Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven – Her Lethal Femme Fatale Style

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Gene Tierney Leave her to Heaven plays the deadly femme fatale in the 1945 film noir.

This post is all about Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven

Gene Tierney stars as the gorgeous but obsessive and lethal Ellen Harland. She become obsessive about those she care about, and will do anything—even murder—in order to keep them to herself.

Leave Her to Heaven also stars Cornel Wilde as Richard Harland, the man Ellen falls for and who become the subject of her obsession. Jeanne Crain co-stars as Ellen’s ‘good’ sister.

Leave Her to Heaven has the elements of a film noir, the flashbacks, the tragic anti-hero, the femme-fatale, etc… but what makes Leave Her to Heaven different than most old film noir movies is that it’s not in black and white, but was shot in technicolor.

The technicolor only serves to bring out Gene Tierney’s gorgeous 1940’s fashion, showing us how femme fatale style should really look.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Dress

In classic film noir style, Leave Her to Heaven starts out being told as a flashback. Richard (Cornel Wilde) has just gotten out of prison and then the story begins.

The opening scene centers around how Gene Tierney’s character Ellen meets Richard. (Cornel Wilde)

They’re riding the train and Elen is napping and reading a book. She’s wearing a beige dress accessorized with a gold necklace, red lipstick, and perfectly polished nails.

Richard, who happens to be the author of the book, strikes up a conversation with her about it. She doesn’t like the book very much and tells him so without realizing he is the author.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Fur Coat

Both Ellen (Gene Tierney) and Richard get off at the same stop.

Gene Tierney tops off her dress with a fancy fur coat and white hat to match.

She then realizes he’s the author of the book and apologizes.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Dress

Gene Tierney wears a pink floral dress for dinner accented with a pin and earrings.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Riding Outfit

The family is there in order to spread the ashes of the recently deceased father.

Ellen gets the honors and dramatically spreads the ashes as she’s riding on horseback.

Her riding outfit consists of rust-colored slacks and a beige sweater tee.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Swimsuit

To go for a swim, Gene Tierney dons a green swimsuit topped with a white bathing cap.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Jumpsuit

Later that evening Gene Tierney wears a white jumpsuit with her initials engraved at the top.

Her ex-boyfriend Russell (Vincent Price) shows up and isn’t too happy that she’s found someone else. She announces that she and Richard are getting married, to everyone’s surprise.

After Russell leaves she then asks Richard to marry her.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Skirt Suit

Instead of going on a honeymoon, Ellen and Richard go to visit Richard’s younger brother who is crippled.

She wears a white suit with a matching hat and some brown and white pumps. Of course her brown purse matches the brown on her shoes.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Skirt

Ellen wears a pink frilly blouse and a blue skirt for dinner in with her new husband.

She then tells him that she doesn’t want to hire a maid and doesn’t ever want anyone else to do things for him…yeah, things are now starting to get a bit weird.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Blue Dress

Ellen strikes up a conversation with Richard’s younger brother Danny wearing a simple blue dress.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven White Suit

Ellen goes to the doctor and tries to convince him to not let Danny leave with them. The doctor doesn’t agree and thinks it would be good for Danny to get away.

She argues unsuccessfully with him, but as soon as Richard enters she runs to him and happily informs him that the doctor gave his permission for Danny to come with them.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven White Negligee

The three of them travel to the cabin on the lake.

Ellen wears this gorgeous negligee to wake Richard up in the morning.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Plaid Shirt and Slacks

To cook breakfast Gene Tierney wears a short sleeved checkered shirt tucked into high-waisted jeans.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Red Slacks

Stepping up the glamour in the woods, Gene Tierney wears this white blouse tucked into red pants.

Richard is busy writing his next book and Ellen is getting bored so she goes to find him.

She furiously finds out that her mother and sister are coming for a visit…the possessiveness is starting to heat up.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Blue Dress

Ellen is sulky the entire evening during dinner wearing this cute blue dress that wore earlier at the hospital.

This time she wears a matching headband.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Sunglasses

Now for the infamous Leave Her to Heaven Drowning scene…

Ellen takes Danny out on the lake for a swim where she finds out that he never wants to be away from her and Richard.

Danny goes in for a swim and she rows quietly behind him.

Instead of bringing the boat closer to him once he gets tired, she lets him drown.

She wears a white coat over her swimsuit, her expression hidden behind retro sunglasses.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Blue Swimsuit

Ellen sees Richard coming out of the cabin and quickly pulls off her jacket, pretending to try to save Danny…but it’s too late.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Housecoat

Richard is depressed after the death of his younger brother, and they are now living on a house by the sea.

Ellen gets the idea that having a baby might cheer Richard up. She’s wearing a gray housecoat over matching gray slacks as she chats to her sister.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Green Coat

Ellen wears a green maternity outfit to see the room that the family is decorating for the baby.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Brown Robe

One of the last maternity outfits we’ll see Ellen wear is this brown robe.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Blue Negligee

Ellen decides she doesn’t want the baby and get dressed up in a beautiful blue negligee with high heels for her ‘accidental’ fall down the stairs.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Red Swimsuit

After losing the baby, the next scene has Ellen cheerfully coming in from an ocean swim wearing a retro 1940’s style red swimsuit.

Richard has just published a new book, and coming into the house she furiously finds out he dedicated the book to her sister and not to her.

Richard then finds out that she killed his brother and intentionally fell down the stairs while pregnant and leaves her.

Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven Silk Dressing Gown

Ellen plots her leave in style.

She wears a silk dressing gown as she sets up her suicide and tries to frame it Richard for it.

She is successful enough that Richard gets a few years in prison.

The flashback ends with Richard ending up with her sister after all.

This post was all about Gene Tierney Leave Her to Heaven

What did you think about Gene Tierney’s fashion in Leave Her to Heaven?

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Last updated: Sep 05, 2024