414
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #50,001 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
Thank you, Mom and Dad
About 30 years ago, my parents , who sadly are both gone now, recommended Otto Preminger's "Laura" to me. At that time, I had only seen the notoriously bad made-for-TV version starring Lee Radziwill(!) and George Sanders. When I saw the 1944 version, I was hooked. "Laura" is one of those perfect films that draws you in every time. Now when I mean "perfect", that doesn't necessarily mean believable. "Laura" is an elegant, film noir fairy tale. I'm not really sure that Laura would end up with a rough-edged detective, but who cares? That's the magic of movies! The fact that you believe it while you're watching it is what counts. If you DON'T believe it WHILE you're watching it, that's when the trouble starts! But back to "Laura". The film is elegantly photographed, with sets that I wish I could live in. Then take a top-notch cast that features a drop-dead beautiful Gene Tierney, the acidic Clifton Webb (in an incredible screen debut), the tough/sexy Dana Andrews, and the elegant and deadly duo of Vincent Price and Judith Anderson, give them a sharp-as-a-poisoned stiletto script, and watch what happens! "Laura" is a tight, smart murder/mystery with some VERY dark undertones-the effects of beauty and desire on a frustrated and twisted psyche, the destructive and venal thoughts hidden behind a veneer of sophistication and wit, and a man's growing obsession with a (presumably) dead woman are just some of the dark forces at work here. The cherry on the sundae of this toxic dessert is David Raksin's score which, of course, introduced the world to the bittersweet theme song for "Laura." I was never a fan of the Johnny Mercer lyrics for this song-it was, to me, like tacking an instruction booklet onto the Mona Lisa. Some things are better left unspoken! I don't know how many times I've seen "Laura". I've lost count. My dear friend Susan and I could act it out in front of an audience like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," we've seen it that often. If you've seen "Laura", see it again. If you haven't, rent it, or better still, buy it. It gets better the 50th viewing around.
