Leave Her to Heaven

She was a monster!

Beautiful Ellen Berent unashamedly jilts her fiancé, Russell Quinton, for writer Richard Harland. Her attraction to Harland being that he reminds her of her deceased father. But soon it becomes evident that Ellen is very possessive and literally will do what it takes to keep all away from her newly obtained beau.

Director John M. Stahl and writer Jo Swerling adapt from the novel written by Ben Ames Williams. Filmed in luscious Technicolor by Leon Shamroy (Oscar winning), Leave Her To Heaven proves two indisputable things. One is that to craft a searing film noir it doesn't have to be filmed in monochrome, the other is that it's proof positive that Gene Tierney (Ellen) was more than just a gorgeously effective face....

Yikes, talk about an internecine plot! This is certainly a story that requires concentration as the machinations of "Ellen" (Gene Tierney) take their toll on just about everyone around her. She meets the young writer "Richard" (Cornel Wilde) on a train when he encounters this enigmatic young woman who happens to be reading his latest novel. A whirlwind romance ensues that sees her dump her fianceé, marry "Richard" and return to his cottage along with his crippled brother "Danny" (Darryl Hickman). The green eyed monster soon rears it's ugly head - "Ellen" isn't the sharing type, and when "Danny" is inexplicably drowned they move home, she has a miscarriage and then they split up. Still determined, "Ellen" plots a dastardly scheme to ensure t...

Leave Her to Heaven is, without a doubt, the least exciting and fun noir I've watched this Noirvember so far. In a genre that typically brims with tension and intrigue, this film feels practically void of pulse almost like it's trying to lull you to sleep instead of keeping you on edge. Not sure what's more disappointing: the absence of thrills or the flat, listless atmosphere!