Laura (1944)

Director:

Otto Preminger
(more)

Writers:

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

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 | Investigator | Murder

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	...	Ann Treadwell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Grant Mitchell	...	Lancaster Corey (scenes deleted)
Dorothy Adams	...	Bessie Clary, Laura's Maid (uncredited)
Terry Adams	...	Woman (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Detective (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy	...	Woman (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Kay Connors	...	Woman (uncredited)
John Dexter	...	Jacoby, the Artist (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Fred Callahan (uncredited)
Nestor Eristoff	...	Man (uncredited)
Jean Fenwick	...	Woman (uncredited)
Clyde Fillmore	...	Owner of Bullitt & Co Ad Agency (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Det. McEveety (uncredited)
Lee Tung Foo	...	Waldo's Servant (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Important Client (uncredited)
Frances Gladwin	...	Woman (uncredited)
Beatrice Gray	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Kathleen Howard	...	Louise, Ann's Cook (uncredited)
Yolanda Lacca	...	Woman (uncredited)
Frank LaRue	...	Hairdresser (uncredited)
Kay Linaker	...	Woman (uncredited)
Gloria Marlen	...	Woman (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	Butler at Party (uncredited)
Buster Miles	...	Johnny - Office Boy (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Man (uncredited)
Jane Nigh	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Aileen Pringle	...	Woman (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Alexander Sascha	...	Man (uncredited)
Harold Schlickenmayer	...	Detective (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Man Dining with Laura (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Detective (uncredited)
Cara Williams	...	Secretary in Laura's Office (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Otto Preminger
Rouben Mamoulian		(uncredited, fired, footage unused)

Writing credits
Vera Caspary		(novel)
Jay Dratler		(screenplay) and
Samuel Hoffenstein		(screenplay) and
Elizabeth Reinhardt		(screenplay) (as Betty Reinhardt)
Ring Lardner Jr.		uncredited

Produced by
Otto Preminger	....	producer

Original Music by
David Raksin

Cinematography by
Joseph LaShelle
Lucien Ballard		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Louis R. Loeffler		(as Louis Loeffler)

Art Direction by
Leland Fuller
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Bonnie Cashin

Makeup Department
Guy Pearce	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Dudley	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Robert Saunders	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Paul S. Fox	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects
Edwin Hammeras	....	transparency projection shots (uncredited)
Edward Snyder	....	transparency projection shots (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Ahern	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Frank Polony	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lyman Hallowell	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Emil Newman	....	musical director
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Murray Spivack	....	music mixer (uncredited)
Vinton Vernon	....	music mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Ruth Fox	....	research assistant (uncredited)
Frances C. Richardson	....	research director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1946) (France) (theatrical) (as Fox-Europa)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Fox Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Anniversary Collection)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Also Known As:

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)

Filming Locations:

Stage 9, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

According to her auto-biography, Rosalind Russell was offered the role of Laura, but as the character doesn't appear throughout the film she felt it was too small and turned it down.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the initial long-shot when McPherson and Lydecker are out to dinner, McPherson's chair is unoccupied (about 15:28). When the camera is at their table, McPherson has materialized.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Waldo Lydecker:[narrating off screen] I shall never forget the weekend Laura died. A silver sun burned through the sky like a huge magnifying glass. It was the hottest Sunday in my recollection. I felt as if I were the only human being left in New York. For with Laura's horrible death, I was alone. I, Waldo Lydecker, was the only one who really knew her, and I had just begun to write Laura's story when another of those detectives came to see me. I had him wait. I could watch him through the half-open door.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Best of Film Noir (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

You Go to My Head

One of the very best Hollywood movies of the 1940s starring the most beautiful actress of all time.

'Laura' is one of the most entertaining mystery movies I've ever seen. A mystery? Also a romance, a Film Noir and even in some ways a comedy. It's quite a unique movie from the legendary Otto Preminger, who took over from the original director and started from scratch. Gene Tierney plays the title character, a woman who seems to bewitch every man she meets. It's no wonder because Tierney is mesmerizing to watch. I think she could well be the most beautiful actress of all time. Dana Andrews, Vincent Price and Clifton Webb play the three men in Laura's life. Andrews ('Night Of The Demon') plays a detective investigating Laura's apparent murder, Price, years before becoming a horror icon, a gigolo type who is due to marry her, and Webb (best known as Mr. Belvedere) is a snobby columnist and wit who is Laura's mentor. All four actors are just terrific and the plot is full of twists and surprises. I enjoyed this movie from start to finish. 'Laura' is one of the very best Hollywood movies of the 1940s. Highly recommended