Laura
Starring
Gene Tierney ■ Dana Andrews
(1944)
The story of a love that became the most fearful thing that ever happened to a woman!
| Detective Mark McPherson investigates the killing of Laura, found dead on her apartment floor before the movie starts. McPherson builds a mental picture of the dead girl from the suspects whom he interviews. He is helped by the striking painting of the late lamented Laura hanging on her apartment wall. But who would have wanted to kill a girl with whom every man she met seemed to fall in love? To make matters worse, McPherson finds himself falling under her spell too. Then one night, halfway through his investigations, something seriously bizarre happens to make him re-think the whole case. This movie is what Film Noir is all about, it is the quintessential dark story filled with more twists and turns than a subway system. I watched this movie several years ago but had forgotten it until my brother suggested it as an evening movie for the family to watch. The funniest thing is that, while I remembered some parts, I couldn't remember who-done-it. I was just as in the dark as if it were the first time I'd seen it. And, boy, do they keep you guessing! I suspected several people in turn and was surprised in the end when it turned out to be the first person I had been suspicious of. Excellent writing for sure and the acting was good too. Dana Andrews had the perfect face and voice for Film Noir and it is particularly displayed in Laura. Gene Teirney apparently had a rough time of it in her life, but, oh, was she a good actress in the dark films like this one. This is a murder mystery but most of the violence is off screen. Yeah, many of you may remember a time when things were implied and left to the imagination instead of having everything clearly spelled out in graphic detail. I think that's one of my favorite things about these old black&white movies, they didn't discourage utilizing your own imagination. Love Film Noir, black&whites, classic films, or just a good movie that will leave you guessing, definitely give Laura a try.  88 Minutes | Principal Cast Gene Tierney...Laura Hunt Dana Andrews...Det. Lt. Mark McPherson Clifton Webb...Waldo Lydecker Vincent Price...Shelby Carpenter Judith Anderson...Ann Treadwell Filming Location(s) Stage 9, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA Awards 1945 Academy of Awards Best Cinematography, Black/White - Joseph LaShelle National Film Preservation Board, USA 1999 - National Film Registry Quotes Waldo Lydecker: I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom. Shelby Carpenter: I can afford a blemish on my character, but not on my clothes. Waldo Lydecker: Love is eternal. It has been the strongest motivation for human actions throughout history. Love is stronger than life. It reaches beyond the dark shadow of death. Mark McPherson: When a dame gets killed, she doesn't worry about how she looks. Waldo Lydecker: Will you stop calling her a dame? Mark McPherson: I must say, for a charming, intelligent girl, you certainly surrounded yourself with a remarkable collection of dopes. Waldo Lydecker: If you come a little bit closer, my boy, I can just crack your skull with my walking stick. Shelby Carpenter: For the last time, Louise, will you marry me? Louise, Ann's Cook: No, but I cooked some chicken liver for you. Mark McPherson: I suspect nobody and everybody. I am strictly trying to get at the truth. Laura Hunt: [Explaining why she broke a promise] You forced me to give you my word. I never have been and I never will be bound by anything I don't do of my own free will. |
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Thanks to IMDB.com for most of the info for this movie.
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