View source for Gene Tierney

{{Short description|American actress (1920–1991)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Gene Tierney
| image         = Studio publicity Gene Tierney.jpg
| image_size    = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = Tierney in the 1940s
| birth_name    = Gene Eliza Tierney
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1920|11|19|mf=y}}
| birth_place   = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1991|11|6|1920|11|19|mf=y}}
| death_place   = [[Houston]], [[Texas]], U.S.
| education     =
| resting_place = [[Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas)|Glenwood Cemetery]], Houston
| height        = 
| awards        =
| known_for     =
| occupation    = Actress
| years_active  = 1938{{en dash}}1980
| party         = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse        = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|[[Oleg Cassini]]|1941|1952|end=div}}|{{marriage|W. Howard Lee|1960|1981|end=died}}}}
| children      = 2
}}
'''Gene Eliza Tierney''' (November 19, 1920{{Spaced en dash}}November 6, 1991)<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news |title=Gene Tierney, 70, Star of 'Laura' And 'Leave Her to Heaven', Dies |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE4D91639F93BA35752C1A967958260 |date=November 8, 1991 |access-date=November 21, 2007 |first=Richard |last=Severo}}</ref> was an American stage and film actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, Tierney was a prominent [[Leading actor|leading lady]] during the [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Golden Age of Hollywood]].<ref name=TCMTierney>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/191988%7C57782/Gene-Tierney |quote=Tierney emerged as a leading lady of equal beauty and depth...Tierney attained a strata of celebrity that put her on par with fellow sirens Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner and Ava Gardner" |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |title=Gene Tierney Biography |access-date=August 20, 2018}}</ref><ref name=Vogel2009>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWkpARnQ3fcC |first=Michelle |last=Vogel |title=Gene Tierney: A Biography |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0786458325 |year=2009 |quote=Called the most beautiful woman in movie history, Gene Tierney starred in a number of 1940s classics, including ''Laura'', ''Leave Her to Heaven'' and ''The Ghost and Mrs. Muir''.}}</ref> She starred as Laura Hunt in [[Otto Preminger]]'s ''[[Laura (1944 film)|Laura]]'' (1944), a [[film noir]] classic, and as Ellen Berent in [[John M. Stahl]]'s ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]'' (1945), which earned her a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]].<ref name="selfportrait"/><ref name="bbc">{{cite news |last1=Newland |first1=Christina |title=Gene Tierney and the pitfalls of being 'the most beautiful woman in movie history' |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240416-gene-tierney-and-the-pitfalls-of-being-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-movie-history |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=BBC Culture |date=17 April 2024}}</ref> [[Darryl F. Zanuck]], co-founder of [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]], said Tierney was "unquestionably, the most beautiful woman in movie history."

Tierney was a 20th Century Fox contract player who did much of her work for the [[Film studio|studio]]. She starred in many commercially successful Fox films, including ''[[The Return of Frank James]]'' (1940; her film debut), ''[[Tobacco Road (film)|Tobacco Road]]'' (1941), ''[[Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake]]'' (1942), ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1943 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'' (1943), ''[[A Bell for Adano]]'' (1945), ''[[The Razor's Edge (1946 film)|The Razor's Edge]]'' (1946), ''[[The Ghost and Mrs. Muir]]'' (1947), ''[[The Iron Curtain (film)|The Iron Curtain]]'' (1948), ''[[Whirlpool (1950 film)|Whirlpool]]'' and ''[[Night and the City]]'' (both 1950), ''[[The Mating Season (film)|The Mating Season]]'' (1951), ''[[On the Riviera]]'' (1951), ''[[The Egyptian (film)|The Egyptian]]'' (1954), ''[[The Left Hand of God]]'' (1955), and ''[[The Pleasure Seekers (1964 film)|The Pleasure Seekers]]'' (1964; her last film role). After her Hollywood career began to decline, Tierney made sporadic appearances on many [[television show]]s. Her role in the [[miniseries]] ''[[Scruples (miniseries)|Scruples]]'' (1980), marked her last work credit.

==Early life==
Gene Eliza Tierney was born on November 19, 1920, in [[Brooklyn]], New York, the daughter of Howard Sherwood Tierney and Belle Lavinia Taylor. She was named after a beloved uncle, who died young.<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|25}} She had an elder brother, Howard Sherwood "Butch" Tierney Jr., and a younger sister, Patricia "Pat" Tierney. Her father was a successful insurance broker of Irish descent on his paternal side; their mother was a former physical education instructor.<ref name="selfportrait"/>

She attended St. Margaret's School for Girls in [[Waterbury, Connecticut]] (which merged into what became [[Chase Collegiate School]]) and [[Unquowa School]] in [[Fairfield, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/191988%7C57782/Gene-Tierney#biography|title=Gene Tierney|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=2025-08-02}}</ref> Tierney spent two years in Europe, attending [[Brillantmont International School]] in [[Lausanne]], [[Switzerland]], where she learned to speak fluent French. She returned to the US in 1936 and attended [[Miss Porter's School]] in [[Farmington, Connecticut]]. On a family trip to the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]], she visited [[Warner Bros.]] studios, where her mother's cousin – Gordon Hollingshead – worked as a producer of historical short films. Director [[Anatole Litvak]], taken by the 17-year-old's beauty, told Tierney that she should become an actress. Warner Bros. wanted to sign her to a contract, but her parents advised against it because of the relatively low salary; they also wanted her to take her position in society.<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|11–13}}

Tierney's [[debutante|society debut]] occurred on September 24, 1938, when she was 17 years old.<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|14}} Quickly bored with society life, she decided to pursue an acting career. Her father said, "If Gene is to be an actress, it should be in the [[legitimate theatre]]."<ref name="life"/> Tierney studied acting at a small [[Greenwich Village]] acting studio in New York with Yiddish Broadway actor/director Benno Schneider.<ref>Goldstein, Malcolm. ''[https://archive.org/details/politicalstage0000unse/mode/2up The Political Stage]''. (Oxford University Press, 1974). 45. {{ISBN|978-0-1950-1745-8}}; Amey, Claude. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=TWw9dgzLzPkC&pg=PA206&dq=Le+Th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre+d%27agit-prop+de+1917+%C3%A0+1932&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwif97PW2suMAxWtG9AFHcFOD7AQ6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false Le Théâtre d'agit-prop de 1917 à 1932]''. (Lausanne: L'âge d'Homme, 1977). 160; and [[Edna Nahshon|Nahshon, Edna]], ed. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ku0dDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=New+York%27s+Yiddish+Theater:+From+the+Bowery+to+Broadway&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi71qLe28uMAxXopIkEHaecCMsQ6AF6BAgNEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false New York's Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway]''. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2016). 179–86. {{ISBN|978-0-2315-4107-7}}</ref> She became a ''[[protégée]]'' of Broadway producer-director [[George Abbott]].<ref name="life">{{cite news| title=Debutante Gene Tierney Makes Her Entrance In A Broadway Success| url=https://archive.org/details/Life-1940-02-19-Vol-8-No-8/page/34/mode/2up?q=tierney| magazine=Life| date=February 19, 1940| volume=8| number=8| page=25| access-date=April 9, 2025}}</ref><ref name="patriciatierney"/>

==Career==
===Broadway===
In Tierney's first role on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], she carried a bucket of water across the stage in ''What a Life!'' (1938). A ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine critic declared, "Miss Tierney is certainly the most beautiful water carrier I've ever seen!" She also worked as an understudy in ''The Primrose Path'' (1938).

The following year, she appeared in the role of [[Molly O'Day]] in the Broadway production ''Mrs. O'Brien Entertains'' (1939).<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|19}} ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' critic [[Brooks Atkinson]] wrote, "As an Irish maiden fresh from the old country, Gene Tierney in her first stage performance is very pretty and refreshingly modest."<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|21}} That same year, Tierney appeared as Peggy Carr in ''Ring Two'' (1939) to favorable reviews. Theater critic [[Richard Watts Jr.]] of the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' wrote, "I see no reason why Miss Tierney should not have an interesting theatrical career – that is, if cinema does not kidnap her away."<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|36}}

Tierney's father set up a corporation, Belle-Tier, to fund and promote her acting career. [[Columbia Pictures]] signed her to a six-month contract in 1939. She met [[Howard Hughes]], who tried unsuccessfully to seduce her. From a well-to-do family herself, she was not impressed by his wealth. Hughes eventually became a lifelong friend.{{Citation needed |date=May 2024}}

After a cameraman advised Tierney to lose a little weight, she wrote to ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'' magazine for a diet, which she followed for the next 25 years. Tierney was initially offered the lead role in ''[[National Velvet (film)|National Velvet]],'' but production was delayed.<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|23}} When Columbia Pictures failed to find Tierney a project, she returned to Broadway and starred as Patricia Stanley to critical and commercial success in ''[[The Male Animal]]'' (1940). In ''The New York Times'', Brooks Atkinson wrote, "Tierney blazes with animation in the best performance she has yet given".<ref name="selfportrait"/> She was the toast of Broadway before her 20th birthday. ''The Male Animal'' was a hit, and Tierney was featured in ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]''. She was also photographed by ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'', ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'', and ''[[Collier's Weekly]]''.<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|38}}

Two weeks after ''The Male Animal'' opened, [[Darryl F. Zanuck]], the head of [[20th Century Fox]], was rumored to have been in the audience. During the performance, he told an assistant to note Tierney's name. Later that night, Zanuck dropped by the [[Stork Club]], where he saw a young lady on the dance floor. He told his assistant, "Forget the girl from the play. See if you can sign that one." She was Tierney. At first, Zanuck did not think she was the actress he had seen. Tierney was quoted (after the fact), saying: "I always had several different 'looks', a quality that proved useful in my career."<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|38}}<ref name="patriciatierney">''Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait'', The Biography Channel, March 26, 1999, interview with Gene Tierney's sister Patricia.</ref>

===Film career===
[[File:Gene Tierney - Studio portrait (1941).png|thumb|Publicity photo (1941)]]

Tierney signed with [[20th Century-Fox]]<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{rp|39}} and her motion picture debut was in a supporting role as Eleanor Stone in [[Fritz Lang]]'s [[Western (genre)|Western]] ''[[The Return of Frank James]]'' (1940), opposite [[Henry Fonda]].

A small role as Barbara Hall followed in ''[[Hudson's Bay (film)|Hudson's Bay]]'' (1941) with [[Paul Muni]] and she co-starred as Ellie Mae Lester in [[John Ford]]'s comedy ''[[Tobacco Road (film)|Tobacco Road]]'' (also 1941), and played the title role in ''[[Belle Starr (1941 film)|Belle Starr]]'' alongside co-star [[Randolph Scott]], Zia in ''[[Sundown (1941 film)|Sundown]]'', and Victoria Charteris (Poppy Smith) in ''[[The Shanghai Gesture]]''. She played Eve in ''[[Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake]]'' (1942), as well as the dual role of Susan Miller (Linda Worthington) in [[Rouben Mamoulian]]'s [[screwball comedy film|screwball comedy]] ''[[Rings on Her Fingers]]'', and roles as Kay Saunders in ''[[Thunder Birds (1942 film)|Thunder Birds]],'' and Miss Young in ''[[China Girl (1942 film)|China Girl]]'' (all 1942).

Receiving top billing in [[Ernst Lubitsch]]'s comedy ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1943 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'' (1943), as Martha Strable Van Cleve, signaled an upward turn in Tierney's career. Tierney recalled during the production of ''Heaven Can Wait'':

<blockquote>Lubitsch was a tyrant on the set, the most demanding of directors. After one scene, which took from noon until five to get, I was almost in tears from listening to Lubitsch shout at me. The next day I sought him out, looked him in the eye, and said, 'Mr. Lubitsch, I'm willing to do my best but I just can't go on working on this picture if you're going to keep shouting at me.' 'I'm paid to shout at you', he bellowed. 'Yes', I said, 'and I'm paid to take it – but not enough.' After a tense pause, Lubitsch broke out laughing. From then on we got along famously.<ref name="selfportrait"/></blockquote>

Tierney starred in what became her best-remembered role: the title role in [[Otto Preminger]]'s [[film noir]] ''[[Laura (1944 film)|Laura]]'' (1944),<ref name="bbc"/> opposite [[Dana Andrews]] (with whom she would work again in ''[[The Iron Curtain (film)|The Iron Curtain]]'' and Preminger's ''[[Where the Sidewalk Ends (film)|Where The Sidewalk Ends]]'').

[[File:Gene Tierney and Jeanne Crain in Leave Her to Heaven.jpg|thumb|right|Gene Tierney and [[Jeanne Crain]] in ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]'' (1945)]]

After playing Tina Tomasino in ''[[A Bell for Adano]]'' (1945), she played the jealous, narcissistic ''[[femme fatale]]'' Ellen Berent Harland in ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]'' (1945),<ref name="bbc"/> adapted from a bestselling novel by [[Ben Ames Williams]]. Appearing with [[Cornel Wilde]], Tierney was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]. This was 20th Century-Fox's most successful film of the 1940s. It was cited by director [[Martin Scorsese]] as one of his favorite films, and he assessed Tierney as one of the most underrated actresses of the Golden Era.<ref>{{YouTube|ATfhKmkM-rE|Martin Scorsese discusses ''Leave Her to Heaven'' at the 45th New York Film Festival}}</ref>

Tierney starred as Miranda Wells in ''[[Dragonwyck (film)|Dragonwyck]]'' (1946), along with [[Walter Huston]] and [[Vincent Price]]. It was [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]]' debut film as a director. In the same period, she starred as Isabel Bradley, opposite [[Tyrone Power]], in ''[[The Razor's Edge (1946 film)|The Razor's Edge]]'' (also 1946), an adaptation of [[W. Somerset Maugham]]'s [[The Razor's Edge|novel]] of the same name. Her performance was critically praised.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}

Tierney played Lucy Muir in Mankiewicz's ''[[The Ghost and Mrs. Muir]]'' (1947), opposite [[Rex Harrison]].<ref>''Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait''.''[[Biography (TV program)|Biography]]''. March 26, 1999. Interview with film scholar Jeanine Basinger.</ref> The following year, she co-starred again with Power, this time as Sara Farley in the successful screwball comedy ''[[That Wonderful Urge]]'' (1948). As the decade came to a close, Tierney reunited with ''Laura'' director Preminger to star as Ann Sutton in the classic film noir ''[[Whirlpool (1950 film)|Whirlpool]]'' (1950), co-starring [[Richard Conte]] and [[José Ferrer]]. She appeared in two other films noir: [[Jules Dassin]]'s ''[[Night and the City]]'', shot in London, and Otto Preminger's ''[[Where the Sidewalk Ends (film)|Where the Sidewalk Ends]]'' (both 1950), 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'' and ''Tobacco Road''.

Tierney was lent to [[Paramount Pictures]], giving a comic turn as Maggie Carleton in [[Mitchell Leisen]]'s [[ensemble cast|ensemble]] [[farce]], ''[[The Mating Season (film)|The Mating Season]]'' (1951), with [[John Lund (actor)|John Lund]], [[Thelma Ritter]], and [[Miriam Hopkins]].<ref name="selfportrait"/> She gave a tender performance as Midge Sheridan in the [[Warner Bros.]] film, ''[[Close to My Heart]]'' (1951), with [[Ray Milland]]. The film is about a couple trying to adopt a child.<ref name="selfportrait"/> Later in her career, she was reunited with Milland in ''[[Daughter of the Mind]]'' (1969).

After Tierney appeared opposite [[Rory Calhoun]] as Teresa in ''[[Way of a Gaucho]]'' (1952), her contract at 20th Century-Fox expired. That same year, she starred as Dorothy Bradford in ''[[Plymouth Adventure]]'', opposite [[Spencer Tracy]] at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]. Tracy and she had a brief affair during this time.<ref name="Osborne 2006 p. 195">{{cite book| first1=Andrea Cornell| last1=Sarvady| date=March 30, 2006| publisher=Chronicle Books| title=Leading Ladies: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XvKV3-wqDrgC&q=tierney| pages=193–195| isbn=978-0-8118-5248-7}}</ref> Tierney played Marya Lamarkina opposite [[Clark Gable]] in ''[[Never Let Me Go (1953 film)|Never Let Me Go]]'' (1953), filmed in England.<ref name="selfportrait"/>

In the course of the 1940s, she reached a pinnacle of fame as a beautiful leading lady, on a par with "fellow sirens Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner and Ava Gardner".<ref name=TCMTierney /> She was called “the most beautiful woman in movie history" and many of her movies in the 1940s became classic films.<ref name=Vogel2009 /><ref name="bbc"/>
[[File:Dragonwyck (1946) 1.jpg|thumb|left|L–R: [[Glenn Langan]], Gene Tierney, and [[Vincent Price]] in ''[[Dragonwyck (film)|Dragonwyck]]'']] 
Tierney remained in Europe to play Kay Barlow in [[United Artists]]' ''[[Personal Affair]]'' (1953). While in Europe, she began a romance with [[Prince Aly Khan]], but their marriage plans met with fierce opposition from his father [[Aga Khan III]].<ref name="Portrait179"/> Early in 1953, Tierney returned to the U.S. to co-star in the film noir ''[[Black Widow (1954 film)|Black Widow]]'' (1954) as Iris Denver, with [[Ginger Rogers]] and [[Van Heflin]].

===Health===
Tierney had reportedly started smoking after a screening of her first movie to lower her voice, because she felt that she sounded "like an angry [[Minnie Mouse]]."<ref name="gene"/> She subsequently became a heavy smoker.<ref name="gene">{{cite web| url=http://www.cmgww.com/stars/tierney/about/bio.htm| title=Biography|website=Gene Tierney The Official Web Site| access-date=February 1, 2012| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207111220/http://www.cmgww.com/stars/tierney/about/bio.htm| archive-date=February 7, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Gene Tierney - AAFPOABrief.jpg|thumb|Pin-up photo in [[World War II]] magazine ''Brief'']]
Tierney struggled for years with episodes of [[manic depression]]. In 1943, she gave birth to a daughter, Daria, who was deaf and mentally disabled, due to [[congenital rubella syndrome]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kuperberg |first=Clara and Julia |year=2016 |title=Gene Tierney - Hollywood's Vergessener Star |url=https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/117725-000-A/gene-tierney-hollywoods-vergessener-star/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=[[Arte]] |language=de |archive-date=February 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227181344/https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/117725-000-A/gene-tierney-hollywoods-vergessener-star/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="bbc"/> In 1953, she suffered problems with concentration, which affected her film appearances. She dropped out of ''[[Mogambo]]'' and was replaced by [[Grace Kelly]].<ref name="selfportrait"/>{{page needed|date=January 2014}} While playing Anne Scott in ''[[The Left Hand of God]]'' (1955), opposite [[Humphrey Bogart]], Tierney had a relapse. Bogart's sister Frances (known as Pat) had suffered from mental illness, so he showed Tierney great sympathy, feeding her lines during the production and encouraging her to seek help.<ref name="selfportrait"/>

Tierney consulted a psychiatrist and was admitted to Harkness Pavilion in New York. Later, she went to [[the Institute of Living]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. After some 27 [[Electroconvulsive therapy|shock treatments]], intended to alleviate severe depression, Tierney fled the facility, but was caught and returned. She later became an outspoken opponent of shock treatment therapy, claiming it had destroyed significant portions of her memory.<ref>{{cite news |last=Marion |first=Jane |date=2022-11-22 |title=ECT is Coming Out of the Shadows as a Lifesaving Treatment for Mental Illness |url=https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/health/ect-electroconvulsive-therapy-severe-mental-illness-treatment-baltimore-hospitals/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |magazine=[[Baltimore (magazine)|Baltimore]] |language=en-US |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In late December 1957, Tierney, at her mother's apartment in Manhattan, stepped onto a ledge 14 stories above ground and remained for about 20 minutes in what was considered a suicide attempt.<ref name="ledge">{{cite news |url=http://people.com/archive/gene-tierney-began-her-trip-back-from-madness-on-a-ledge-14-floors-above-the-street-vol-11-no-18/ |first=Kent |last=Demaret |title=Gene Tierney Began Her Trip Back from Madness on a Ledge 14 Floors Above the Street |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=May 7, 1979 |access-date=January 18, 2017}}</ref> Police were called, and afterwards, Tierney's family arranged for her to be admitted to the [[Menninger Foundation|Menninger Clinic]] in [[Topeka, Kansas]]. The following year, after treatment for [[Major depressive disorder|depression]], she was discharged. Afterwards, she worked as a sales girl in a local dress shop with hopes of integrating back into society.<ref name="ledge"/> A Topeka newspaper reported on her employment status, which gained national attention.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hrenchir |first=Tim |title=History Guy: Movie star who spent time in Topeka was born 100 years ago |url=https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2020/11/19/history-guy-movie-star-who-spent-time-in-topeka-was-born-100-years-ago/43166763/ |date=November 18, 2020 |access-date=2025-04-09 |newspaper=[[The Topeka Capital-Journal]] |language=en-US |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Later in 1958, 20th Century Fox offered Tierney a lead role in ''[[Holiday for Lovers]]'' (1959), but the stress upon her proved too great, so only days into production, she dropped out of the film and returned to Menninger, for a time.<ref name="ledge"/>

===Comeback===
Tierney made a screen comeback in ''[[Advise and Consent (film)|Advise and Consent]]'' (1962), co-starring with [[Franchot Tone]] and reuniting with director Otto Preminger.<ref name="selfportrait"/> Soon afterwards, she played Albertine Prine in ''[[Toys in the Attic (1963 film)|Toys in the Attic]]'' (1963), based on the play by [[Lillian Hellman]]. This was followed by the international production of ''[[Las cuatro noches de la luna llena|Las Cuatro Noches de la Luna Llena]]'' (''Four Nights of the Full Moon'' – 1963), in which she starred with [[Dan Dailey]]. She received critical praise overall for her performances.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}

Tierney's career as a solid character actress seemed to be back on track as she played Jane Barton in ''[[The Pleasure Seekers (1964 film)|The Pleasure Seekers]]'' (1964), but then she suddenly retired. She returned to star in the television movie ''[[Daughter of the Mind]]'' (1969) with [[Don Murray (actor)|Don Murray]] and [[Ray Milland]]. Her final performance was in the TV [[miniseries]] ''[[Scruples (TV miniseries)|Scruples]]'' (1980).<ref name="selfportrait"/>

==Personal life==
Tierney was married twice. Her first husband was [[Oleg Cassini]], a costume and fashion designer, with whom she eloped on June 1, 1941. She was 20 years old, and Cassini was 28. Her parents opposed the marriage because he was from a Russian-Italian family, born in France.<ref name="ledge"/> She and Cassini had two daughters, Antoinette Daria Cassini (October 15, 1943 – September 11, 2010)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=daria-cassini&pid=145308266 |title=Daria Cassini, Obituary |newspaper=The New York Times |via=Legacy.com |date=September 13, 2010 |access-date=August 20, 2018}}</ref> and Christina "Tina" Cassini (November 19, 1948 – March 31, 2015).<ref>{{Cite web |title=CHRISTINA CASSINI Obituary (2015) - Houston, TX - New York Times |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/christina-cassini-obituary?id=22245299 |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hopkins |first=Kathryn |date=2018-05-18 |title=Battle Over Oleg Cassini's Estate Turns to His New York Town House |url=https://wwd.com/eye/celebrity-real-estate/feature/battle-over-oleg-cassinis-estate-turns-to-his-new-york-town-house-1202675463/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Orth |first=Maureen |date=2010-08-19 |title=Cassini Royale |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/09/oleg-cassini-201009 |access-date=2025-08-28 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref>

In June 1943, while pregnant with Daria, Tierney contracted [[rubella]] (German measles), likely from a fan ill with the disease.<ref name="ledge"/> Antoinette Daria Cassini was born prematurely in Washington, D.C., weighing {{Convert|3|lbs|2|oz|spell=in}} and requiring a total blood transfusion. The rubella caused congenital damage: Daria was deaf, partially blind with cataracts, and severely mentally disabled. She was institutionalized for much of her life.<ref name="ledge"/> This entire incident was inspiration for the plot in the 1962 [[Agatha Christie]] novel ''[[The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side]]''.

Christie's official website says about that novel, <blockquote>"The plot was inspired by Agatha Christie's reflections on a mother's feelings for a child born with disabilities and there can be little doubt that Christie was influenced by the real-life tragedy of American actress Gene Tierney."</blockquote><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.agathachristie.com/stories/the-mirror-crackd-from-side-to-side |title=The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side |website=The Home of Agatha Christie |via=agathachristie.com | access-date=April 8, 2022}}</ref> Tierney's friend [[Howard Hughes]] paid for Daria's medical expenses, ensuring the girl received the best care. Tierney never forgot his acts of kindness.<ref name="selfportrait">{{cite book| title=Self-Portrait| url=https://archive.org/details/selfportrait00tier| first1=Gene| last1=Tierney| first2=Mickey| last2=Herskowitz| year=1979| publisher=Wyden Books| pages=1, 9–10, 14, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25–26, 27, 33, 36, 38, 65–66, 91, 97, 101, 119, 131, 133, 141–42, 144, 150–51, 164–65, 192–192, 207| isbn=978-0-8832-6152-1}}</ref> Daria Cassini died on September 11, 2010, at the age of 66. Through Christina, Tierney had four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cassini |first=Tina |date=2010-09-13 |title=Paid Notice: Deaths CASSINI, DARIA |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE2D71E3AF930A2575AC0A9669D8B63 |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=[[The New York Times]] |language=en}}</ref>

Tierney and Cassini separated October 20, 1946, and entered into a property settlement agreement on November 10.<ref name="Hedda1948">{{cite news |last=Hopper|first=Hedda |title=Gene Tierney and Mate Reconciled |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=April 9, 1948 |page=2}}</ref> Periodicals during this period record Tierney with [[Charles K. Feldman]],<ref>{{cite news |access-date=July 23, 2015 |newspaper=Harrisburg Telegraph |date=February 18, 1948 |title=Hedda Hopper's Looking at Hollywood |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5406932/looking_at_hollywood_feb_18/ |first=Hedda |last=Hopper |page=22|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> including articles related to her "twosoming" with Feldman, her "current best beau".<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Pennsylvania)|Pottstown Mercury]] |date=April 1, 1948 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5406955/hollywood_march_31/|author=Edyth Gwynn|title=Hollywood|page=19|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Her divorce from Cassini was to be finalized in March 1948, but they reconciled before then. They later divorced in 1952, but remained friends until her death in November 1991.<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine |last=Orth |first=Maureen |date=August 19, 2010 |title=Cassini Royale |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/09/oleg-cassini-201009 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref>

After his death in 2006, Cassini bequeathed $500,000 in trust to Daria and $1,000,000 to Christina.<ref name="courthouse">{{cite web |date=February 18, 2010 |title=Squabble Over Oleg Cassini's Estate |first=Karina |last=Brown |website=Courthouse News Service |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/squabble-over-oleg-cassinis-estate/ |access-date=July 5, 2010 |publisher=Courthousenews.com}}</ref> Christina was unable to collect her inheritance, however, as Cassini's widow Marianne Nestor challenged the sum in court in a lengthy case.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Karina |date=2010-02-18 |title=Squabble Over Oleg Cassini's Estate |url=https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2010/9/cassini-royale |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820220034/https://www.courthousenews.com/2010/02/18/24795.htm |archive-date=August 20, 2010 |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Courthouse News Service }}</ref>

During her separation from Cassini, Tierney met [[John F. Kennedy]], a young World War II veteran, who was visiting the set of ''[[Dragonwyck (film)|Dragonwyck]]'' in 1946. They began a romance that she ended the following year after Kennedy told her he could never marry her because of his political ambitions.<ref name="Osborne 2006 p. 195" /> In 1960, Tierney sent Kennedy a note of congratulations on his victory in the presidential election. Her former husband, Cassini, would go on to design outfits for [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jackie Kennedy]].<ref name=":0" />

In 1952, newspapers documented that Tierney was in a romantic relationship with [[Kirk Douglas]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Parsons |first=Louella O. |title=Ginger Is Making Much Moola; Begins Television Work in Fall |department=Louella's Movie Go Round |newspaper=Albuquerque Journal |date=February 27, 1952 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5406977/ginger_is_making_much_moola_begins/ |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Later, while filming for ''[[Personal Affair]]'' in Europe, she began a romance with [[Prince Aly Khan]].<ref name="Portrait179">''Self-Portrait''. Tierney and Herskowitz (1979). Wyden Books. pp. 179–193.</ref> They became engaged while Khan was going through a divorce from [[Rita Hayworth]].<ref>{{cite book| title=The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes: A Comprehensive History| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iTJiAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA179| first=Richard| last=Sowers| page=179| date=March 11, 2014| publisher=McFarland| isbn=978-0-7864-7698-5}}</ref> Their marriage plans, however, were met with fierce opposition from his father, [[Aga Khan III]].<ref name="Portrait179" />

In 1958, Tierney met Texas oil baron W. Howard Lee, who had been married to actress [[Hedy Lamarr]] since 1953. Lee and Lamarr divorced in 1960 after a long battle over [[alimony]].<ref name="leeObit">{{cite news|title=W. Howard Lee |newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 18, 1981|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE4D61639F93BA25751C0A967948260|access-date=November 21, 2007}}</ref> Lee and Tierney married in [[Aspen, Colorado]], on July 11, 1960. They lived quietly in [[Houston, Texas]], and [[Delray Beach, Florida]],<ref name="ledge"/> until his death in 1981.<ref name="leeObit"/>

Despite her self-imposed exile in Texas, Tierney received work offers from Hollywood, prompting her to make a comeback. She appeared in a November 1960 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 to Peyton Place (film)|Return to Peyton Place]]'', but she withdrew from the production after suffering a miscarriage.<ref name=TCMTierney/>

As a lifelong [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], Tierney supported [[Richard Nixon]] and [[Ronald Reagan]] in their elections.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.movieactors.com/actors/genetierney.htm |title=About Gene Tierney |newspaper=MovieActors.com |access-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515021946/http://www.movieactors.com/actors/genetierney.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Tierney is survived by her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/christina-cassini-obituary?id=22245299 | title=CHRISTINA CASSINI Obituary |date=April 5, 2015 |newspaper=The New York Times |via=Legacy.com}}</ref>

==Later years==
Tierney's autobiography, ''Self-Portrait'', in which she candidly discusses her life, career, her appearance, and mental illness, was published in 1979.<ref name="bbc"/>

In 1986, Tierney was honored alongside actor [[Gregory Peck]] with the first [[Donostia Award|Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award]] at the [[San Sebastian Film Festival]] in Spain.<ref>Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait, The Biography Channel. March 26, 1999.</ref>

Tierney has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6125 [[Hollywood Boulevard]].

==Death==
Tierney, a lifelong smoker, died of [[emphysema]] on November 6, 1991, in Houston, 13 days before what would have been her 71st birthday.<ref name="The New York Times"/> She is interred in [[Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas)|Glenwood Cemetery]] in Houston.

Certain documents of Tierney's film-related material, personal papers, letters, etc., are held in the [[Wesleyan University]] Cinema Archives, though her papers are closed to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wesleyan.edu/cinema |title=Cinema Archives |website=[[Wesleyan University]] |access-date=October 7, 2010}}</ref>

==Broadway credits==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Format/genre
! Role
! Staged by
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1938
| ''What A Life!''
| Original play, comedy
| Walk on, Water carrier
| rowspan="4" | {{sortname|George|Abbott}}
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Primrose Path|nolink=1}}''
| Original play, drama/comedy
| Understudy
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1939
| ''Mrs O'Brien Entertains''
| rowspan="3" | Original play, comedy
| Molly O'Day
|-
| ''Ring Two''
| Peggy Carr
|-
| 1940
| ''{{sortname|The|Male Animal}}''
| Patricia Stanley
| {{sortname|Herman|Shumlin}}
|}

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Director
! class="unsortable" |Other cast members
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1940
| ''{{sortname|The|Return of Frank James}}''
| Eleanor Stone
| {{sortname|Fritz|Lang}}
| [[Henry Fonda]]
| [[Technicolor]]
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1941
| ''[[Hudson's Bay (film)|Hudson's Bay]]''
| Barbara Hall
| {{sortname|Irving|Pichel}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Paul Muni]]|[[Vincent Price]]}}
|
|-
| ''[[Tobacco Road (film)|Tobacco Road]]''
| Ellie Mae Lester
| {{sortname|John|Ford}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Charles Grapewin]]|[[Dana Andrews]]}}
|
|-
| ''[[Belle Starr (1941 film)|Belle Starr]]''
| [[Belle Starr]]
| {{sortname|Irving|Cummings}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Randolph Scott]]|Dana Andrews}}
| Technicolor
|-
| ''[[Sundown (1941 film)|Sundown]]''
| Zia
| {{sortname|Henry|Hathaway}}
| [[Bruce Cabot]]
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Shanghai Gesture}}''
| Victoria Charteris aka<br>Poppy Smith
| {{sortname|Josef|von Sternberg}}
| [[Walter Huston]]
|
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1942
| ''[[Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake]]''
| Eve
| {{sortname|John|Cromwell|John Cromwell (director)}}
| [[Tyrone Power]]
| [[Sepia tone]] (sequences)
|-
| ''[[Rings on Her Fingers]]''
| Susan Miller (aka Linda Worthington)
| {{sortname|Rouben|Mamoulian}}
| Henry Fonda
|
|-
| ''[[Thunder Birds (1942 film)|Thunder Birds]]''
| Kay Saunders
| {{sortname|William A.|Wellman}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Preston Foster]]|[[John Sutton (actor)|John Sutton]]}}
| Technicolor
|-
| ''[[China Girl (1942 film)|China Girl]]''
| Miss Haoli Young
| {{sortname|Henry|Hathaway|nolink=1}}
| [[George Montgomery (actor)|George Montgomery]]
|
|-
| 1943
| ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1943 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]''
| Martha Strabel Van Cleve
| {{sortname|Ernst|Lubitsch}}
| [[Don Ameche]]
| Technicolor
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Laura (1944 film)|Laura]]''
| [[Laura (novel)|Laura Hunt]]
| {{sortname|Otto|Preminger}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Dana Andrews]]|[[Clifton Webb]]|[[Vincent Price]]}}
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1945
| ''{{sortname|A|Bell for Adano}}''
| Tina Tomasino
| {{sortname|Henry|King|Henry King (director)}}
| [[John Hodiak]]
|
|-
| ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]''
| Ellen Berent Harland
| {{sortname|John M.|Stahl}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Cornel Wilde]]|[[Jeanne Crain]]|Vincent Price}}
| {{unbulleted list|Nominated—[[Academy Award for Best Actress]]|Technicolor}}
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1946
| ''[[Dragonwyck (film)|Dragonwyck]]''
| Miranda Wells Van Ryn
| {{sortname|Joseph L.|Mankiewicz}}
| {{unbulleted list|Walter Huston|Vincent Price}} ||
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Razor's Edge|The Razor's Edge (1946 film)}}''
| Isabel Bradley Maturin
| {{sortname|Edmund|Goulding}}
| {{unbulleted list|Tyrone Power|[[Anne Baxter]]|[[John Payne (actor)|John Payne]]}}
|
|-
| 1947
| ''{{sortname|The|Ghost and Mrs. Muir}}''
| Lucy Muir
| {{sortname|Joseph L.|Mankiewicz|nolink=1}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Rex Harrison]]||[[Natalie Wood]]|[[George Sanders]]|[[Edna Best]]}}
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1948
| ''{{sortname|The|Iron Curtain|The Iron Curtain (film)}}''
| Anna Gouzenko
| {{sortname|William A.|Wellman|nolink=1}}
| Dana Andrews
|
|-
| ''[[That Wonderful Urge]]''
| Sara Farley
| {{sortname|Robert B.|Sinclair|nolink=1}}
| Tyrone Power
|
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1950
| ''[[Whirlpool (1950 film)|Whirlpool]]''
| Ann Sutton
| {{sortname|Otto|Preminger|nolink=1}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Richard Conte]]|[[José Ferrer]]}}
|
|-
| ''[[Night and the City]]''
| Mary Bristol
| {{sortname|Jules|Dassin}}
| [[Richard Widmark]]
|
|-
| ''[[Where the Sidewalk Ends (film)|Where the Sidewalk Ends]]''
| Morgan Taylor (Payne)
| {{sortname|Otto|Preminger|nolink=1}}
| Dana Andrews
|
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1951
| ''{{sortname|The|Mating Season|The Mating Season (film)}}''
| Maggie Carleton McNulty
| {{sortname|Mitchell|Leisen}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[John Lund (actor)|John Lund]]|[[Miriam Hopkins]]|[[Thelma Ritter]]}}
|
|-
| ''[[On the Riviera]]''
| Lili Duran
| {{sortname|Walter|Lang}}
| [[Danny Kaye]]
| Technicolor
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Secret of Convict Lake}}''
| Marcia Stoddard
| {{sortname|Michael|Gordon|Michael Gordon (film director)}}
| [[Glenn Ford]]
|
|-
| ''[[Close to My Heart]]''
| Midge Sheridan
| {{sortname|William|Keighley}}
| [[Ray Milland]]
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1952
| ''[[Way of a Gaucho]]''
| Teresa
| {{sortname|Jacques|Tourneur}}
| [[Rory Calhoun]]
| rowspan="2" | Technicolor
|-
| ''[[Plymouth Adventure]]''
| Dorothy Bradford
| {{sortname|Clarence|Brown}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Spencer Tracy]]|[[Van Johnson]]|Leo Genn}}
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1953
| ''[[Never Let Me Go (1953 film)|Never Let Me Go]]''
| Marya Lamarkina
| {{sortname|Delmer|Daves}}
| [[Clark Gable]]
|
|-
| ''[[Personal Affair]]''
| Kay Barlow
| {{sortname|Anthony|Pelissier}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Leo Genn]]|[[Glynis Johns]]}}
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1954
| ''[[Black Widow (1954 film)|Black Widow]]''
| Iris Denver
| {{sortname|Nunnally|Johnson}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Ginger Rogers]]|[[Van Heflin]]}}
| rowspan="3" | [[CinemaScope]], Deluxe color
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Egyptian|The Egyptian (film)}}''
| Baketamon
| {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Jean Simmons]]|[[Victor Mature]]|[[Edmund Purdom]]}}
|-
| 1955
| ''{{sortname|The|Left Hand of God}}''
| Anne Scott
| {{sortname|Edward|Dmytryk}}
| [[Humphrey Bogart]]
|-
| 1962
| ''[[Advise & Consent]]''
| Dolly Harrison
| {{sortname|Otto|Preminger|nolink=1}}
| {{unbulleted list|Henry Fonda|[[Walter Pidgeon]]|[[Franchot Tone]]}}
| [[Panavision]]
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1963
| ''[[Toys in the Attic (1963 film)|Toys in the Attic]]''
| Albertine Prine
| {{sortname|George Roy|Hill}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Dean Martin]]|[[Geraldine Page]]}}
|
|-
| ''[[Four Nights of the Full Moon|Las cuatro noches de la luna llena]]''
|
| {{sortname|Sobey|Martin}}
| [[Dan Dailey]]
| English title: ''Four Nights of the Full Moon''
Lost film.
|-
| 1964
| ''{{sortname|The|Pleasure Seekers|The Pleasure Seekers (1964 film)}}''
| Jane Barton
| {{sortname|Jean|Negulesco}}
| {{unbulleted list|[[Ann-Margret]]|[[Anthony Franciosa]]}}
| CinemaScope, Deluxe color
|}

==Television credits==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" |Other cast members
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1947
| ''The Sir Charles Mendl Show''
| rowspan="4" | Herself
| Host: Sir Charles Mendl
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show|Toast of the Town]]''
| Host: [[Ed Sullivan]]
| Episode #6.33
|-
| 1954
| ''[[26th Academy Awards]]''
| Host: [[Donald O'Connor]], [[Fredric March]]
| Presenter: [[Costume Design]] Awards
|-
| 1957
| ''[[What's My Line?]]''
| Host: [[John Charles Daly]]
| Episode: August 25, Mystery guest<ref>{{cite AV media| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCRLkM40sI4| title=What's My Line?| people=Gene Tierney; Arlene Francis, Ernie Kovacs, Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf (panel)| date=August 25, 1957| via=YouTube |access-date=April 8, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| 1960
| ''[[General Electric Theater]]''
| Ellen Galloway
| Host: [[Ronald Reagan]]
| Episode: "Journey to a Wedding"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1969
| ''{{sortname|The|F.B.I.|The F.B.I. (TV series)}}''
| Faye Simpson
| [[Efrem Zimbalist Jr.]]
| Episode: "Conspiracy of Silence"
|-
| ''[[Daughter of the Mind]]''
| Lenore Constable
| [[Ray Milland]]
| TV movie
|-
| 1974
| rowspan="2" | ''{{sortname|The|Merv Griffin Show}}''
| rowspan="5" | Herself
| rowspan="2" | Host: [[Merv Griffin]]
|
|-
| 1979
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1980
| ''{{sortname|The|Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson}}''
| Host: [[Johnny Carson]]
|
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Mike Douglas Show}}''
| Host: [[Mike Douglas]]
|
|-
| ''[[Dinah!]]''
| Host: [[Dinah Shore]]
|
|-
| ''[[Scruples (TV miniseries)|Scruples]]''
| Harriet Toppington
| [[Lindsay Wagner]]
| TV miniseries
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Biography (TV series)|Biography]]''
| Herself (archive material)
| Host: [[Peter Graves (actor)|Peter Graves]]
| "Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait", biographical documentary, March 26
|}

==Radio appearances==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Program !! Episode/source
|-
| 1945 || ''Old Gold Comedy Theatre'' || ''A Lady Takes a Chance''<ref name=rga1>{{cite journal| title=Radio's Golden Age| journal=Nostalgia Digest| date=Summer 2012| volume=38| issue=3| pages=40–41}}</ref> 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1946 || ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' || ''[[Dragonwyck (film)|Dragonwyck]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=Theatre Date |newspaper=Harrisburg Telegraph |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3335474/harrisburg_telegraph/ |date=October 5, 1946 |page=17 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Hollywood Star Time (dramatic anthology)|Hollywood Star Time]]'' || ''[[Bedelia (film)|Bedelia]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=Hollywood Host |newspaper=Harrisburg Telegraph |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3323389/harrisburg_telegraph/ |date=October 26, 1946 |page=21 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=September 29, 2015}}</ref>
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Organization
!Work
!Category
!Result
!Ref.
|-
|[[18th Academy Awards|1946]]
|[[Academy Awards]]
|''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]''
|[[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-09 |title=The 18th Academy Awards {{!}} 1946 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1946 |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=www.oscars.org |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|1960
|[[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
|{{N/a}}
|[[List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame|Star - Motion Pictures]]
|{{Honored}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chad |date=2019-10-25 |title=Gene Tierney |url=https://walkoffame.com/gene-tierney/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|1986
|[[San Sebastián International Film Festival]]
|{{N/a}}
|[[Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award]]
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-16 |title=Awards, Honors, & Nominations |url=https://genetierneyonline.com/awards-nominations/ |access-date=2025-08-28 |website=GeneTierneyOnline |language=en}}</ref>
|}

== Cultural references ==
* Tierney was ranked number 71 in ''[[Premiere Magazine]]''{{-'}}s 2006 list of "The 100 Sexiest Movie Stars of All Time".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premiere.com/List/The-100-Sexiest-Movie-Stars-of-All-Time/71.-Gene-Tierney |title=The 100 Sexiest Movie Stars of All Time – 71. Gene Tierney |website=premiere.com |quote=Tierney, a classic beauty, may at first seem too elegant to be a sex symbol, but her Oscar-nominated performance as the femme fatale in ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]'' firmly established her sexy cred. Plus, Tierney owned her look. She didn't let studio executives mess with her hair color or length, and refused to fix a slight [[overbite]], earning extra sexy points for confidence. |access-date=May 6, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406023549/http://www.premiere.com/List/The-100-Sexiest-Movie-Stars-of-All-Time/71.-Gene-Tierney |archive-date=April 6, 2009 }}</ref>
* A comedy routine between [[Dean Martin]] and [[Jerry Lewis]] involved Lewis (in boxing shorts and gear) stating that he's fighting Gene Tierney.<ref>''Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait,'' The Biography Channel. March 26, 1999.</ref> This plays on the similarly named [[Gene Tunney]], who held the world heavyweight boxing title from 1926 to 1928.
* In a third-season episode of ''[[M*A*S*H*]]'' ("[[House Arrest]]"), the characters watch Tierney in ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]''. After [[Cornel Wilde]] kisses Tierney passionately, [[Hawkeye Pierce]] says, "If he straightens out that overbite, I'll kill him."
* Tierney was featured as the heroine of a novel, ''Gene Tierney and the Invisible Wedding Gift'' (1947), written by Kathryn Heisenfelt.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.series-books.com/whitman/whitman.html |title=Whitman Movie Star Authorized Editions |website=Whitman Publishing |access-date=April 9, 2025}}</ref>
* [[Agatha Christie]] is widely assumed to have drawn the basic idea for her 1962 novel ''[[The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side]]'' from the real-life German measles tragedy of Tierney and her baby.
*The [[Off-Broadway]] Musical ''[[Violet (musical)|Violet]]'' references Gene Tierney several times. The main character Violet states that she wants a pair of "Gene Tierney eyes" due to the fact that her face was disfigured after an accident involving her father.
* Tierney is routinely discussed in the 2005 Irish novel ''[[An Evening of Long Goodbyes]]'' by [[Paul Murray (author)|Paul Murray]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |first=Oleg |last=Cassini |author-link=Oleg Cassini |title=In My Own Fashion: An Autobiography |url=https://archive.org/details/inmyownfashionau00cass |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=1987 |isbn=0-671-62640-X}}
* {{cite book |author=Devillers, Marceau |title= Gene Tierney: A Biography |publisher=Pygmalion/G.Watelel |year=1987 |isbn=2-85704-230-2}}
* {{cite book |first=Pascal |last=Mérigeau |author-link=Pascal Mérigeau |title=Gene Tierney: A Biography |publisher=Edilig |location=Paris |year=1987 |isbn=2-85601-174-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Tierney |first1=Gene |first2=Mickey |last2=Herskowitz |title=Self-Portrait |publisher=[[Peter Wyden]] |year=1979 |isbn=0-88326-152-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/selfportrait00tier }}
* {{cite book |first=Michelle |last=Vogel |author-link=Michelle Vogel |title=Gene Tierney: A Biography |publisher=McFarland & Company |year=2005 |isbn=0-7864-2035-9}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.cmgww.com/stars/tierney/}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Find a Grave|2670}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051025043210/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/new_site/biography.php?id=749&showgroup=1032 Gene Tierney at The Biography Channel]
* [https://www.aenigma-images.com/2017/12/gene-tierney/ Gene Tierney] at [https://www.aenigma-images.com/ aenigma]
* [http://thenedscottarchive.com/galleries/film-stars/photos-of-gene-tierney.html Photos of Gene Tierney in 'The Shanghai Gesture'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108155846/http://thenedscottarchive.com/galleries/film-stars/photos-of-gene-tierney.html |date=November 8, 2014 }} by [[Ned Scott]]

{{Donostia Award}}
{{Subject bar |auto=1 |d=y |portal1=Film |portal2=Television |portal3=Theatre |portal4=Radio |portal5=Biography |portal6= |portal7= |portal8= |portal9= |portal10= }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tierney, Gene}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:20th Century Studios contract players]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American memoirists]]
[[Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American radio actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American women memoirists]]
[[Category:Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Houston, Texas)]]
[[Category:Deaths from emphysema]]
[[Category:Miss Porter's School alumni]]
[[Category:New York (state) Republicans]]
[[Category:Actresses from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:People with bipolar disorder]]
[[Category:Respiratory disease deaths in Texas]]
[[Category:Tobacco-related deaths]]
[[Category:Texas Republicans]]