Gene Eliza Tierney was born November 11th 1920 in Brooklyn, New York to an insurance broker and former teacher. She had a well brought up childhood, attending the finest schools along the East Coast and two years in a finishing school in Switzerland. When set upon becoming an actress, her father set up a company to help promote her. She appeared on Broadway in 1939 with walk-on roles. It was during her Broadway run that she was spotted by Darryl F. Zanuck. After a screen test, she was signed to a contract to 20th Century Fox.
Gene's first film was the 1940 film The Return Of Frank James co-starring Henry Fonda. After watching a private screening of the film, Gene was horrified at her small squeaky voice and proceeded to smoke in order to lower it. The method proved successful. In the next year Gene made five films and each gained her more popularity. She met Oleg Cassini, a designer for Paramount and elopes, much to her parents dismay, on July 1st 1941. America entered the war in 1942 and Cassini enlisted. In June 1943, while at a U.S.O. function, Gene contracted Measles while pregnant. Gene gave birth October 15 to daughter Antoinette Daria Cassini. Because of her illness during her pregnancy, Daria was born mentally retarded and needed a blood transfusion.
After the birth of her daughter, her next film was the 1944 film Laura, one of her most known films. In 1946 Gene met John F. Kennedy. Due to endless falling outs with Cassini, there was an affair. In 1947 Kennedy said that due to political expectations, he could never marry her. Also that year, her daughter is taken to Langhorn Institute in Pennsylvania. Her care was paid for by Howard Hughes, who had tried to (unsuccessfully) seduce Gene early in her career, but they had a long friendship. That year she was set to begin filming The Ghost And Mrs. Muir, but had fallen down some stairs and had broken her ankle, which led production to be held up. She had also reconciled with Cassini that year and on her 28th birthday in 1948, her second daughter, Christine was born.
In 1952 Gene divorces Cassini. She meets Prince Aly Khan (married to Rita Hayworth at the time), but the affair ends in 1954, Khan is then divorced from Hayworth.
During 1955 Gene is concerned about her health. A failed marriage, the birth of a daughter who was mentally retarded and several unhappy love affairs had caused her to become depressed. She was in and out of hospitals for the next five years. In 1957 she had to be talked down from a ledge on Christmas Day. In 1958 Gene meets Howard Lee in Aspen and they marry on July 11th 1960. Lee was formally married to Hedy Lamarr. Gene was offered a role in Return To Peyton Place in 1961, but refuses due to pregnancy. Unfortunately, this ended in miscarriage.
Gene's first film in seven years was Advise And Consent in 1962. She still had immense talent, but was no longer as wanted as she once was. She made very few films over the rest of her life.
Gene's marriage to Howard Lee led to great happiness. He was unarguably the love of her life. They were married until his death in 1981. Gene lived for 10 more years, but was deeply heartbroken. On November 6th, 1991, just a few days before her 71st birthday, Gene Tierney, once called 'the most beautiful woman in movie history' died of emphysema.
1945 (18th) ACTRESS Leave Her to Heaven {"Ellen Berent"}
