Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
88%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Leave Her to Heaven is a cinematic masterpiece that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Gene Tierney’s portrayal of the sordid and virulent Ellen is nothing short of captivating, and her supporting cast is equally impressive. Director Stahl has done an exceptional job bringing Ben Ames Williams’ novel to life, and the result is a tense and terrifying story that will keep you hooked until the very end. While the film may be overlong and melodramatic at times, it is nevertheless a plausible version of the book that will satisfy both fans of the novel and those looking for good screen entertainment. Overall, Leave Her to Heaven is a bright, beautiful, and shiny apple of a picture that is sure to impress even the most discerning of critics.
Leave Her to Heaven” is a movie that will leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering what crazy thing the main character will do next. Gene Tierney’s portrayal of Ellen is both captivating and terrifying, making you simultaneously root for her and fear her. The supporting cast is equally impressive, bringing the story to life in a way that will keep you hooked until the very end. While the plot may be a bit over-the-top and melodramatic at times, it’s all part of the fun in this classic film. So grab some popcorn and settle in for a wild ride with “Leave Her to Heaven”!
Production Company(ies)
Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Les Films, Marceau
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Sedona, Arizona, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 51m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 1945 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 22, 2005
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price, Mary Philips, Ray Collins, directed by John M Stahl, written by Jo Swerling, produced by William A Bacher, Crime, Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Eleanor Wilson, Wanda Hale, Edwin Schallert, Mae Tinee, Len G Shaw, Jack Balch, Virginia Wright, Marcy Townsley, Virginia Wilson, Herbert Cohn, Frank Morriss, Jay Carmody, MPAA rating, obsession, jealousy, marriage, train, writer, fiancé, relationship, psychotically, unstable, solid cast, unlikable characters, intense, melodramatic, technicolor, film noir, femme fatale, post-war, masterpiece, Hollywood, angelic presence, treacherous, venomous, top horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Cornel Wilde – Richard Harland
Jeanne Crain – Ruth Berent
Vincent Price – Russell Quinton
Mary Philips – Mrs. Berent
Ray Collins – Glen Robie
Director(s)
John M. Stahl
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
William A. Bacher
Film Festivals
Berlin
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (10)
Leave Her to Heaven is a well-done picture and rates as good screen entertainment.
September 29, 2021
Eleanor Wilson
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Director Stahl has certainly made the most out of the book and done well directing the young players.
September 29, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Wanda Hale
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Miss Tierney enacts this sordid virulent role in a manner that will prove strangely arresting for those who look on. It is even the kind of interpretation that may win the Academy award.
September 29, 2021
Edwin Schallert
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The movie version of Ben Ames Williams’ novel follows the book closely and should satisfy the thousands who read it avidly.
September 29, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
[Ellen] is a fascinating figure, even with all her repellant attributes, as played by Gene Tierney, who bites deep into the role, and turns in the most deeply emotional characterization with which she has been identified to date.
September 29, 2021
Len G. Shaw
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
The above is, as von can see, not the outline of a pretty story. Producer Zanuck is not one, however, to be deterred by the lack of a pretty story. He has swaddled much of the un-prettiness in one of the prettiest of productions in recent years.
September 29, 2021
Jack Balch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Overlong In the telling and continuously melodramatic, Leave Her to Heaven is nevertheless a plausible version of the book.
September 29, 2021
Virginia Wright
Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)
It’s a bright, beautiful, shiny apple of a picture, all pith inside.
September 29, 2021
Marcy Townsley
Austin American-Statesman
The result is a tense and terrifying story.
September 29, 2021
Virginia Wilson
Modern Screen
Miss Tierney has the dramatic plum in Leave Her to Heaven and plays it earnestly. Her supporting cast, though, including [Cornel Wild, Jeanne Crain, Darryl Hickman, and Vincent Price], are equally artful.
September 29, 2021
Herbert Cohn
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
There is enough melodrama, and plot complications in the film to hold your interest.
September 29, 2021
Frank Morriss
Winnipeg Free Press
There is no question that [Tierney] is in there trying every second to find the writhing emotional essence of the character. The quality is so elusive, or repugnant, however, that the effort is vain.
September 29, 2021
Jay Carmody
Washington Star…
Plot
Novelist Richard Harland and socialite Ellen Berent meet on a train and are attracted to each other. They fall in love and decide to get married. They love each other, in spite of their differences. Ellen’s love for Richard is obsessive – possessive, and wants Richard all to herself. Richard learns to what extent Ellen will go to get what she wants,
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
John-M.-Stahl.jpg
