Laura (1944)

SIDENOTE:
***I was not aware until recently of her tragic encounter with a female Marine at a Hollywood Canteen, during WW2. Apparently this Marine was hospitalized for German Measles, and she sneaked out of the hospital to meet her favorite movie star. She had her picture taken with GT, who was pregnant at the time, and also KISSED her, which resulted in her baby daughter being born with severe mental retardation. When Daria (the daughter) was four years old she was insititutionalized. GT met the woman one year later and found out how she had contracted German Measles, but did not mention the tragic consequences of the woman's actions for reasons unknown.***

What sets this particular movie apart from the rest of the genre, is it's cast and it's tasteful telling of the story, which includes the creme de la creme of New York society, played to the hilt by the cast. One of my chief joys in watching this movie, is the scene of Clifton Webb (as the acerbic critic, Waldo Lydecker) sitting in his enormous black bathtub(!) typing furiously, and relishing the power he has by virtue of his position as a critic. He takes savage pleasure in denigrating anyone who displeases him, either by their lack of talent or because of his own personal dislike.
There is not one moment of slack; all is interesting, relevant and suspenseful; you will NOT be able to figure it out until the end. On DVD, especially, this movie guarantees suspense and a fascinating glimpse into what the "Golden Age of Hollywood" was capable of...Excellent performances also by Vincent Price as the ne'er do well playboy, man about town, and Judith Anderson, a far cry from her portrayal of the redoubtable Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca." If you have never seen this, get it; you will not be sorry, and if you have seen it, you should get it for the quality of the DVD...


Classic film noir comes to DVD in deluxe edition   March 3, 2005
Wayne Klein (My Little Blue Window, USA)
47 out of 49 found this review helpful

A film noir classic comes to DVD for the first time packed full of more extras than expected, "Laura" tells the story of a society beauty (Gene Tierney in a career defining performance) murdered for no apparent reason. Detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews in a hardboiled strong performance) investigates her murder questioning the men in her life beginning with a witty critic Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb in a deliciously droll performance and in a major come back) and playboy Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price). Seen in flashback, we discover Laura's background and how she rises from the middle class to world class society beauty with the assistance of those men in her life. Things take a surprising twist when McPherson meets the very woman who was murdered as the audience must figure out what's really going on. A marvelous suspense thriller with elements of film noir, "Laura" continues to be haunting sixty years on.

A nicely detailed transfer with rich blacks and a nicely detailed picture, Fox has done a very good of job transferring this classic to DVD. The DVD has some minor analog blemishes in the form of dirt and there's noticeable grain due to the stock of the film used to shoot the movie and how far removed the film is from the original nitrate negative (like most films from the era, the negative probably doesn't exist any longer although there's no information on the restoration here). The mono sound has nice presence with slight problems with hiss and other analog imperfections but, on the whole, it sounds superior to the previous releases on VHS and laserdisc.

We get the A&E Biography programs on Price featuring interviews with Price biographer Lucy Price Williams, Price's daughter, friends and film co-workers. Price initially joined Orson Welles' Mercury Theater in New York. The droll comments by actor/writer Norman Lloyd about their experience together in the Mercury Theater alone makes this biography worth watching. Price had an easy going and natural style that still seems contemporary and when seeing his performance with other more affected performers of the time. His debut in a 1933 Constance Bennet comedy more demonstrated his flair and versatility. Over the course of seven years Price played everything from Brigham Young to the King of France. One of the cinema's most underrated performers, Price's performances particularly here continue to sparkle with wit and power.

Gene Tierney's A&E Biography is a marvelous biography every bit the equal of the Price biography. Tierney began smoking to lower the pitch of her voice (at the advice of a studio executive) because she didn't like her voice thinking that she sounded like Minnie Mouse in her first film (she died of emphysema as a result of her life long addiction). Tierney's life had its tragic turns comparable to that of other beautiful stars of the day. She tumbled into depression after a failed marriage to costume designer Oleg Cassini and the birth of her mentally handicapped daughter resulting in her absence from the screen for nearly seven years. Tierney discovered that all the money she earned as an actress during the 40's was squandered by her father to support his failing business without her consent.

We also get a deleted scene (a rarity for films from this time) consisting of a montage sequence detailing how Lydecker taught her about the finer things in life. It was feared that the "decadence" on display would offend troops fighting overseas. We also get a theatrical trailer which demonstrates how bad this fine film might have looked like without the fine restoration seen here. This alternate opening deleted after the first screening has been integrated back into the movie so you may watch either the original version or the edited version that's been seen by millions over the years.

Historian Rudy Behlmer's commentary track tends to be the drier of the two tracks. He provides extensive background on the performers, the novel, director Otto Preminger. His comments on how Preminger had to fight for actor Clifton Webb to play Lydecker because of his well known homosexuality are particularly enlightening. Behlmer reads excerpts from Preminger's autobiography giving us insights from the director and writers of the project. Initially the writers wanted "Laura" to be a Broadway play before a film. Derailed; by politics and other issues, the script became a film instead despite lukewarm interest from MGM. MGM wanted to do the film as a "B" movie mystery while Fox had higher aspirations for the project. Preminger convinced the studio to buy the book. Initially working only as a producer on the project (his film failures had damaged his aspirations as a film director), Preminger took over direction from Rueben Mamoulian ("Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde") early on during the shooting of the film replacing the director after he butted heads with Preminger.

Film composer David Raskin's commentary track is absolutely charming, involving and although his memories of the film have been colored by time, it's also a lot more inviting. Raskin's haunting, wistful romantic score acts as a perfect counterpoint to the action and, at other times, underlining the emotional core of the moment.

A classic finally comes to DVD with plenty of bells and whistles. With an extremely good transfer, great commentary tracks featuring original film composer David Raskin and two excellent A&E Biography episodes on stars Gene Tierney and Vincent Price, "Laura" was worth the wait. The inclusion of a deleted scene and a version of the movie with and without the scene will delight long time fans of this terrific movie.



Star Power, Sharp Dialogue, & Emotional Intrigue.   April 11, 2005
mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA)
26 out of 27 found this review helpful

Released in 1944 to great popular and critical success, "Laura" was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, won for Best Cinematography, and solidified Gene Tierney's status as one of Hollywood's great stars of the 1940s. Based on the novel by Vera Caspary, "Laura" is a murder mystery revolving around the love of several men for its title character, the beautiful, enigmatic Laura. The film is often, though debatably, considered film noir due to its cynical characterizations and narrative structure, although it is not especially pessimistic and lacks the distinctive visual style of many classic film noirs.

We are introduced to the mystery by Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), a wealthy middle-aged columnist known for his acerbic wit. Laura was his protege and, in his view, his creation to whom he was devoted and from whom he expected the same. Waldo has just learned of Laura's murder, and police Detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) has come to interview him. Det. McPherson and Lydecker then visit Laura's Aunt, Mrs. Anne Treadwell (Judith Anderson), who happens to be very close to Laura's dandyish fiance, Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price). All of these people had motive to murder Laura, and all seem very capable of it. McPherson appears stoic and disinterested in anything but business, often to the consternation of his suspects. But as he reads Laura's private diary and correspondence and stares at the portrait in her apartment, McPherson becomes enchanted with her memory, perhaps in love with it. And then his investigation takes an unexpected twist.

Much of the credit for elevating "Laura" from a clever murder mystery to a great and memorable film goes to the sharp, evocative dialogue. The three murder suspects -Lydecker, Shelby, and Ann- are shamelessly selfish, but remarkably conscious of their own characters. Lydecker says, "I'm not kind; I'm vicious. It's the secret of my charm" and declares, "In my case, self-absorption is completely justified." Shelby describes himself: "I don't know a lot about anything, but I know a little about practically everything." "I can afford a blemish on my character, but not on my clothes." Lines like those could sound campy, but these great actors deliver them flawlessly. They entertain the audience with clever banter while providing complex motivations behind each man's relationship with Laura. Dana Andrews impresses as a man who seems incapable of loving a real person, but who is infatuated with a ghost. Like the others, he evokes a intriguing mixture of sympathy and revulsion. In an interesting role reversal, Laura has concentrated her energies on her career, while her suitors are preoccupied with their lifestyles. Between Gene Tierney's star power, Otto Preminger's direction, Samuel Hoffenstein's script, fabulous supporting performances, and David Raskin's score -which produced a hit song, "Laura" is as captivating today as it was in 1944.

The DVD (20th Century Fox 2005 release): This is a quality print of the film, and the disc is loaded with features: 2 biographical documentaries, 2 audio commentaries, 1 deleted scene, a theatrical trailer, and the option to watch the film with a deleted sequence of Laura's transformation into a stylish society woman in tact. The 2 documentaries are "A&E Biographies". "Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait" (45 minutes) includes interviews with Tierney's ex-husband Oleg Cassini, sister Pat Byrne, and daughter Christina Cassini, among others. It follows Tierney's life from her birth in Brooklyn in 1920, to her success as one of the most popular actresses of the 1940s, through her marriage to designer Oleg Cassini and her struggles with mental illness in the 1950s, her retirement from acting and remarriage in the 1960s, until the end of her life in 1991 at the age of 70. "Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain" (45 minutes) discusses Price's nearly 60-year acting career, which included 100 films and nearly 2000 television appearances, and his avocation as a collector and promoter of fine arts. It traces his life from his birth in St. Louis in 1911, through his varied Hollywood career before turning to horror films, his final films and plays in the 1980s, to his death in 1993 at the age of 82. Includes interviews with Price's biographer Lucy Chase Williams, daughter Victoria Price, actress Jane Russell, among others.

The two audio commentaries are both good. The first is by film professor Jeanine Basinger and composer David Raskin, who composed "Laura"'s score. These were apparently recorded separately, but on the same track. Basinger provides scene-by-scene analysis and commentary on the actors, characters, dialogue, directing decisions, and technique. Raskin comments on the score, but unfortunately we rarely hear the music on the commentary track. The second commentary is by film historian and author Rudy Behlmer. He discusses the evolution of Vera Caspary's novel, would-be play, and this film in detail, based on information from drafts of the script, interviews he conducted with the principle creative persons, personal correspondence, and studio memos. He starts with Vera Caspari's idea for a story in 1939 and goes from there, eventually discussing the details of the film project. This commentary doesn't correspond to the scene we are looking at, but it is packed with interesting and probably hard-won information. Subtitles are available for the film in English and Spanish. Dubbing is available in French.


A MUST SEE   June 15, 2001
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

I saw this movie at least ten times. First time was in my early teens, when it was shown on local TV. I never heard of Gene Tierney before, but after seeing this film, I knew I would never forget her. She was the most beautiful actress I ever saw and her mannerisms reveal a classy keen intelligence. Everything about this movie will haunt you--Tierney's beauty, the musical score by David Raksin, the portrait, and the ending.

The film is about a woman who seemed to have everything--a successful career, beauty, brains, wealth--who is discovered murdered in her apartment. A detective, Mark McPherson, played by Dana Andrews investigates the case and starts questioning possible suspects. One is the Svengali-like Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), a syndicated columnist and radio personality. Another is Shelby Carpenter, a smooth Southern gigolo played by Vincent Price (yes Vincent Price!). And there's Laura's middle-aged socialite aunt, Ann Treadwell, who was using Carpenter as her boy-toy until Carpenter meets Laura. Other possible suspect is Laura's maid, a feisty loyal Irishwoman.

The film shows narrated flashbacks by Lydecker. He idolizes her and intercepts Laura's suitors, all of whom he considers beneath her. He couldn't intercept Carpenter who attracts Laura, and who Laura was supposed to marry the week she was found murdered. The first twist of the film is when McPherson falls in love with Laura, who's presumed dead. From reading her diary and letters and continuously seeing her portrait, he discovers she's the woman of his dreams, an unattainable goddess whose physical presence he can only imagine. So when twist number two happens, the murder investigation understandably becomes secondary to this gumshoe detective.

This is the best film directed by Otto Preminger. I believe it's the first American film he directed, and his following films pale by comparison. Ironically, this is a film full of second choices. The lead was written with Jennifer Jones in mind, but she turned it down. It was then offered to Heddy Lamarr who also turned it down. Tierney claimed in her autobiography that she didn't want the role either and thought the film was going to bomb, due to the fact that many aspects of it were not prepared (the final script, the music) and that Dana Andrews (also a second choice) prior to this film never had a role as a leading man. The portrait that was originally intended for the film was painted by the wife of director Rouben Mamoulian, who was initially hired for the film but was fired by Preminger who was producing it. Paintings don't transcribe well to film so a touched-up photograph of Tierney was used as the portrait. Preminger took the directing himself. He wanted to use the song "Sophisticated Lady" by Duke Ellington as the musical score, but David Raksin made a deal with him, in which he would write a score Preminger would approve of in one weekend. Raksin claimed he kept looking at a photo of Tierney during the composition of the score and that she was his inspiration. Thus second choices made this movie a classic.

The dialogue is witty and biting, particularly that of Lydecker. The film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Webb), Best Black and White Cinematography and Best Musical Score. It only won for Best Cinematography, and I'd like to learn what films aced it in the other categories. Although awards are not considered important by many film connoisserus, the winners are the ones recognized by the next generation. Thus "Laura" remains one of the most underrated films of all time.