and is another example of those Golden Age actors being able to steal any scene they're in! Corey is really good in this! There's also a lush, romantic, love theme by Morton Stevens for McGarrett's feelings towards the woman in the portrait. Classic movie fans will get a kick out of the homage to Laura and old Hollywood, as I certainly did. After watching the show, I went and put on my Laura DVD...

"Ever See Laura?"