Laura (1944)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Vera Caspary (novel)
Jay Dratler (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

November 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The story of a love that became the most fearful thing that ever happened to a woman!

Plot:

A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he's investigating.

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | Apartment | Detective | Murder | Shotgun

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Gene Tierney	...	Laura Hunt
Dana Andrews	...	Det. Lt. Mark McPherson
Clifton Webb	...	Waldo Lydecker
Vincent Price	...	Shelby Carpenter
Judith Anderson	...	Mrs. Ann Treadwell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Grant Mitchell	...	Lancaster Corey (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:15 (2004) | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video re-rating) (2005) | UK:U (video rating) (1988) | USA:Approved (PCA #10088)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The haunting theme melody was inspired by a "Dear David" letter that composer David Raksin received from his wife. The lyrics were added later by Johnny Mercer.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the detective first interviews Mrs. Treadwell, the position of his elbow changes between shots, from being up to resting on his leg.

Quotes:

Laura Hunt: [referring to Waldo] I owe him everything I am.
Mark McPherson: Just because he endorsed that pen, 5 years ago, for a nice fat check?
Laura Hunt: He told you that story too?
Mark McPherson: Well it's true, isn't it?
Laura Hunt: Well you see, Mark. You simply don't understand Waldo. He dramatises everything. To him, I, like everything else, am only half real. The other half exists only in his own mind. The story he told you about the pen was one he had written for his column. Once he writes something he believes it. Do you know where he actually first found me? In a night court. I had been picked up for vagrancy.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Remington Steele: Steele Your Heart Away (#3.6)" (1984)

Soundtrack:

You Go to My Head

There's something about "Laura"

Alright, I confess...I hadn't got any experience with Otto Preminger-movies before I saw Laura. But, if they're all as promising as this one...I'll soon become his biggest fan for sure! A fan of Vincent Price, I was already. That was my motivation to watch Laura in the first place. I wanted to see this favorite actor of mine in a good old-fashioned and intelligent tale of mystery and murder. I got what I expected PLUS a hell of a lot more!! Laura can be summarized by using one single word: BRILLIANT! Like no other film, Laura is the perfect proof that cinema can be the purest form of art. The dialogues are superb. Every line that's being said in Laura is a highlight, every facial expression made is a stunning one. Preminger's film is Film-Noir perfection. Period. First and foremost, the story of Laura impresses you bigtime. The script is extremely intelligent and it's always one step ahead of you. There were most movies desperately TRY to fool the audience ( and fail ), Laura pulls it off without any effort. The atmosphere and design just sucks you in completely and you're overwhelmed by every surprising twist. I'm not telling anything about the plot or storyline here. It would be a shame to spoil something about this masterpiece. See it for yourself and be astonished! I am willing to write one last word about the cast, though. Laura has the most entire charismatic cast I've ever seen! Gene Tierney was an obvious choice to play the title role, I may say. She's one of the most beautiful girls who ever appeared on the big screen. It's only normal that she's in the spotlights here. Heck, I even fell in love with her myself while watching her. Clifton Webb is terrific as the men-hating critic named Waldo. His constant sarcastic remarks are a joy for all senses. And - as I said before - Vincent Price is the one who's making this film complete. Laura was shot pretty early in his well-filled career but his talent is obviously there already. Even though he grew out to become a legendary horror-icon, he certainly proves here that he could handle all kind of characters.

Go and see Laura! See it now!! It's one of the greatest films ever made and the undeniable proof that classic cinema will always be the best. No matter who're they're trying to impress us with sound and visual aspects nowadays, nothing compares to the charm and intelligence of a good story!