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Leave Her to Heaven

For the Van Druten play, seeLeave Her to Heaven (play).

Leave Her to Heavenis a 1945 American film directed byJohn M. Stahland starringGene Tierney,Cornel Wilde,Jeanne Crain,andVincent Price.It follows asocialitewho marries a prominent novelist, which spurs a violent, obsessive, and dangerous jealousy in her. It is based on the 1944 novel of the same name byBen Ames Williams,adapted by screenwriterJo Swerling.

Leave Her to Heaven
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn M. Stahl
Screenplay byJo Swerling
Based onLeave Her to Heaven
1944 novel
byBen Ames Williams
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLeon Shamroy
Edited byJames B. Clark
Music byAlfred Newman
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
20th Century Fox
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • December 20, 1945(1945-12-20)(Carthay Circle Theater, Los Angeles)
  • December 25, 1945(1945-12-25)(New York City)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$8.2 million (worldwide rentals)[1]

Shot inTechnicolor,filming took place in several locations in California, as well asArizonaandNew Mexico[citation needed]in the summer of 1945.Leave Her to Heavenwas released in the United States theatrically on December 20, 1945. The film was a box-office hit, grossing over $8 million, and wasTwentieth Century-Fox's highest-grossing film of the entire decade.

In the decades following its release,Leave Her to Heavengarnered acult followingand has been the subject offilm criticismfor its unique blurring of genres, featuring elements offilm noir,psychological thrillers,andmelodramas.It has also been noted for its numerous visual and narrative references to figures inGreek mythology.The film's title is drawn fromWilliam Shakespeare'sHamlet,in whichthe GhosturgesHamletnot to seek vengeance againstQueen Gertrude,but rather to "leave her to heaven, and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her."

In 2018, the film was selected for the United StatesNational Film Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[2][3]

Plot

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While traveling by train inNew Mexico,novelist Richard Harland meets Ellen Berent, a beautifulsocialitefromBoston.She is particularly drawn to him, as he reminds her of her deceased father, to whom she had an obsessive attachment. Ellen is visiting New Mexico to spread her father'sashes,accompanied by her aloof mother and her cousin Ruth, who was adopted by Mrs. Berent (Richard is surprised when Ruth tells him this, and wonders why she did not say "Mr. and Mrs. Berent" adopted her).

Richard and Ellen discover they are staying with the same friends, and begin a whirlwind romance. He is fascinated by Ellen's exotic beauty and intense personality. The couple's affair is interrupted when Ellen's estranged fiancé, attorney Russell Quinton, arrives unexpectedly. Ellen then announces that she intends to marry Richard immediately, to Richard's surprise.

Ellen and Richard marry inWarm Springs, Georgiabefore staying at his lodge on a lake in northernMaine.Their domestic life is copacetic at first, but it becomes gradually apparent that she is pathologically jealous of anyone and anything he cares about, including his family and career.

During an unexpected visit from Ellen's family, her mother attempts to warn Richard that Ellen is prone to obsessiveness and a compulsion to "love too much". Ellen's resentment only grows when Richard's beloved teenage brother, Danny,crippledby the effects ofpolio,comes to live with them. One afternoon, Ellen follows him on the lake in a rowboat as he attempts to swim from one end to the other. She knowingly encourages him to press on, even as Danny begins to struggle to stay afloat. Ellen watches from the boat as he sinks below the surface and drowns.

Gene Tierney and Jeanne Crain inLeave Her to Heaven

Danny's death is presumed an accident, and Ellen feigns sympathy. After settling at their home inBar Harbor,Richard is despondent. At Ruth's suggestion, Ellen becomes pregnant in an attempt to please Richard, but later confesses to Ruth that she does not want the child, likening it to a "little beast".

One afternoon, Ellen throws herself down a staircase to induce amiscarriage.She succeeds in terminating the pregnancy, and after recovering in the hospital, accuses Ruth of being in love with Richard, citing a dedication in his new novel that alludes to her. Ruth rebukes Ellen by accusing her of causing the misery that has befallen the family. Richard overhears the argument, and confronts Ellen for the deaths of Danny and of their unborn child. Ellen admits without remorse to having let Danny drown, and cruelly tells Richard she would do it again if given the chance. Angered, Richard leaves Ellen, but does not pursue criminal action as he does not believe there is sufficient evidence.

An enraged Ellen sends a letter to Russell—now the countydistrict attorney—in which she accuses Ruth of plotting to murder her. While on a picnic with Ruth and her mother several days later, Ellen secretly poisons herself with sugar laced witharsenic,which sends her intomultiple organ failureover several days. When Richard visits a dying Ellen on her deathbed, she requests in his confidence that she be cremated, and that he scatter her ashes where she spread her father's in New Mexico, to which he agrees.

After Ellen dies, Ruth has her remains cremated at Richard's instruction. She is subsequently charged with Ellen's murder, prosecuted by Russell. During the trial, Russell proposes that Ruth plotted to kill Ellen so she and Richard could be together, and frames Ruth's cremation of Ellen as a calculated decision to prevent anautopsy.

A recalcitrant Richard testifies regarding Ellen's psychopathic jealousy, insisting that she made her ownsuicideappear as a murder to punish him and Ruth. Ruth is ultimately acquitted, but he is sentenced to two years imprisonment as anaccessoryin Danny's death, as he withheld his knowledge of Ellen's actions. After completing his sentence, Richard returns to his lodge, where he is welcomed lovingly by Ruth.

Cast

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Analysis

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Mythical allusions

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The film features a number ofallusionsto classicalGreek mythology,largely the protagonist, Ellen Berent's exhibition of anElectra complex,displaying an obsession with her deceased father.[4]The sequence in which Ellen is shown carrying her father's ashes in an urn, held at her waist while she rides on a horse, is a visual reference to the Greek goddessHippolytaand the magical girdle bestowed upon her by her fatherAres,the god of war.[4]

ScholarS. T. Joshilikens the character of Ellen to aSiren,a mythical water creature who lured sailors to their deaths.[5]This allusion is supported by film noir scholar Imogen Sara Smith, who notes that Ellen is frequently associated with water and shown swimming, "like amermaid,cold-blooded and alien, preying on a hapless human male. "[6]

Ellen's scheming alludes toMedea,an intelligent and cunning figure in Greek mythology who murders her own children.[4]

Genre and thefemme fatale

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Leave Her to Heavenis often described as the firstfilm noirto be shot in color,[4]although film scholars and critics have characterized the film as athriller,amelodrama(Walker), a psychological melodrama (Turim), a women's film (Morris), or a romantic drama (Bourget). ScholarEmanuel Levynotes that the film embodies both "conventions of the noir and psychological melodrama," blurring the distinction and resulting in a unique, one-of-a-kind work.[7]

Joshi identifies Ellen Berent as one of the prime examples of thefemme fatalein film history.[5]Film andfeministtheorist and writerMary Ann Doanenotes that Ellen's "excessive desire" for Richard is signaled by her "intense and sustained stare" at him in the beginning of the film.[8]Over the course of the film, Ellen reveals her possessiveness in increasingly violent and destructive ways, rendering her, in Doane's words, "the epitome of evil."[9]Smith notes that Ellen is an atypical example of thefemme fataleas, unlike with many of her contemporaries, her impulses to kill and wreak destruction are driven purely by a pathological yearning for love, whereas the prototypicalfemme fataleis often motivated by financial or other social reasons.[10]Critics who argue that the film is not a film noir note that Ellen does not seduce Richard into acting against his interests or breaking the law (in short, that she is not a femme fatale) (Walker).

Production

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Development

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Theatrical advertisement from 1945

In May 1944,Twentieth Century FoxexecutiveDarryl F. Zanuckpurchased the rights toBen Ames Williamsthen-unpublished novel,Leave Her to Heaven,planning a screen adaptation.[11]The studio spent an exorbitant $100,000[4]to acquire the rights to Ames' novel, which was published the following month in June 1944.[4]The title of the film and its source novel is derived fromWilliam Shakespeare'sHamlet:In Act I, Scene V, the Ghost urges Hamlet not to seek vengeance against Queen Gertrude, but rather to "leave her to heaven, and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her."[4]

In November 1944, theProduction Code Administration(PCA) approvedJo Swerling's screenplay adaptation of the novel, though they strongly encouraged the studio to minimize the depiction of Ellen inducing her own miscarriage.[11]In their response, the PCA noted: "It will be absolutely essential to remove any flavor... that Ellen plans to murder the unborn child merely because she is misshapen. It should be definitely established that her reason for murdering the child is that she thinks that the newborn will replace her in her husband's affections. This is important in order to avoid any of the flavor that is normally connected with what could be termed 'abortion'. "[11]

A subsequent draft submitted to the PCA in February 1945 was disapproved as it overtly implied that Richard and Ellen had engaged in an illicit sexual affair before their marriage.[11]After the affair was minimized in a subsequent draft, the screenplay was approved for shooting.[11]

Casting

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Producer Zanuck offered the leading role of Ellen Berent to Gene Tierney, based on her performance in Twentieth Century Fox's film noirLaura(1944).[12] Faye Marlowewas originally cast in the role of Ruth, but ultimately replaced by Jeanne Crain.[11]Thomas Mitchellwas cast as Glen Robie, though he too was replaced, by Ray Collins.[11]

Filming

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Principal photographyofLeave Her to Heaventook place between May and August 1945.[11]The production initially planned to shoot the lake and surrounding outdoor sequences in thePacific Northweststates ofWashingtonandOregon,though the planned locations in the region were ultimately not utilized.[11]Instead, these scenes were filmed inNorthern CaliforniaatBass Lakein theSierra Nevada.[11]Additional photography took place inMonterey.[11]

The desert sequences that take place in New Mexico were filmed in several locations inArizona,includingSedona,Flagstaff,and theGranite Dellsnorth ofPrescott.[11]The sequences set in Warm Springs, Georgia were filmed atBusch GardensinPasadena,though long shots and process plates were shot on location at the actual Warm Springs Foundation.[11]

Release

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Wilde and Tierney in a scene from the film

Box office

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Leave Her to Heavenpremiered in the United States on December 20, 1945[13]at theCarthay Circle Theaterin Los Angeles.[14]It subsequently had itsNew York Citypremiere onChristmas Day1945.[11]It wasthe second highest-grossing film of 1945,second only toThe Bells of St. Mary's,[7]earning $5,505,000 in domestic rentals.[15]Internationally, the film earned $2.7 million in rentals, making for a worldwide rental gross of $8.2 million.[1]

Critical response

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The staff atVarietygave the film a positive review, writing "SumptuousTechnicolormounting and a highly exploitable story lend considerable importance toLeave Her to Heaventhat it might not have had otherwise...Tierney and Wilde use their personalities in interpreting their dramatic assignments. Crain's role of Tierney's foster-sister is more subdued but excellently done. Vincent Price, as the discarded lover, gives a theatrical reading to the courtroom scenes as the district attorney. "[16]

The New York Times'sBosley Crowtherwas less enthusiastic about the film, writing: "Christmas Day was an inauspicious moment to bring in a moody, morbid film which is all about a selfish, jealous and deceitful dame... The fact is, however, that this picture would be little more congenial at any time, for it is plainly a piece of cheap fiction done up in Technicolor and expensive sets."[17]

The film was cited by directorMartin Scorseseas one of his favorite films and assessed "Gene Tierney is one of the most underrated actresses of the Golden Era."[18]

Rotten Tomatoesreported that 85% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 65 reviews. The consensus summarizes: "Leave Her to Heavensuffers from a surfeit of unlikable characters, but the solid cast – led by an outstanding Gene Tierney – makes it hard to turn away. "[19]

In the decades after its release, the film garnered acult following.[7]Critic Emanuel Levy attributes its cult status to its blurring of genres, ultimately resulting in a "one of a kind work."[7]In 2018, it was selected for the United StatesNational Film Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[2]

Leave Her to Heavenwas restored by theAcademy Film Archive,in conjunction with Twentieth Century Fox, in 2006.[20]

Accolades

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Institution Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards Best Actress Gene Tierney Nominated [21]
Best Art Direction (Color) Art Direction:Lyle R. WheelerandMaurice Ransford;Interior Decoration:Thomas Little Nominated
Best Cinematography (Color) Leon Shamroy Won
Best Sound Recording Thomas T. Moulton Nominated
Venice Film Festival Grand International Award John M. Stahl Nominated

Home media

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In 2013, the independent home media distributorTwilight Timereleased a limited edition Blu-ray release of the film.[22]A new DVD and Blu-ray release was issued on March 24, 2020, byThe Criterion Collection.[23]

Adaptation

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Portions of the film are seen in theM*A*S*Hseason three episode "House Arrest",particularly the scene in which Tierney and Wilde share a passionate kiss, which causesHawkeyeto quip, "If he straightens out that overbite, I'll kill him." The episode originally aired February 4, 1975. AuthorChitra Banerjee Divakarunimentions this film in her novelIndependence(2022).

See also

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References

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  1. ^abSolomon 2002,p. 65.
  2. ^ab"National Film Registry Turns 30".Library of Congress.RetrievedMay 2,2020.
  3. ^"Complete National Film Registry Listing".Library of Congress.Retrieved2020-11-23.
  4. ^abcdefg"Leave Her to Heaven".Filmsite.org.AMC Networks.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2020.RetrievedMay 2,2020.
  5. ^abJoshi 2007,p. 526.
  6. ^Smith 2014,p. 79.
  7. ^abcdLevy, Emanuel(June 2, 2011)."Leave Her to Heaven: Cult Movie–Noir in Red Color".Emanuel Levy: Cinema 24/7.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2020.RetrievedMay 2,2020.
  8. ^Doane 2013,p. 27.
  9. ^Doane 2013,pp. 27–28.
  10. ^Smith, Imogen Sara (2020).Imogen Sara Smith on John M. Stahl's Leave Her to Heaven(Blu-ray documentary short).The Criterion Collection.
  11. ^abcdefghijklmn"Leave Her to Heaven".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.Los Angeles, California:American Film Institute.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2020.
  12. ^Vogel 2010,p. 97.
  13. ^Vogel 2010,p. 100.
  14. ^"Thousands Gather For 'Leave Her to Heaven'".Austin American-Statesman.December 20, 1945. p. 10 – via Newspapers.
  15. ^Sackett, Susan (1996).The Hollywood reporter book of box office hits.New York: Billboard Books.ISBN978-0823083244– via Internet Archive.
  16. ^VarietyStaff (December 19, 1945)."Leave Her to Heaven".Variety.Archived fromthe originalon July 24, 2009.
  17. ^Crothwer, Bosley(December 26, 1945)."Six New Films Arrive on the Holiday in 'Midtown Houses – Gene Tierney Appears in 'Leave Her to Heaven' at Roxy 'Cornered,' With Dick Powell, at Palace – 'Seventh Veil,' a British Picture, Makes Its Debut at Winter Garden At the Winter Garden At the Palace At the Ambassador At Loew's Criterion At the World".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2020.RetrievedMay 2,2020.
  18. ^Martin Scorsese discussesLeave Her to HeavenonYouTubeat 45thNew York Film Festival
  19. ^"Leave Her to Heaven".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedJanuary 11,2022.
  20. ^"Preserved Projects".Academy Film Archive.
  21. ^"The 18th Academy Awards (1946) Nominees and Winners".Oscars.org.Archivedfrom the original on April 30, 2020.
  22. ^Henderson, Eric (May 28, 2013)."Review: John M. Stahl's Leave Her to Heaven on Twilight Time Blu-ray".Slant Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2020.RetrievedMay 2,2020.
  23. ^"Leave Her to Heaven".The Criterion Collection.Archivedfrom the original on May 2, 2020.RetrievedMay 2,2020.
  24. ^Cohen, Anne (February 19, 2019).""Jawbreaker" 's Courtney Shayne is a Murderer & Sociopath — So, Why do We Still Love Her? ".Refinery29.

Sources

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  • Walker, Michael (2018). "Leave Her To Heaven". In Babbington, Bruce; Barr, Charles (eds.).The Call of the Heart: John M. Stahl and Hollywood Melodrama.Indiana University Press. pp.230–242.ISBN978-0861967360.
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