LAURA

US, 1944, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson.
Directed by Otto Preminger.

Laura is considered a film classic and was edited on the National Registry of Films in 1999. It was directed by Otto Preminger at the beginning of his directing career – which was, in the 1950s and 1960s, to move to large-scale spectacles including Exodus and The Cardinal. However, he directed a number of small-scale films, provoking the Motion Picture Code administrators in 1953 with The Moon is Blue and the use of what now seems simple words like pregnant and virgin which were prohibited. He also upset the authorities in 1966 with some sexual symbolism in his film of the south, Hurry Sundown.

However, at this point of his career he was directing smaller films.

Laura is considered one of the best examples of the film noir. Dana Andrews portrays a detective investigating the murder of an advertising executive, Laura, who is found dead at the beginning of the film. He interviews the suspects, her friends, reads her diary and letters.

However, halfway through, Laura appears, definitely not dead, in the form of Gene Tierney. The detective has already fallen in love with her and her portrait – and has to come to terms with the real person.

Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney were just the right cast for this romance. It was Clifton Webb, a noted dancer, who received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the arrogant journalist Waldo Lydecker. This film gave Webb a new career and he was able to use it in both serious films like The Razor’s Edge as well as a series of comedies starting with Sitting Pretty and the Mr Belvedere series.

The supporting cast includes such veterans as Vincent Price and Judith Anderson and has David Racksin’s memorable score and theme.

1. How enjoyable was this film as drama, murder mystery, human reaction, stylish and sophisticated wit and entertainment?

2. The film is considered a classic. Why? How well does it deserve its reputation?

3. How important for the film's impact was the black and white photography, the crispness of the dialogue, the structure of the film and its focus on the dead Laura, the alive Laura? How important were the stars for this film? Gene Tierney and her beauty, Dana Andrews as the ordinary man, Clifton Webb with his prim precision? The importance of the famous musical theme?

4. How enjoyable was the trick of having Lyedecker narrate the opening of the film?

5. Was the film a good murder mystery? The credits and the focus on Laura’s portrait? The nature of the investigations and the clues? Lyedecker assisting Mark? How satisfactory a puzzle for the audience was the mystery? The impact of Laura returning and the complications? The denouement and the revelation of the real murderer?

6. How important was the character of Laura for the overall success of the film? The significance of Laura as a portrait, as talked about, as admired and idealized? Was Laura as real the same? Gene Tierney's personality and style? Her good qualities, her deceiving Mark, the complications of her marriage and love? Her helping her friend, her fears? The prison interrogation? The discovery of the truth? Of her facing death? The love fulfilment at the end and its appropriateness?

7. Lyedecker, Clifton Webb's style, the initial commentary, the wit as distracting from the person, his snobbery, possessiveness, the nature of his vindictive attitudes, the discovery of the truth, the final broadcast, the melodramatics of the end and of his death? How significant a villain in film history is he?

8. Mark as the ordinary policeman, presented in the 1940's style? The importance of his fascination with Laura through the portrait and what people said of her? The lengths he went to, to understand he? The important sequence of his waking and finding her alive? The nature of his investigations, his pursuit of the truth? His love far her? A conventional hero or something more?

9. Laura’s fiance, his weakness, his role in the plot, Laura’s relationship with him and shielding him?

10. His patroness? The rich woman, holding on to someone she loved? Her contribution to the plot?

11. How satisfying ultimately was the plot and the finesse with which it was presented? How good an example of the murder mystery genre?