GENE TIERNEY BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Gene Tierney was born November 20th, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.  Her father, Howard was an insurance broker and his mothers name was Belle.  She grew up in a wealthy family and was educated only at the finest schools. in Connecticut and Switzerland. 

Tierney made her Broadway debut in, "Mrs. O'Brien Entertains" ( 1938).  She worked for several years on stage and then relocated to Hollywood after, Twentieth Century-Fox studio chieftain Darryl F. Zanuck happened to catch the exotic looking teenaged beauty in a small stage role for "The Male Animal".  He offered a movie contract and her father created a family corporation, Belle-Tier, to contract with the movie studio for his daughter's services.

Tierney received  work on, "The Return of Frank James" ( 1940) with Fox Studio's.  Following this appearance, her first major role was on, "Tobacco Road" (1941), however it received disfavored review from critics.

Tierney married Oleg Cassini a fashion designer and the son of a countess and a Russian diplomat in 1941 and together they had two daughters, Daria and Christina.  She divorced in 1952 and remarried Texas oil, Baron Howard in 1960 until his death in 1981. 

She continued to work in various films, but none were substantially, eloquent roles until, "Heaven Can Wait" ( 1943), which was a upward turning point in her acting career.  The following year she starred in what would be her most memorable role of her career in, "Laura" (1944).  Her stardom continued to move up with an Academy Award nomination for her role on, "Leave her To Heaven" (1945).  Tierney continued working at a steady pace, and in 1946 co-starred with Tyrone Power in an adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel, "The Razor's Edge".   Tierney continued to work on various films throughout the late 1940's, but just small roles here and there.

She made a comeback appearance in, "Plymouth Adventure" (1952) and "Never Let Me Go" (1952).  The following decades proved difficult for the actress, who suffered from depression and a troubled personal life that included hospitalization and shock treatment.  Tierney left Hollywood and moved back to the Midwest and took a job in a department store.  She retired several times only to be lured back to Hollywood for such films as, "Advise and Consent" (1962) and "Toys in the Attic" (1963).

After 1964's, "The Pleasure Seekers", she again retired.  However, in 1969 starred in the TV movie, "Daughter of the Mind".  Tierney then chose to take another break from her entertainment career and in 1979 she wrote an autobiography, "Self-Portrait", which offered an unusually candid account of her mental disorders.  Her last performance was, "Scruples" (1980). 
 
She then passed away on October 30th, 1991 in Houston, Texas from of emphysema which was caused from years back when Fox studios convinced Tierney to smoke cigarettes as a means to help deepen her voice. 
 

Filmography

1980   Scruples TV Show Series
1964   The Pleasure Seekers
1963   Toys In The Attic
1962   Advise And Consent
1955   The Left Hand Of God
1954   Black Widow
1954   The Egyptian
1954   Personal Affair
1953   Never Let Me Go
1952   Way Of A Gaucho
1952   Plymouth Adventure
1951   The Secret Of Convict Lake
1951   Close To My Heart
1951   The Mating Season
1951   On The Riviera
1950   Night And The City
1950   Where The Sidewalk Ends
1949   Whirlpool
1948   The Iron Curtain
1948   That Wonderful Urge
1947   The Ghost And Mrs. Muir
1946   The Razor's Edge
1946   Dragonwyck
1945   A Bell For Adano
1945   Leave Her To Heaven
1944   Laura
1943   Heaven Can Wait
1942   China Girl
1942   Son Of Fury
1942   Rings On Her Fingers
1942   Thunder Birds 
1941   The Shanghai Gesture
1941   Sundown
1941   Belle Starr
1941   Tobacco Road
1940   Hudson's Bay
1940   The Return Of Frank James