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Self-Portrait
Recreating the glamour of Hollywood in the 1940s, the actress tells of the roles she played, the rich and famous men who have pursued her, the failure of her first marriage, and her struggle against mental illness
227 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
18 people are currently reading
1524 people want to read
About the author
Gene Tierney
7 books16 followersGene Tierney was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 19, 1920, to well-to-do parents. Her father was a very successful insurance broker and her mother was a former teacher.
By 1938 she was performing on Broadway in "What a Life!" and understudied for "The Primerose Path" (1938) at the same time. Her wealthy father set up a corporation that was only to promote her theatrical pursuits.
After being spotted by the legendary Darryl F. Zanuck during a stage performance of the hit show "The Male Animal" (1940), Gene was signed to a contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first role as Barbara Hall in "Hudson's Bay" (1941) would be the send-off vehicle for her career. Later that year she appeared in" The Return of Frank James" (1940). The next year would prove to be a very busy one for Gene, as she appeared in "The Shanghai Gesture" (1941), "Sundown" (1941), "Tobacco Road" (1941) and "Belle Starr" (1941). She tried her hand at screwball comedy in "Rings on Her Fingers" (1942), which was a great success.
In 1945 she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Ellen Brent in "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945).
In 1944 she played what is probably her best-known role (and, most critics agree, her most outstanding performance) in Otto Preminger's "Laura" (1944), in which she played murder victim named Laura Hunt. In 1947 Gene played Lucy Muir in the acclaimed "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947). By this time Gene was the hottest player around, and the 1950s saw no letup as she appeared in a number of good films, among them "Night and the City" (1950), "The Mating Season" (1951), "Close to My Heart" (1951), "Plymouth Adventure" (1952), "Personal Affair" (1953) and "The Left Hand of God" (1955). The latter was to be her last performance for seven years. The pressures of a failed marriage to Oleg Cassini, the birth of a daughter who was mentally retarded in 1943, and several unhappy love affairs resulted in Gene being hospitalized for depression.
When she returned to the the screen in Advise Consent (1962), her acting was as good as ever but there was no longer a big demand for her services. Her last feature film was "The Pleasure Seekers" (1964), and her final appearance in the film industry was in a TV miniseries, "Scruples" (1980).
Gene died of emphysema in Houston, Texas, on November 6, 1991, just two weeks shy of her 71st birthday.
By 1938 she was performing on Broadway in "What a Life!" and understudied for "The Primerose Path" (1938) at the same time. Her wealthy father set up a corporation that was only to promote her theatrical pursuits.
After being spotted by the legendary Darryl F. Zanuck during a stage performance of the hit show "The Male Animal" (1940), Gene was signed to a contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first role as Barbara Hall in "Hudson's Bay" (1941) would be the send-off vehicle for her career. Later that year she appeared in" The Return of Frank James" (1940). The next year would prove to be a very busy one for Gene, as she appeared in "The Shanghai Gesture" (1941), "Sundown" (1941), "Tobacco Road" (1941) and "Belle Starr" (1941). She tried her hand at screwball comedy in "Rings on Her Fingers" (1942), which was a great success.
In 1945 she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Ellen Brent in "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945).
In 1944 she played what is probably her best-known role (and, most critics agree, her most outstanding performance) in Otto Preminger's "Laura" (1944), in which she played murder victim named Laura Hunt. In 1947 Gene played Lucy Muir in the acclaimed "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947). By this time Gene was the hottest player around, and the 1950s saw no letup as she appeared in a number of good films, among them "Night and the City" (1950), "The Mating Season" (1951), "Close to My Heart" (1951), "Plymouth Adventure" (1952), "Personal Affair" (1953) and "The Left Hand of God" (1955). The latter was to be her last performance for seven years. The pressures of a failed marriage to Oleg Cassini, the birth of a daughter who was mentally retarded in 1943, and several unhappy love affairs resulted in Gene being hospitalized for depression.
When she returned to the the screen in Advise Consent (1962), her acting was as good as ever but there was no longer a big demand for her services. Her last feature film was "The Pleasure Seekers" (1964), and her final appearance in the film industry was in a TV miniseries, "Scruples" (1980).
Gene died of emphysema in Houston, Texas, on November 6, 1991, just two weeks shy of her 71st birthday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
August 23, 2011
It's a shame that this book is out of print, as it is a very brave autobiography by a remarkable woman. Gene Tierney, one of the most stunning-looking actresses to come out of the Hollywood studio system, had a bright and privileged start in life, and made many high-quality--and a handful of true classic--motion pictures, but her middle life was beset by tragedy, divorce and mental illness. She holds little back in this book, and includes details of her 30-some-odd electroshock treatments, her daughter's mental retardation, her many affairs (with some surprisingly well-known names, including Howard Hughes and John Kennedy), and her hard-found happiness in her later years. Tierney writes simply but effectively, and the net effect is a picture of a courageous woman fighting against the odds and winning. Highly recommended for all fans of the actress and old-timey movies in general.
January 12, 2025
Gene Tierney is my favorite actress of all time. Her beauty, her charm, her talent... I'm deeply in love with her. Named "The Most Beautiful Woman of the 1940's" and I couldn't agree more.
So, I wanted to learn about her life by her own words. I am hurt and so sad for her. I read this on a 16 hour car trip and even though I finished it in the first 2 hours, I thought about it for the remaining 14.
We learn about her growing "illness" throughout her career, stomach pain, stress, discomfort, all for them to be swallowed by her because everyone is counting on her. For years she bites her own teeth till the 1950's where her body and brain cannot take it anymore.
We learn that her first daughter was born sick, that her father is an awful man, her husband cheats on her after her family and the industry disowns her for marrying him who is a foreigner.
Her years in several mental hospitals where she is tortured with shock therapies and mistreatments.... it was so sad to read.
I've watched all of her movies and I could never tell that she was suffering, I would have never guessed that she was going through absolute hell, but in the end, she remains the person that I most relate to.
So, I wanted to learn about her life by her own words. I am hurt and so sad for her. I read this on a 16 hour car trip and even though I finished it in the first 2 hours, I thought about it for the remaining 14.
It is a terrible thing to feel no fear, no alarm, when you are standing an a window ledge fourteen stories above the street. I felt tired, lost, and numb - but unafraid.
We learn about her growing "illness" throughout her career, stomach pain, stress, discomfort, all for them to be swallowed by her because everyone is counting on her. For years she bites her own teeth till the 1950's where her body and brain cannot take it anymore.
The fact that I could no longer make decisions was why I had gone to the ledge in the first place. What to wear, when to get out of bed, which can of soup to buy, how to go an living, the most automatic task confused and depressed me.
We learn that her first daughter was born sick, that her father is an awful man, her husband cheats on her after her family and the industry disowns her for marrying him who is a foreigner.
Her years in several mental hospitals where she is tortured with shock therapies and mistreatments.... it was so sad to read.
If I was going to die, I wanted to be in one piece, a whole person, and look pretty in my coffin.
Vanity saved me.
When my mood was high, I seemed normal, even buoyant. I felt smarter. I had secrets. I saw things no one else could see. I could see evil in a toothbrush. I could see God in a light bulb.
I've watched all of her movies and I could never tell that she was suffering, I would have never guessed that she was going through absolute hell, but in the end, she remains the person that I most relate to.
Of course, the thoughts of a young girl are made of spun sugar.
April 29, 2009
I love how sometimes, a really well-written and interesting autobiography can make you like an actress even more, and want to watch more of her films. This is one of the best autobiographies I've read: very honest, humble and unapologetic.
August 16, 2017
I read Ms. Tierney's story years ago after watching her old movies, Laura and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. With a slight overbite, I envied her looks. I never thought she was a fantastic actress but she radiated a haunting quality.
Sadly, her life was not a bed of roses. Her first marriage was to Oleg Cassini, the fashion designer. Her parents were against the union so they eloped. Together, they had two daughters; it was the first time I heard about the effect of German measles in pregnant women. Even after their divorce they remained friends until her death.
Among others, she had romances with John F. Kennedy, Kirk Douglas and Prince Aly Khan before marrying the oilman, W. Howard Lee. This was after his turbulent divorce from the actress Hedy Lamarr.
Ms.Tierney suffered from mental illness and in between her two marriages she was institutionalized. I might be wrong but I believe it was her choice and during this time period -the 1950s- she went through 'shock treatment'.
She eventually succumbed to emphysema after a life as a long-time smoker.
Sadly, her life was not a bed of roses. Her first marriage was to Oleg Cassini, the fashion designer. Her parents were against the union so they eloped. Together, they had two daughters; it was the first time I heard about the effect of German measles in pregnant women. Even after their divorce they remained friends until her death.
Among others, she had romances with John F. Kennedy, Kirk Douglas and Prince Aly Khan before marrying the oilman, W. Howard Lee. This was after his turbulent divorce from the actress Hedy Lamarr.
Ms.Tierney suffered from mental illness and in between her two marriages she was institutionalized. I might be wrong but I believe it was her choice and during this time period -the 1950s- she went through 'shock treatment'.
She eventually succumbed to emphysema after a life as a long-time smoker.
April 5, 2013
What a profoundly touching memoir. Gene Tierney is painfully honest about her life and the sadnesses within it, and she and her co-writer put together a story that is not only informative, but beautifully written.
Gene Tierney seemed to be doing well, for the most part, and then it all came crashing down. A selfish fan broke quarantine in order to see her at the Hollywood Canteen, exposing her to german measles, which she caught while she was newly pregnant with her first daughter, Daria. Daria was born mentally disabled and had to be placed in an institution very early in her life (she died relatively recently, in 2010). A second daughter, Tina, was born but her marriage to Oleg Cassini was, for all intents and purposes, over.
Then came the mental health problems. Tierney writes unflinchingly here of her illness and her treatment. She went on buying sprees during her "highs" and couldn't get out of bed for days at a time during her lows. She ended up on a window ledge before going to the Menninger Clinic, where she finally got useful treatment that offered her some peace and health, though she had rough patches for the rest of her life.
I'm thrilled to say that Gene Tierney had a good, though not perfect, happy ending. Her bipolar disorder stayed with her (it's not something you "get over," as those who struggle with it already know), but she had the support of people who loved her, including her first husband, who remained a close friend, her younger daughter, and her second husband, who was a good, loving, rock of a man who knew what he was getting into and was happy to take it on. That she was open enough to share her story with others who might be able to find clues as to how to navigate their own lives by reading it is a gift to be treasured.
Gene Tierney seemed to be doing well, for the most part, and then it all came crashing down. A selfish fan broke quarantine in order to see her at the Hollywood Canteen, exposing her to german measles, which she caught while she was newly pregnant with her first daughter, Daria. Daria was born mentally disabled and had to be placed in an institution very early in her life (she died relatively recently, in 2010). A second daughter, Tina, was born but her marriage to Oleg Cassini was, for all intents and purposes, over.
Then came the mental health problems. Tierney writes unflinchingly here of her illness and her treatment. She went on buying sprees during her "highs" and couldn't get out of bed for days at a time during her lows. She ended up on a window ledge before going to the Menninger Clinic, where she finally got useful treatment that offered her some peace and health, though she had rough patches for the rest of her life.
I'm thrilled to say that Gene Tierney had a good, though not perfect, happy ending. Her bipolar disorder stayed with her (it's not something you "get over," as those who struggle with it already know), but she had the support of people who loved her, including her first husband, who remained a close friend, her younger daughter, and her second husband, who was a good, loving, rock of a man who knew what he was getting into and was happy to take it on. That she was open enough to share her story with others who might be able to find clues as to how to navigate their own lives by reading it is a gift to be treasured.
May 11, 2011
A deeply personal, intimate, candid, glimpse of one of Hollywood's most beautiful women during its Golden Age. To limit the review of this autobiography to the above sentence, however, is a disservice. It is a story of fame, but it's also a very human story, a raw, painfully honest look at mental illness: the downward spiral into its darkness, the struggle to endure its consequences & then, finally, to overcome it.
It's been a few years since I've read this book, but, there are still parts of it that stay with me: her ex-husband, Oleg Cassini, referring to her as the "unluckiest luckiest girl in the world"; her own admission that acting & 'becoming someone else' was easy--but 'being herself' was extremely uncomfortable & nearly impossible. I even recall examining the photos of her both inside the book and on the jacket & seeing an older Gene with eyes that still seemed touched with pain & sadness. The photos of younger Gene offer no hint of what's going on inside; but the photo of an older Gene seems to bear witness to her internal struggle. It's Gene's vulnerability, yet also her courage & strength that stand out for me.
A great read. Very glad I stumbled on to this autobiography.
It's been a few years since I've read this book, but, there are still parts of it that stay with me: her ex-husband, Oleg Cassini, referring to her as the "unluckiest luckiest girl in the world"; her own admission that acting & 'becoming someone else' was easy--but 'being herself' was extremely uncomfortable & nearly impossible. I even recall examining the photos of her both inside the book and on the jacket & seeing an older Gene with eyes that still seemed touched with pain & sadness. The photos of younger Gene offer no hint of what's going on inside; but the photo of an older Gene seems to bear witness to her internal struggle. It's Gene's vulnerability, yet also her courage & strength that stand out for me.
A great read. Very glad I stumbled on to this autobiography.
December 9, 2008
One of the best autobiography written by a Hollywood icon. Simply told, humble, painfully honest and heartbreaking, this book is Tierney's vision of her own life, which oscillates between dream and nightmare. The accounf of her descent into madness is chilling. Because it's Tierney who is writing, the book doesn't analyze what made her such a magnetic presence on screen and why she has become such a cult legend (especially in Europe), but it's not really the purpose of the volume.
September 2, 2012
This was such an intriguing and unusually compelling reading experience. Unusual because I can't really pinpoint why I found it so mesmerising. I am a fan, it's true, I am in the process of collecting all Gene's films and I do think she is the most beautiful woman in the world, hands down, no question. But somehow for all of my great fondness, reading her words was something else. I do wonder how much of the narrative was hers only and how much was Mickey Herskowitz the ghost writer. There was a certain jarring oddness about the sequencing that made me think maybe he had very little to do with the book. Or perhaps he condoned that technique?
Maybe it was the complete unassumingness of the writing style, so completely without ego or ambition, without any pretence that quite disarmed me. Almost unnerved me. I'm used to egos coming through autobiographies and biographies, I quite like that actually, it reassures me that it's okay to have a massive ego. Maybe the fact that it seemed totally absent here unnerved me.
There's a smallness about the story that I really surprised me, in the sense of a small life with small dreams and quiet happiness hard-won and hard-earned. Which is not something you'd ever expect from a Hollywood actress, is it? But so it is.
And that compounded with the first mystifying and then deeply scary unfurling of Gene's mental illness sets this story apart from the others yet again. It's only very very late in the book that the phrase manic depression is mentioned and then maybe that's not the eventual diagnosis. Maybe it's closer to schizophrenia. Whatever the case, I found myself rather respecting Gene's silence on the matter. Doesn't matter whether she knows and would rather not say or whether she really doesn't know. That's not the point. The point is bearing witness to this life and loving her for telling it so honestly.
Maybe it was the complete unassumingness of the writing style, so completely without ego or ambition, without any pretence that quite disarmed me. Almost unnerved me. I'm used to egos coming through autobiographies and biographies, I quite like that actually, it reassures me that it's okay to have a massive ego. Maybe the fact that it seemed totally absent here unnerved me.
There's a smallness about the story that I really surprised me, in the sense of a small life with small dreams and quiet happiness hard-won and hard-earned. Which is not something you'd ever expect from a Hollywood actress, is it? But so it is.
And that compounded with the first mystifying and then deeply scary unfurling of Gene's mental illness sets this story apart from the others yet again. It's only very very late in the book that the phrase manic depression is mentioned and then maybe that's not the eventual diagnosis. Maybe it's closer to schizophrenia. Whatever the case, I found myself rather respecting Gene's silence on the matter. Doesn't matter whether she knows and would rather not say or whether she really doesn't know. That's not the point. The point is bearing witness to this life and loving her for telling it so honestly.
July 1, 2021
this is an incredibly honest and an incredibly moving autobiography which i wasn’t expecting to love so much. i was already familiar with gene as a talented, stunning actress and also with some of her mental health struggles but reading this gave me a newfound appreciation not only for what she went through but for her intelligence, wit, for her intriguing life and personality. a must read for all old hollywood fans.
June 7, 2017
What a wonderful memoir! Gene manages to be both open & forthcoming without veering into TMI. I'm starting to wonder if a prerequisite for writing a great memoir is having been in therapy? It certainly helps the writer develop the insight and self knowledge needed to write a successful book.
July 14, 2010
This was an amazing read. Gene talked about her movie life and her life with mental illness. Such a sad read of one of my favorite people.
June 28, 2019
Any fan of Gene Tierney needs to read this book, it makes you look at her in a new light. Such a brave and humble woman that didn't hold back when writing her memoir. Now onto rewatching all of my favorite classics with this beauty!
February 19, 2025
Another great autobiography addressing the complexities of Hollywood stardom and balancing mental illness with work. An important read and would have been 5 stars if I hadn’t listened to a podcast a few years ago that spoilt this.
July 14, 2016
******* SPOILER ALERTS *******
I expected this to be a sugary sweet and immodest autobio by an actress who was beautiful on the surface with no substance underneath. How wrong I was! This is a well written account of her lifelong feelings of abandonment (by her father); her fairly controlling mother; her mental struggles and (drastic, awful & literally shocking) treatments; the tragedy of her first born daughter (severely mentally and physcially disabled following a totally coincidental contraction of measles from a fan during her early pregnancy. Sound familiar? Yes indeed, it was this part of her life that Agatha Christie based her "The Mirror Cracked" on!); her two marriages and fairly few other romances.
The strength of this autobio is its very straightforward and unashamed approach to everything and, in particular, her mental health. Very inspirational that she came out the other end considering what she'd been through, and controlled her illness successfully for the rest of her, relatively normally lived, life.
Gene also comes across as aware of her beauty but it was secondary to her desire to act. She seems to have been a woman who was able to fit herself into all walks of life (and did), didn't take things for granted and held her head high and dignity intact no matter what was thrown at her.
I also didn't realise she has been quite such a big star. I did know she was considered one of the world's beauties but not that she actually become a very competent actress and had made soo many movies, which I've since been revisiting.
For anyone who likes Hollywood bios, especially in its heyday, this makes a very refreshing, enlightening and uplifting change to the norm. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend it.
I expected this to be a sugary sweet and immodest autobio by an actress who was beautiful on the surface with no substance underneath. How wrong I was! This is a well written account of her lifelong feelings of abandonment (by her father); her fairly controlling mother; her mental struggles and (drastic, awful & literally shocking) treatments; the tragedy of her first born daughter (severely mentally and physcially disabled following a totally coincidental contraction of measles from a fan during her early pregnancy. Sound familiar? Yes indeed, it was this part of her life that Agatha Christie based her "The Mirror Cracked" on!); her two marriages and fairly few other romances.
The strength of this autobio is its very straightforward and unashamed approach to everything and, in particular, her mental health. Very inspirational that she came out the other end considering what she'd been through, and controlled her illness successfully for the rest of her, relatively normally lived, life.
Gene also comes across as aware of her beauty but it was secondary to her desire to act. She seems to have been a woman who was able to fit herself into all walks of life (and did), didn't take things for granted and held her head high and dignity intact no matter what was thrown at her.
I also didn't realise she has been quite such a big star. I did know she was considered one of the world's beauties but not that she actually become a very competent actress and had made soo many movies, which I've since been revisiting.
For anyone who likes Hollywood bios, especially in its heyday, this makes a very refreshing, enlightening and uplifting change to the norm. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend it.
January 7, 2016
This is a wonderful book, as much a look at mental illness and how it was treated in the 1940s and 50s as it is a Hollywood biography. Gene Tierney's story is that of a woman struggling with a completely misunderstood illness in a time when electro-shock therapy was the norm. Her descriptions of the mental asylums where she spent time as well as the way she describes the onset and worsening of her condition are painful and revealing.
A great read for any Hollywood buff thanks to the many anecdotes and behind the scenes stories, but also for anyone interested in treatment of bipolar disorder and similar conditions before they were really understood.
A great read for any Hollywood buff thanks to the many anecdotes and behind the scenes stories, but also for anyone interested in treatment of bipolar disorder and similar conditions before they were really understood.
February 24, 2009
I saw a "Biography" on Gene Tierney months ago and saw the great films "Laura" and "Leave Her to Heaven". The biography of her tragic life, mental illness, and ultimate happiness after hollywood is not the most fantastic book I've ever read, but she's an actress, not a writer. The book is not chronological, which at times I appreciated. I didn't get a lot of new insight from the book, but it is a nice work from a fine actress who survived a philandering husband (Oleg Cassini), birth of a retarded child who was later institutionalized, and a huge public career, all by the age of 24.
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October 24, 2012This was just as much a story of a brilliant actress from the golden years as the story of a woman haunted by the demons that sent her to clinics 3 times over 6 years to wrestles with her "weakness". She speaks honestly of the men in her life - Oleg Cassini, Aly Kahn, even JFK, pre Jackie days. I wish there had been more of the movie stories and stories of her co-stars, but think I guess it would have been the same as so many other books. Her struggles with her first born daughter, Daria, we're agonizing. She came out the other side and that is now how we can remember her!
December 21, 2008
If there's one auto/bio book you should read this season, this is it. Probably, out of print at the moment but lucky for me to find this in one of Sydney's prestigious old bookshop.
This is amazing read plus photos of one of Hollywood highly respected actress..arguably, hollywood's most beautiful woman during her heyday.
I normally give away books ive read, but this is a must kept.
This is amazing read plus photos of one of Hollywood highly respected actress..arguably, hollywood's most beautiful woman during her heyday.
I normally give away books ive read, but this is a must kept.
June 4, 2012
I find it quite interesting.....I don't think it is actually very well written but it is an autobiography written by an actress with help from Mickey Herskowitz..... so I do feel I am getting a good window into her life, family and The acting world at the time! My favorite of her films is "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" with Rex Harrison....that is what drew me to read about her!
May 12, 2008
This was a great first person look into one of the most over-looked actresses of the 40s-50s. Star of Laura, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Heaven Can Wait.
It explores her life in controlling Hollywood, her family life and her decent and return from mental illness.
It explores her life in controlling Hollywood, her family life and her decent and return from mental illness.
June 9, 2014
This is an excellent book about the life of the late actress Gene Tierney - her career and her battle against mental illness! Very insightful and a real gift for people to learn the tragedies that one faces who has a mental disorder. Highly recommended!!!
March 29, 2016
A great Book about a great Actress..if you are interested in the Hollywood of the past and of a complex person complex who lives a life read this. You will love it and you will love her..
May 18, 2016
Well written book, in my opinion, about a Hollywood legend. She was just as mysterious as her classic character Laura.
March 5, 2018
Excellent autobiography of a tortured soul.
March 31, 2023
The star of the classic noir films Laura & Leave Her to Heaven delivers a startlingly straightforward account of her life, including a long, torturous struggle with what we now call Bipolar disorder. She comes across as a gentle soul, albeit one who still managed to live a fascinating, if often difficult life. Always had a real fondness for her, and this book backed that up. 3 1/2 out of 5.
March 11, 2015
One of Hollywood's golden era stars, the stunningly beautiful Gene Tierney will always be best known for her role in the film noir classic, "Laura", playing the title role. She was also nominated for an Oscar as the sociopathic Ellen Harland in "Leave Her To Heaven", but her life wasn't all glamour and glitz. Suffering from what was probably bipolar disorder in a time where mental illness was still totally misunderstood and treated with shame and disgust, Tierney's autobiography is unflinchingly honest as she describes her descent into mental illness after the birth of her first child, Daria, who was born severely physically and mentally disabled after Tierney contracted Rubella whilst pregnant.
Tierney's marriage failed and she had a series of unhappy relationships, culminating in being forcibly committed to an institution. She was treated with ECT which destroyed parts of her memory and later became a vehement critic of the procedure.
Tierney's marriage failed and she had a series of unhappy relationships, culminating in being forcibly committed to an institution. She was treated with ECT which destroyed parts of her memory and later became a vehement critic of the procedure.
March 18, 2015
A friend gave me this book and while I was not familiar with the works of actress Gene Tierney it was an interesting biography. Gene was active in motion pictures in the 1940 – 1950’s and truthfully, I think I’ve only seen part of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. She was married to Oleg Cassini and had two daughters one of which was born retarded. She was also a love interest of JFK and Howard Hughes.
What struck me different in this Hollywood biography was how it changed from her life as an actress to the story of her battle with mental illness. This book was written in the late 1970’s when this subject wasn’t discussed much. She accepted her illness and wrote pretty frankly about being institutionalized.
What struck me different in this Hollywood biography was how it changed from her life as an actress to the story of her battle with mental illness. This book was written in the late 1970’s when this subject wasn’t discussed much. She accepted her illness and wrote pretty frankly about being institutionalized.
March 1, 2019
Gene Tierney was beautiful. She was also troubled.
"I was admitted to three different hospitals-sanitariums, if you prefer- over a period of six years. A dozen doctors treated me. I had a total of thirty two electric shock treatments. During my first confinement, I was taking more medicine than any other patient. So there is hope for everybody."
I've always loved her movies, I had no idea that she'd dated Jack Kennedy - seriously. I requested the book because I'd heard the story of her contracting rubella during her pregnancy and the birth of her retarded (her word, not mine) daughter. I think probably anyone who is not a Gene Tierney fan would not be all that interested in the book.
"I was admitted to three different hospitals-sanitariums, if you prefer- over a period of six years. A dozen doctors treated me. I had a total of thirty two electric shock treatments. During my first confinement, I was taking more medicine than any other patient. So there is hope for everybody."
I've always loved her movies, I had no idea that she'd dated Jack Kennedy - seriously. I requested the book because I'd heard the story of her contracting rubella during her pregnancy and the birth of her retarded (her word, not mine) daughter. I think probably anyone who is not a Gene Tierney fan would not be all that interested in the book.
October 26, 2012
For a quick read, I picked up Self-Portrait by Gene Tierney. She made a lot of great movies that I have enjoyed. This is an autobiography so Tierney is not to critical of her own movies which makes the reading a little bland. But sadly Tierney was one of the few celebrities that had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Ct. That section of the book, including horrific shock treatments was excellent reading. She comes to a final awareness of what caused her problems and lead to her breakdown. What a lady to admire!
February 18, 2015
I usually approach celebrity autobiographies with a great deal of trepidation. Most of these people come off as whiny, self-centered and/or narcissistic. I was pleasantly surprised by "Self-Portrait". Ms. Tierney searches to identify her problem and faces her illness without placing blame or falling into self-pity. A strong and admirable woman who reminds that mental illness should not be hushed up and swept under the rug. Unfortunately, with the current budget cuts in our country, too many people do not get the help they need and deserve.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews