Gene Tierney was attending a party at the home of actress Constance Moore where she met Oleg Cassini. Cassini was a fashion designer for Paramount studios and he swept Tierney of her feet. Tierney’s parents took an instant dislike to the older Cassini and when Tierney announced her intention to marry Cassini her parents vehemently objected.
Tierney’s parents thought Cassini a playboy and were worried that he would break their daughter’s heart. They were right; however Tierney would not find that out for a few years, when indeed Cassini’s roving eye would cause the dissolution of their marriage.
Tierney’s ventured to New York to seek her father’s approval to marry Cassini and discovered her father was having an affair. After the discovery her relationship with her father rapidly disintegrated. Eventually he left his wife for the other woman. Tierney asked her father, who was acting as her manager, for the money he had saved in her account and he refused. She sued him and won and then found out that he had used all her money for his business and no funds were left. Tierney only spoke to her father one time the rest of his life.
German Measles Affect Tierney’s Baby
Tierney became pregnant in 1943 and like most mothers-to-be, she was thrilled at the prospect of starting a family. Cassini was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas and Tierney was slated to join him in March of 1943. Before she left Hollywood she agreed to make an appearance at the Hollywood Canteen to entertain the troops. During the appearance a young female marine approached her and the woman would pass a disease that would affect Tierney and her baby for the rest of their lives. Tierney developed German measles and as a result her baby girl, Daria, was born severely retarded. After a year Tierney realized she could not give the proper care to Daria and she had her put in an institution.
A few months later Tierney ran into the marine at a party and found out that the girl had left quarantine on post to see her. The female marine was under quarantine because of the measles and ran away from the post just to see her favorite star. The realization that one of her fans had infected her was another nail in her emotional coffin.
In 1948 Cassini and Tierney had another child, Christina. Tina, was the light of Tierney’s life, however the tide of Tierney’s depression could not be turned, even by the force of motherhood.
John F. Kennedy and Aly Khan
Tierney endured numerous separations from Cassini and eventually divorced him. During her separation and after her divorce she dated two famous men and fell in love with both of them. The prince Aly Khan was a playboy and John F. Kennedy was a politician. Tierney fell in love with both men, but neither would marry her because of their religions.
Sanitariums and Electro-shock Therapy
While filming the Left Hand of Darkness with Humphrey Bogart, Tierney’s illness began to take a serious grip on her. Despite being terminally ill with cancer, Bogart helped Tierney complete the movie and she remarked how patient and calm he was with her. Tierney’s periods of depression became worse and her mother took her to see a psychiatrist.
After consulting with two doctors, and being diagnosed with severe depression, Tierney was admitted to a sanitarium, the Harkness Pavilion, for treatment. Tierney’s mother signed a consent form and the doctors performed an electric shock therapy on Tierney. Tierney describes the treatment as very violent. A muscle relaxant was administered and then a second drug to control her respiration.
The electroshock causes a temporary amnesia; so much that she did not remember events from the previous six months. Gradually the memories returned and with them came the same psychiatric problems. During her stay in the Harkness Pavilion she received eight shock treatments. A week after the last shock treatment her depression and all the symptoms returned.
Tierney was released from the Harkness Pavilion and sought treatment from various doctors. Eventually she agreed to go back to a sanitarium and checked herself into the Institute for living in Hartford. Again she underwent electroshock therapy and again she had disappointing results.
On the Ledge
Upon her release from the sanitarium in Hartford, Tierney, her mother, and Tina, moved back to New York City. Slowly Tierney’s psychosis returned and the results almost led to her death. Tierney’s mother asked her to go shopping and Tierney said no. Her mother then asked her if she was lazy and told her she wasn’t being a good mother. When her mother left Tierney walked out onto a ledge, 14 stories above the ground, and only her vanity saved her.
She decided she wanted to look pretty in her coffin and not splattered like an egg. Soon the police arrived and within days Tierney was admitted to the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. In August of 1958 Tierney was released from Menninger Clinic and went on a vacation with Tina and her mother. While on vacation she met her future husband, Howard Lee. At the time Lee was in the process of divorcing Heddy Lamar.
Although they dated for three months not all was well with Tierney. She felt herself slipping away and on Christmas day she signed herself back into Menninger Clinic. By March of 1959 Tierney was able to receive visitors and Lee came to visit every other weekend. Tierney’s doctor decided a type of work release program would be beneficial and Tierney went to work as a sales clerk in a dress shop.
The work therapy was successful. In November of 1959 Tierney was released from Menninger and she would never return to a sanitarium. After enduring a torturing 32 electroshock treatments, endless therapy sessions, and numerous drugs, Tierney returned to acting and married the true love of her life, Howard Lee. She lived out her years in Houston, Texas.
Gene Tierney’s description of her descent into madness and her attempt to get better: “My breakdown had been the result of a gradual series of hammer taps. My recovery was to be an attempt to climb a greased pole.”
See Also:
Reference:
- Tierney, Gene and Mickey Herskowitz. Self-Portrait. USA: Wyden Books, 1978.
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