10 Best Gene Tierney Movies Ranked

May 3, 2024, 1 p.m.

Movies

10 Best Gene Tierney Movies Ranked

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Summary Gene Tierney, though not an A-list name, had a filmography that rivals Hollywood stars of her time.

Tierney excels in film noir roles such as in "Night and the City" and "Whirlpool," showcasing her talents.

Tierney's performances in classics like "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and "Leave Her to Heaven" prove her underrated brilliance.

Gene Tierney was one of Hollywood's great leading ladies of the 1940s and 1950s and, though she may not have a name as well recognized as contemporaries like Katharine Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman, Tierney has a filmography that stands up against that of any vaunted actress. Tierney operates in an interesting zone where she is not quite a lesser-known Golden Age Hollywood actor, but she also is not one of the primary celebrities many think of from the era. But despite not being an A-list household name, Tierney is an accomplished actress in her own right.

Tierney began her acting career on Broadway in 1938, and she then appeared on-screen for the first time in the 1940 Western The Return of Frank James. From there, she went on to appear in over 30 movies throughout her career before passing away in 1991. Over her many performances, Tierney showcased her well-rounded talents as an actor, though her most notable roles were always in noir films. Butt as serious as the pictures she appeared in often were, there was always a sense of mischief and boldness emanating from Tierney's performances, making every role deeper than it initially appeared.

Related 15 Great Classic Actors Whose Movies We Never Get Tired Of Watching Hollywood's Golden Age may have finished long ago, but many classic movie actors from that period are still highly watchable even today.

10 The Mating Season (1951)

Gene Tierney Plays Maggie Carleton McNulty

The Mating Season is a comedy of errors romance between newlyweds Maggie Carleton McNulty (Gene Tierney) and Val (John Lund). Val's mother Ellen (Thelma Ritter) comes to their home after a financial crisis and poses as the couple's new maid, with Val as an accomplice and Maggie as the unsuspecting party. When Maggie finally realizes the deception, she separates from Val, and it's a dramatic countdown to see if they get back together by the end of the film.

The movie belongs to Ritter, who gets the best lines and is the true focus of the film despite the McNulty relationship being a key plot point. However, Tierney is excellent in her supporting role. She plays an upper-class woman, as she often does, but this time around, there's a sense that Tierney's character is not all too comfortable with her wealthy peers, and the actor portrays that anxiety palpably.

The Mating Season is not currently available for streaming.

9 Night And The City (1950)

Gene Tierney Plays Mary Bristol

Gene Tierney co-stars in Night and the City, a film noir about a down-on-his-luck hustler named Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark). Despite his efforts to earn a living, Harry simply can't seem to catch a break. Along for the ride is Mary Bristol (Tierney), Harry's kind-hearted and honest girlfriend who sticks with him no matter how many times he disappoints her. Even after Harry steals Mary's money and is killed when his debts catch up to him, she cries over what could have been.

It's a desperate and heartbreaking performance from Tierney. She expertly portrays someone who knows they should leave a relationship but can't bring themselves to do so. She's depicted in gorgeous black and white photography that makes excellent use of light and shadows thanks to the visiion of director Jules Dassin and the craftsmanship of cinematographer Max Greene.

Watch On The Criterion Channel

8 Whirlpool (1950)

Gene Tierney Plays Ann Sutton

Ann Sutton (Gene Tierney) is a kleptomaniac and the wife of the successful psychoanalyst William (Richard Conte) in the noir Whirlpool. After getting caught stealing, a hypnotist named David Korso (José Ferrer) covers for her, not accepting any amount of money in gratitude, only asking to accompany Ann to a party. There, David puts Ann under a trance and when she comes to, she finds she's been framed for a violent murder.

The plot is as implausible now as it was then, but just because the story is unbelievable doesn't mean it's not a thrilling mystery with a new twist every couple of scenes. Whirlpool is a thrill ride of a movie. Ann suffers from insomnia, adding to the delirium she feels after she comes out of her trance. Tierney plays this confusion and fear perfectly, never overselling her horror at what she's been accused of. She is in a trance for most of the film, but it's one viewers can relate to if they've ever experienced something unbelievable.

Whirlpool is not currently available for streaming.

7 The Shanghai Gesture (1941)

Gene Tierney Plays Poppy (Victoria Charteris)

In the early part of her career, Gene Tierney was typecast as the enticing, sexually desirable femme fatale whom the male lead would try to woo or avoid. The Shanghai Gesture is the best of those early films. Here she plays Poppy, whose entrance into the film and into the life of Gigolo "Doctor" Omar (Victor Mature) is admittedly breathtaking. This time around, Tierney plays this classic femme fatale trope in an almost over-the-top fashion, as if to mock her own persona.

The noir set in Shanghai has not aged perfectly with its depictions of Asian culture and people, but it's a decadent and showy film that's enticing from the opening credits. Tierney plays Poppy as a spoiled, sexually starved young woman, and it's her energetic and unrestrained performance that makes The Shanghai Gesture a vibrant and unnerving affair.

The Shanghai Gesture is not currently available for streaming.

6 The Razor's Edge (1946)

Gene Tierney Plays Isabel Bradley

The Razor's Edge earned four Academy Award nominations with Anne Baxter winning Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal. In The Razor's Edge, a WWI pilot, Larry Darrell (Tyrone Power), returns from the war suffering from PTSD. He's betrothed to Isabel Bradley (Gene Tierney) but the trauma he has suffered after watching a friend die forces him to postpone the wedding while he takes a sabbatical in France.

The star-crossed lovers, broken apart by the war, never find their way back to one another, but The Razor's Edge shows that they have both come to accept the other's path. Tierney expertly balances the spoiled rich girl aspect of her character with the tender, mature side who truly loves Larry. By the end of the film, Isabel's growth and resoluteness show that her frustrations about Larry's wealth and future were all seeded by her parents, and she does not need to cultivate those feelings.

The Razor's Edge is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video.

5 Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950)

Gene Tierney Plays Morgan Taylor

Where the Sidewalk Ends is an excellent example of film noir and a fine place to start for those new to the genre. Mark Dixon (Dana Andrews) is a cynical detective who violently apprehends criminals to the point that even the police force demotes him. His hatred stems from the fact his father was a criminal, and it's almost too perfect a noir setup. Gene Tierney plays Morgan Taylor, a murder suspect whom Mark begins to fall in love with, complicating the case and his deep suspicion of anyone even accused of a crime.

Tierney is as good as ever in this noir that was particularly brutal for the era. It's the second time director Otto Preminger used Andrews and Tierney as the leads of a film, after Laura, and though this movie doesn't quite reach the heights of its predecessor, it offers a grittier take on a familiar concept. Tierney is much more animated in Where the Sidewalk Ends compared to some of her more quiet roles and this energetic new style is surprising but imbues the film with a novel energy.

Watch On The Criterion Channel

4 The Ghost And Mrs. Muir (1947)

Gene Tierney Plays Lucy Muir

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz Release Date June 18, 1947 Cast Gene Tierney , Rex Harrison , George Sanders , Edna Best , Vanessa Brown , Anna Lee , Robert Coote , Natalie Wood Runtime 104 Minutes

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a fantastical, supernatural romance that follows the titular Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney). In Britain, the recently divorced Mrs. Muir moves to a seaside home in Whitecliff and rents a house there despite being warned the former owner died. While living there, Mrs. Muir discovers the former owner, Captain Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), is still haunting the premises. Mrs. Muir is undeterred and refuses to back down in the face of the ghost, and slowly the two fall in love.

It's a thought-provoking and moving movie and Tierney expresses an incredible amount of passion in a role that does not allow her to come in contact with her partner until the final scene. Her performance is strong and resilient, as the sadness behind her eyes at the beginning of the movie falls away as her relationship with Captain Daniel cracks at the shell she developed after her previous husband's death.

3 Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Gene Tierney Plays Martha

The supernatural comedy Heaven Can Wait starts on an unusual note, with Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) entering a waiting room for Hell after he dies. Instead of fighting for his right to go to Heaven, Henry instead insists on explaining to the Devil why he should be allowed in Hell. The story of Henry's sad and bitterly comic life is then told. One of the central details of his life includes his marriage to Martha (Gene Tierney) and his successful efforts to remain faithful to her even when it seems the universe is trying to force his hand.

Heaven Can Wait earned three Academy Award nominations, though none for Tierney despite her incredible performance as the wryly funny Martha. Tierney does not always get to flex her comedy chop in her roles, but Martha shows just how much range the actor has. It's a gorgeous film, with incredibly designed set pieces and beautiful colors that make the fantastic story feel like a fairy tale.

Watch On The Criterion Channel

2 Laura (1944)

Gene Tierney Plays Laura

Laura Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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Laura stars Gene Tierney as the title character, a woman who at the beginning of the film is assumed to be murdered. Detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the case and Laura is shown in flashback as those who knew her recall her to the detective. Halfway through the movie, a massive twist brings Laura back into the film, and what had been a leisurely whodunnit suddenly turns into something more fiendish and thrilling.

Tierney's portrayal is a strange but fascinating femme fatale type in this murder mystery movie. There is a significant amount of buildup to Laura's return to the film, and it takes a highly skilled actor to pull off the reveal. Tierney may be one of the few who can do this part and not disappoint when she appears on-screen. Laura is style over a plot that makes logical sense, but that does not take away from the film; it enhances it. With five Oscar nominations, Laura is often ranked among the best film noirs of all time.

1 Leave Her To Heaven (1945)

Gene Tierney Plays Ellen Berent Harland

Leave Her to Heaven (1945) Director John M. Stahl Release Date December 20, 1945 Cast Gene Tierney , Cornel Wilde , Jeanne Crain , Vincent Price , Mary Philips , Ray Collins , Gene Lockhart , Reed Hadley Runtime 110 Minutes

Tierney stars in Leave Her to Heaven as Ellen Berent Harland and, for her performance, Tierney received the only Academy Award nomination of her career, adding to the film's total of four. In the movie, Ellen marries novelist Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) after a whirlwind romance. However, Richard soon realizes that his new wife jealously lashes out at anyone and anything that Richard could care about more than her, including his writing. It's a claustrophobic, anxious, and dire film with Tierney at her most volatile.

The lengths Ellen is willing to go to keep control of her husband are frightening and Tierney's measured stare and cold delivery work for the remorseless character. Martin Scorsese has described this role as one of the reasons he believes "Gene Tierney is one of the most underrated actresses of the Golden Era" (via YouTube). Ellen is a textbook example of a femme fatale, and Tierney's portrayal would inspire many leading women going forward, even if they were not aware of how much they owed to the talented Gene Tierney.