MovieChat Forums > The Mirror Crack'd (1980) Discussion > Gene Tierney the inspiration for Marina

Gene Tierney the inspiration for Marina


Apparently Gene Tierney may have been the inspiration for Agatha Christie to write the character of Marina according to Wikipedia:

In June 1943, while pregnant with her first daughter, she contracted German measles during her only appearance at the Hollywood Canteen. Daria was born prematurely in Washington, D.C., weighing only 3 pounds, 2 ounces and requiring a total blood transfusion. Because of Tierney's illness, Daria was also deaf, partially blind with cataracts, and had severe mental retardation. Tierney's grief over the tragedy led to many years of depression and may have begun her bi-polar disorder. Some time after the tragedy surrounding her daughter Daria's birth, Tierney learned from a fan who approached her for an autograph at a Tennis party that the woman, then a member of the women's branch of the Marine Corps, had sneaked out of quarantine while sick with German measles to meet Tierney, at her Hollywood Canteen appearance.

In her autobiography, Tierney related that after the woman had recounted her story, she just stared at her silently, then turned and walked away. She wrote, "After that I didn't care whether ever again I was anyone's favorite actress." Biographers have theorized that Agatha Christie used this real life tragedy as the basis of her plot for The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side.[1] The incident, as well as the circumstances under which the information is imparted to the actress, is repeated almost verbatim in the story. Tierney's tragedy had been well publicized for years previously. During this time, Howard Hughes, an old friend, saw to it that Daria received the best medical care available, paying for all of her medical expenses. Tierney never forgot Hughes' acts of kindness.

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Yeah, I think she was the inspiration, though she dealt better with the situation than Marina.

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Yeah, I've also heard this story.

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They blew up Congress!!!

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Yes, it was the inspiration, Agatha herself admitted it to the press. Wikipedia states this in it's page on Teirney.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

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[deleted]

Ah, I thought so! I read maybe 25 pages, and when the woman said she'd been sick but had gone to the meeting anyway, I thought it sounded curiously like Gene Tierney. Which kind of ruined the mystery element, obviously...still a good read, though.

Personally, I think I have too much bloom. Maybe that's the trouble with me.

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Nice post maxpem. I had just finished watching the Mirror Cracked yesterday and I could not remember why the "fan's illness" had struck a chord with me. In fact I came on the site today to try to find out where I had heard this plot line before. Thank you for clearing this up for me.

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Yes, it was a really sad story.
It´s one of my favorite movies based on an Agatha Christie novel. It´s interesting and it has an awesome cast. Even you can recognize a very young Pierce Brosnan.

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I am certain a lot of people will jump all over me, but I found the plot distasteful. Gene Tierney suffered a great deal mentally and emotionally and I think the author and the moviemakers could have passed on exploiting it.

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I agree with you completely! To make this film while Gene was still alive was in incredibly bad taste. How awful for her to have to relive it. I just watched this film tonight for the first time. I haven't bothered to watch it before because I do not like Elizabeth Taylor as an actress, so I have been unaware of the plot of the film until now. But, how crass of Elizabeth and everyone else to be involved with this picture. I wonder if they talked to Gene before they made it?

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I understand the points you are both making, but as someone who has suffered a similar situation and who also has a friend whose baby was terribly afflicted by an ignorant adult breathing over her, let me say that perhaps this may serve to educate people, even just a little, not to go out when they have any sort of illness.

You just never, ever know who you are going to meet and what you will pass on.

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I never heard about this! Fascinating stuff. But yes, it sounds like Gene handled the whole thing WAY better than Marina!

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About a year after I saw the movie I heard this story, and it's just too parallel to not be the source.

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