"APHRODITE" AT SUNDOWN with Gene Tierney

Opening sequences from SUNDOWN (1941), directed by Henry Hathaway. Zia, the daughter of a wealthy Arab trader, arrives at an isolated British outpost in Kenya. It is from this film that the famous photo of her appearing on the cover of Life magazine was taken dated November 10, 1941.
Note: "Sundown" is in the public domain.

Fame is not a tender master,
Brings it fortune and disaster;
Beauty molded, hallowed, nursed,
Mixes blessings for the cursed.

Kisses sweet should do no harm
Nor wound the cherished or alarm,
Pricks them love with Eros' dart;
Wounds the bearer to the heart.

The fairest mantle that it knew,
A frenzied scorpion slashes through,
Her pointed needle bends to sting,
The self that wields its poisoning.

Though born of air, earth or foam,
On wing, foot, or sail at home,
In all the heavens it is known,
That earthly beauty is on loan.

-shanghaibenny2, May 2009

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[miltsar]

Your music track is so very beautiful. Is it a film score? If so which film is it from?

Yes Tierney is exquisitely beautiful...... there is more tenderness and frailty in her face than in Lamars, who was also a beautiful woman but who did not convey Tierney's soulfulness. Garbo is another story and in a class by her self. People should not compare. I LOVE the music you put to this video...thanks

[shanghaibenny2]

@miltsar If, as some said, Hedy Lamarr had the perfect face, then Gene had the perfect gift of grace. Nice sharing with you..

[shanghaibenny2]

@miltsar

I whole-heartedly agree with your comment about comparing. Each woman had her own special gift. Comparisons are meaningless.

[hijode1000puta]

The limit of beautyness !!

[shanghaibenny2]

I have not found anyone more beautiful either.

[1952Capricorn1]

I never thought ANYONE could rival Hedy Lamarr. But Tierney in this film has done it. Unequivocably.

CineMaven.

[PsionicJedi]

Gorgeous.

[northernoir]

Gene is sitting in that aircraft,looking out the window at the earth below.A smile

comes to her face,sans vanity,knowing she soon will be planting her feet in our

midst,blessing us with her angelic beauty.We know that someday she will

climb aboard that plane again and leave us.Now we wait for that plane to land

again bringing us another like her.Sadly we know it can never happen.Joyfully,

we know we were fortunate to have experienced that one visit.

[laceyjodalton]

reminds me so much of my grandmother Pauline Vera* Wylie she didn't like her middle name * i however lov the unique movie star quality of sound it rolls of the tongue as ~ her classic refined beauty and strength echos through this for me

[dogiehogan]

TCM-US has an excellent print (restored) of Sundown (1941), recently available on DVD!

Movie is OK; Gene Tierney looks great, though her screentime is limited ...and skip the last (moralistic) London-scene.

[miltsar]

miltsar@shanghaibenny That was beautifully put......'the perfect gift of grace " sums it up !

[miltsar]

oops...sorry i should have waited till the end for the music credit ! Thanx again !

[cloudidogz]

Nice video...Gene is sooo beautiful...yes, I've seen the cover but not the movie :(. Thanks for showing...great poetry! :). I definitely want to see this movie now!!