Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
Let’s talk music: Alfred Newman’s theme to this movie is incredible. It features the pounding drum of a heartbeat, ominous and set to heavy dramatic cords that let you know something bad is going to happen. Just when you start to think the dark music is normal and you were just being paranoid, a lighter feminine tune worms its way in. She changes the time signature and distracts you from the heartbeat. She makes you think she’s lovely and sweet – but then she gets derailed. But you’re in it too deep; you can’t get out! Her insanity takes over, and when she’s finished with you, the heartbeat grows irregular before finally dying out.
Newman went up against some fantastic themes at the Hot Toasty Rag awards, but he prevailed and took home his third Rag for Original Music. Congratulations.
For those of you who don’t care about music in movies, you may have just skipped over the first paragraph. Gene Tierney’s only Oscar-nominated performance can be found in Leave Her to Heaven. She plays the femme fatale, seemingly sweet but secretly jealous and evil. Cornel Wilde, also known as the “poor man’s Dana Andrews” is the unsuspecting male lead. He’s an author who falls head over heels for Gene’s beauty and charm when they take a train ride together. After a whirlwind courtship, he just can’t think straight. He used to have other priorities, like his handicapped younger brother, and his work – but now all he sees is Gene. Gene’s sister, Jeanne Crain, is sensible and sensitive. But just as it was a mistake for Cornel to be cast instead of Dana, it was also a mistake for Crain to take second-fiddle to the beautiful Tierney. Seriously, folks: I know Dana made State Fair and Fallen Angel in 1945 (two great movies) but couldn’t he have squeezed in another one? The downfall of his career was that he was just too nice (a death sentence in Hollywood), so it’s not really a surprise that he didn’t say, “Hey! I want to be in that movie!” like he should have. When you watch Cornel, he gives his best Dana impression, but it’s just not the same.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Gene Tierney movies here!
Newman went up against some fantastic themes at the Hot Toasty Rag awards, but he prevailed and took home his third Rag for Original Music. Congratulations.
For those of you who don’t care about music in movies, you may have just skipped over the first paragraph. Gene Tierney’s only Oscar-nominated performance can be found in Leave Her to Heaven. She plays the femme fatale, seemingly sweet but secretly jealous and evil. Cornel Wilde, also known as the “poor man’s Dana Andrews” is the unsuspecting male lead. He’s an author who falls head over heels for Gene’s beauty and charm when they take a train ride together. After a whirlwind courtship, he just can’t think straight. He used to have other priorities, like his handicapped younger brother, and his work – but now all he sees is Gene. Gene’s sister, Jeanne Crain, is sensible and sensitive. But just as it was a mistake for Cornel to be cast instead of Dana, it was also a mistake for Crain to take second-fiddle to the beautiful Tierney. Seriously, folks: I know Dana made State Fair and Fallen Angel in 1945 (two great movies) but couldn’t he have squeezed in another one? The downfall of his career was that he was just too nice (a death sentence in Hollywood), so it’s not really a surprise that he didn’t say, “Hey! I want to be in that movie!” like he should have. When you watch Cornel, he gives his best Dana impression, but it’s just not the same.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Gene Tierney movies here!