"Leave Her To Heaven" is director John M. Stahl's 1945 unabashed glamorous soap with Gene Tierney as the irresistible beauty, Ellen Berent (out of this worldly on the surface), seemingly innocent of the dark vampiric seed of jealousy wedged beneath. In this script by Jo Swerling, based on Ben Ames Williams' novel, Tierney duly earned her ultimate queen of femme fatales that would succeed in her evil goal pursuit at all costs, even if it means her own demise to ruin all humanity (oh yes, really). Ellen is one determined woman with undying love for the man she chose to own all by herself. (Almost sounds like William Wyler's "The Collector" 1965 - seeing Terence Stamp's hold on Samantha Eggar). Well, she would if she could lock up her husband's heart. This is a soap opera, so other players are involved unawaringly crossing her grand scheme of things. Though she managed to act upon her uncontrollable instincts while murderous dismissals accidentally occur. Heartless? Does she have one? Single-mindedly she loves novelist Richard Harland (played by Cornell Wilde), and 'till death do us part' deadly serious, she is.
Others include talented Jean Crain as Ruth Berent, a live-in cousin, who's much more kind-hearted and likable a person yet definitely an uneasy competition from Ellen's perspective. Mary Philips is Mrs. Berent, a recent widow (so Ellen lost her beloved father she's very close to) who's aware but not fully understand why her daughter Ellen 'loves too much'. Vincent Price is Russell Quinton who cannot forget he once wanted to marry Ellen, when she dumped him for Richard, but able to survive the rejection and became a barrister (a conveniently useful occupation in Ellen's mind). Darryl Hickman as Danny Harland, Richard's young brother, enthusiastically fighting for recovery of his physically disabled state, yet viewed as a hindrance to Ellen competing for Richard's attention by the minute.
That's just the general structure and character map of the high drama tale. To skip to the appreciation of Leon Chamroy's cinematography mastery, it is also out of this worldly exquisite in this Technicolor vivid movie. The thoughtful application of shadows and lighting directions-angles jump out at me - I marvel at the shadow patterns on the walls, framing of set decorations, and what the camera insightfully captured on screen that enhanced the movie's mood and pacing. At one point, to my surprise while revisiting the film, my eyes caught the shadowy shape on the wall thrown off from Ellen who's standing in front of the fireplace - the figure was likened somehow to a witch with a tall pointy hat - how very clever of Chamroy! She's a witch alright as she was pleading her innocence to the 'mishap' and sorrow that Richard experienced over Danny. Oh, she's only thinking of Richard, she shamelessly professed.
Is that half the story yet? Soaps can be long and breath-suspending. Still, plot after plot, the comfortable flowing performances by the cast can arrest your attention and emotional investment. It's a mighty pleasing to look at Hollywood movie (from the Twentieth Century Fox studio), with music score by veteran composer Alfred Newman. The lush production design (by Maurice Ransford, Lyle Wheeler) and richly detailed set design (by Ernest Lansing, Thomas K. Little) with capable editing (by James B. Clark) rendered "Leave Her To Heaven" a definitive soap classic, up in the ranks with Douglas Sirk's "Magnificent Obsession" 1954, the love-wrought dramatic pair of Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson (from Universal Pictures).
Gene Tierney's diabolical jealousy-consumed character reminds me of Robert Montgomery's devilish role, similar jealousy and love you to death storyline in director W S Van Dyke's "Rage In Heaven" 1941 (in stark B/W), where Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders are the equivalent in reverse to Cornel Wilde and Jean Crain's pairing, including the involvement of courtroom drama and murderous accusations. It's actually a taut film noir. Robert Montgomery is spectacular as the unsuspecting psychotic one, and Bergman (young at 26) and Sanders' performances match his brilliance just as fine. Stepping back, I rather like this rare gem delivered in 85 minutes with love story and suspenseful last-minute ending, too. I was lucky to catch it on TCM cable.
Also comes to mind is 'Amelie' Audrey Tautou in director Laetitia Colombani's "He loves me he loves me not" 2002 French film, in which Tautou plays a female stalker, home wrecker, sly-lying-unsuspecting troubling young woman, pretty to look at yet psychotic deep down. And British director Roger Michell gave us "Enduring Love" 2004, with Rhys Ifan being the stalker extreme to the couple played by Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton - Ifan is a 'new' friend, unwanted and unable to get rid of.
Others include talented Jean Crain as Ruth Berent, a live-in cousin, who's much more kind-hearted and likable a person yet definitely an uneasy competition from Ellen's perspective. Mary Philips is Mrs. Berent, a recent widow (so Ellen lost her beloved father she's very close to) who's aware but not fully understand why her daughter Ellen 'loves too much'. Vincent Price is Russell Quinton who cannot forget he once wanted to marry Ellen, when she dumped him for Richard, but able to survive the rejection and became a barrister (a conveniently useful occupation in Ellen's mind). Darryl Hickman as Danny Harland, Richard's young brother, enthusiastically fighting for recovery of his physically disabled state, yet viewed as a hindrance to Ellen competing for Richard's attention by the minute.
That's just the general structure and character map of the high drama tale. To skip to the appreciation of Leon Chamroy's cinematography mastery, it is also out of this worldly exquisite in this Technicolor vivid movie. The thoughtful application of shadows and lighting directions-angles jump out at me - I marvel at the shadow patterns on the walls, framing of set decorations, and what the camera insightfully captured on screen that enhanced the movie's mood and pacing. At one point, to my surprise while revisiting the film, my eyes caught the shadowy shape on the wall thrown off from Ellen who's standing in front of the fireplace - the figure was likened somehow to a witch with a tall pointy hat - how very clever of Chamroy! She's a witch alright as she was pleading her innocence to the 'mishap' and sorrow that Richard experienced over Danny. Oh, she's only thinking of Richard, she shamelessly professed.
Is that half the story yet? Soaps can be long and breath-suspending. Still, plot after plot, the comfortable flowing performances by the cast can arrest your attention and emotional investment. It's a mighty pleasing to look at Hollywood movie (from the Twentieth Century Fox studio), with music score by veteran composer Alfred Newman. The lush production design (by Maurice Ransford, Lyle Wheeler) and richly detailed set design (by Ernest Lansing, Thomas K. Little) with capable editing (by James B. Clark) rendered "Leave Her To Heaven" a definitive soap classic, up in the ranks with Douglas Sirk's "Magnificent Obsession" 1954, the love-wrought dramatic pair of Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson (from Universal Pictures).
Gene Tierney's diabolical jealousy-consumed character reminds me of Robert Montgomery's devilish role, similar jealousy and love you to death storyline in director W S Van Dyke's "Rage In Heaven" 1941 (in stark B/W), where Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders are the equivalent in reverse to Cornel Wilde and Jean Crain's pairing, including the involvement of courtroom drama and murderous accusations. It's actually a taut film noir. Robert Montgomery is spectacular as the unsuspecting psychotic one, and Bergman (young at 26) and Sanders' performances match his brilliance just as fine. Stepping back, I rather like this rare gem delivered in 85 minutes with love story and suspenseful last-minute ending, too. I was lucky to catch it on TCM cable.
Also comes to mind is 'Amelie' Audrey Tautou in director Laetitia Colombani's "He loves me he loves me not" 2002 French film, in which Tautou plays a female stalker, home wrecker, sly-lying-unsuspecting troubling young woman, pretty to look at yet psychotic deep down. And British director Roger Michell gave us "Enduring Love" 2004, with Rhys Ifan being the stalker extreme to the couple played by Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton - Ifan is a 'new' friend, unwanted and unable to get rid of.