Leave Her to Heaven

Play trailer

Leave Her to Heaven

Now Playing

1h 51m

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

68 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

While on a train, writer Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) strikes up a relationship with the gorgeous Ellen Berent (Gene Tierney). Ellen quickly becomes obsessed with Richard and abandons her fiancé, Russell Quinton (Vincent Price), to be with him. The couple rushes into marriage, with both of them caught up in romance and Richard intrigued by Ellen's intensity. Only after settling into marriage, however, does Richard realize that she is psychotically jealous and highly unstable.

Now in Theaters

Now Playing

Buy Tickets

Critics Consensus

Leave Her to Heaven suffers from a surfeit of unlikable characters, but the solid cast -- led by an outstanding Gene Tierney -- makes it hard to turn away.

Read Critics Reviews

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Mar 25, 2024

5/5

This demented relationship drama by John M Stahl, starring the golden era actress Gene Tierney, is the original Fatal Attraction but better, deeper and darker.

Go to Full Review

Eleanor Wilson

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Sep 29, 2021

Leave Her to Heaven is a well-done picture and rates as good screen entertainment.

Go to Full Review

Wanda Hale

New York Daily News

Sep 29, 2021

3.5/4

Director Stahl has certainly made the most out of the book and done well directing the young players.

Go to Full Review

Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

Aug 19, 2024

Oft-befuddled critic Bosley Crowther called the film ‘a piece of cheap fiction done up in Technicolor and expensive sets,’ as if that isn’t what’s so awesome about it.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Aug 5, 2022

Part Technicolor film noir and part dark romantic melodrama with a psychotic beauty at its center, John Stahl’s gorgeous Leave Her to Heaven is the original Fatal Attraction as a lush melodrama in a picture-perfect world of affluence...

Go to Full Review

Virginia Wright

Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)

Sep 29, 2021

Overlong In the telling and continuously melodramatic, Leave Her to Heaven is nevertheless a plausible version of the book.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Martin B

@RT44235356 Jul 24, 2026

Thought the first half dragged and the second half an ladder of illogical choices. Too little nuance, too much hammer.

See more

Joel H

@786Joel May 9, 2026

I thought Leave Her to Heaven was a drama. I was wrong. This movie is a psychological thriller and it didn’t take long before I was captivated by the story and the performances. I could not take my eyes off of Gene Tierney. Not just because she’s strikingly beautiful, but also because I never quite knew what her character, Ellen, would do. And I was definitely shocked multiple times by what Ellen did. I was also surprised by Vincent Price’s behavior in the courtroom. I’m no lawyer, but he commits some serious breaches of court etiquette. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly disturbed by Leave Her to Heaven.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Apr 8, 2026

The worldwide gross is $2,326.00.

See more

j F

@LiberteBurrows Oct 21, 2025

The boy was a little annoying…I don’t entirely blame Gene Tierney for that one.

See more

Mark H.

@Zeppo Oct 20, 2025

Slow burn climaxes in somewhat out-of-place trial act. Red lipstick alone will give you the creeps.

See more

revolver.0 8

@Revolver08 Jul 4, 2025

gorgeous actress and cinematography

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

John M. Stahl

Director

Gene Tierney

Ellen Berent Harland

Cornel Wilde

Richard Harland

Jeanne Crain

Ruth Berent

Vincent Price

Russell Quinton

Mary Philips

Mrs. Berent

The Dark Corner

100%

73%

The Dark Corner

Watchlist

Nightmare Alley

87%

86%

Nightmare Alley

Watchlist

I Wake Up Screaming

86%

67%

I Wake Up Screaming

Watchlist

Cry of the City

92%

86%

Cry of the City

Watchlist

Night and the City

85%

90%

Night and the City

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

While on a train, writer Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) strikes up a relationship with the gorgeous Ellen Berent (Gene Tierney). Ellen quickly becomes obsessed with Richard and abandons her fiancé, Russell Quinton (Vincent Price), to be with him. The couple rushes into marriage, with both of them caught up in romance and Richard intrigued by Ellen's intensity. Only after settling into marriage, however, does Richard realize that she is psychotically jealous and highly unstable.

Director: John M. Stahl
Producer: William A. Bacher
Screenwriter: Jo Swerling
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 1945, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 10, 2018
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Stereo

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings