Gene Tierney’s Misery

“Wealth, beauty, and fame are transient. When those are gone, little is left except the need to be useful.” Gene Tierney

Gene Tierney was by far one of the most beautiful classic movie stars. Did you know she suffered greatly from mental illness? It is said that it was Humphrey Bogart who discovered how really bad Gene was doing mentally on the set of “The Left Hand of God,” (1953). It was Bogart who encouraged her to seek professional help. After filming she was admitted to Harkness Pavillion in New York. She was then institutionalized and given shock treatments. She hated it, and soon tried to escape the asylum, but was later caught.

She tried to commit suicide in 1957 by the worse method possible, jumping off a ledge. She was caught before she had the chance to do away with herself. It is said she had bipolar disorder which was triggered when she had her first child who was born severely handicapped.

Tierney was a close friend of Howard Hughes, who is also rumored to have had mental issues himself. He however took care of her and her daughter during those tumultuous years.

Gene Tierney is rumored to have had affairs with Howard Hughes, John F. Kennedy, and Tyrone Power. Gene’s quote above speaks volumes. Here was a woman with what we may think had everything. But when Gene put her head down on her pillow, it was all a vast world of emptiness. Funny, but sometimes when I see her movies, I can almost see the sadness and mental anguish in her roles, like in “Leave Her to Heaven,” 1945.

7 Responses to “Gene Tierney’s Misery”

1. Mrs. R says:

   June 19, 2008 at 12:07 pm

   Do you mean Gene Tierney?
2. Bacall says:

   June 19, 2008 at 4:50 pm

   oops….thanks a lot. I can’t believe it, I had her name right on one line, then I went from Gene, to Jean, to Jane…LOL

   But yes, I mean Gene. I must’ve been more tired than I thought. Thanks again.
3. apiemom says:

   June 28, 2008 at 5:03 am

   I just found your blog and am so excited about it…so, here goes…

   I have always been fascinated by Gene Tierney! Her beauty struck me when I saw her in “Heaven Can Wait” when I was a child. I read her autobiography not long ago and found it to be very dramatic. She was the classic example of a storm brewing behind a cool and beautiful facade. If only she’d had access to the kind of treatments that are available today; her life would have been so different.
4. Bacall says:

   June 29, 2008 at 2:59 pm

   Hi apiemom and thanks for dropping by. I can see from your comments, we are on the same page. Many thanks, and please drop by again!
5. apiemom says:

   July 1, 2008 at 3:16 am

   Thanks Bacall! I’ll be checking in often!
6. Anonymous says:

   August 12, 2008 at 3:16 pm

   interresting. Do you know where Icould find more informations about genes mentall illness
7. Bacall says:

   August 12, 2008 at 10:02 pm

   Anonymous, you will find in depth information on Gene in book titled

   Gene Tierney: A Biography
   By Michelle Vogel

   Also try visiting her official web site at
   http://www.cmgww.com/stars/tierney/index.php

   Thanks for dropping by!