Laura 1944 is an excellent murder mystery film noir. Still from the 1944 film laura twentieth centuryfox film corporation before she even appears in the 1944 film noir classic laura, laura hunt is an obsession for the hardboiled police. Its beyond dispute otto premingers 1944 film noir laura is a stone cold classic, so of course its going to be remade. Written by ginger ingenue her website is must read. In fact, this film alone provides sufficient basis to rubbish notions of classicism that linger in preconceptions of his work, those that fail to. Gene tierney as laura hunt is perfect, the role of your life. Title sequence from the film noir laura 1944, directed by otto preminger, starring gene tierney, dana andrews, clifton webb, vincent price. But i dont think laura truly enters film noir territory until waldo relinquishes the film s narration, allowing mark to become the official viewpoint character. It stars gene tierney, dana andrews and clifton webb along with vincent price and judith anderson. But viewers expecting a tough, indecipherable secret would be somewhat disappointed.
With the classic elements of film noir cinematography darkness, shadows of blinds, etc. Double indemnity, laura, murder my sweet, phantom lady, when strangers marry, and the woman in the window. This is absolutely essential viewing for any fans of film noir and particularly for anyone interested in the femme fatale as a symbolic cinematic figure. The script is wellwritten, and contains all of the suspense dialogue and plot twists typical of the genre. Laura, an american film noir directed by otto preminger and starring gene tierney. The poem vitae summa brevis, by ernest dowson, is quoted by waldo later in the film. Detective falls for a picture of a girl that was allegedly murdered but, turns up alive. His 1944 film noir laura is not only exceptionally put together, but is a film of cultural and historical significance for american cinema. The movie was adapted from the successful novel of the same name by american author vera caspary. The first film we looked at billy wilders adaptation of james m.
Suggest me movie is a free webbased film recommendation service. The screenplay by jay dratler, samuel hoffenstein and betty reinhardt is based on the 1943 novel laura by vera caspary in 1999, laura was selected for preservation in the united states national film registry by the. Otto premingers laura 1944 is one of the most beloved film noirs, not least because of its selfconsciousness about the genre. The screenplay by jay dratler, samuel hoffenstein and betty reinhardt is based on the 1943 novel laura by vera caspary. Film noir literally black film or black cinema was coined by french film critics first by nino frank in 1946 who noticed the trend of how dark, downbeat and black the looks and themes were of many american crime and detective films released in france to theatres during and following world war ii, such as the maltese falcon 1941, murder, my sweet 1944, double. Laura 1944 gene tierney, dana andrews and clifton webb laura is a classic and classy film noir, a highly entertaining murder mystery with a witty script and first class cast. Premingers filmography is one ripe for rediscovery, and the upcoming masters of cinema bluray debut of his 1944 film, laura, is perhaps the perfect place to begin any such journey of reappraisal. Adapted from the 1943 novel by vera caspary by jay dratler, samuel hoffenstein and betty reinhardt, laura tells an engaging story full of mysterious plot twists and deceiving distractions. Laura, a 1955 american television film for the 20th centuryfox hour.
See more ideas about laura 1944, gene tierney and film noir. I kind of wish theyd made his falling in love with her a little bit more gradual, and that they. Laura 1944 has a detective who never goes to the station. The film opens with a voiceover narration by clifton webb as waldo lydecker. Vera caspary first wrote her story as a play, ring twice for lora, in 1939, then adapted the play into a novel entitled laura. But i dont think laura truly enters film noir territory until waldo relinquishes the film s narration. Premingers laura is a fabulous film noir with a level of perversity not typically. Laura 1944 a police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder hes investigating. Tags crime, filmnoir, mystery language english director otto preminger cast gene tierney, dana andrews, clifton webb. A detective attempting to solve her case even falls in love with her posthumously after listening to other peoples recollections and falling under the spell of her bewitching portrait.
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of film noirs landmark year, were looking at the six key films of 1944. Laura by otto preminger gene tierney, dana andrews. The 15 best noir films of the 1940s taste of cinema. An intense meditation on the nature of love and control, laura tackles such taboo issues as voyeurism, fetishism, and necrophilia, a whole decade before hitchcocks masterpiece, vertigo, which bears some thematic resemblance to. Laura is a 1944 american film noir produced and directed by otto preminger. An intense meditation on the nature of love and control, laura tackles such taboo issues as voyeurism, fetishism, and necrophilia, a whole decade before hitchcocks masterpiece, vertigo, which bears some thematic resemblance to the 1944 film. To tell any more would rob the reader of the sheer enjoyment of watching this stylish film noir unfold on screen. Premingers laura has endured through the years as one of. It was these that admiring french critics saw after the end of the second world war and first called film noir. A sterling example of a film noir, laura continues to sparkle 60 years after its creation. Jan 20, 2002 film noir is known for its convoluted plots and arbitrary twists, but even in a genre that gave us the maltese falcon, this takes some kind of prize. The fox film noir series, a list of films by craig j. Gene tierney classic film noir classic films old movies great movies laura movie laura 1944 clifton webb detective theme from laura 1944 david raksin there are elements of maurice ravels daphne et chloe in this.
Laura is a stylish, moody film noir that folds in incredible characters and acting to make a legitimately perfect movie. The woman in the window that crystallised the emerging genre once and for all. Early examples of the noir style include dark, stylized detective films such as john hustons the maltese falcon 1941, frank tuttles this gun for hire 1942, otto premingers laura 1944, and edward dmytryks murder, my sweet 1944. Jan 14, 2019 premingers filmography is one ripe for rediscovery, and the upcoming masters of cinema bluray debut of his 1944 film, laura, is perhaps the perfect place to begin any such journey of reappraisal. I enjoyed the second viewing better than the first. Laura 1944 is an excellent murder mysteryfilm noir. Apr 25, 2012 with time, otto premingers laura gets richer in texture, deeper in meaning, and more problematic than most noir films of the 1940s.
The novel was serialized in colliers 17 oct28 nov 1942, under the title ring twice for laura. This gripping and lushly photographed film noir, one of the most acclaimed mystery thrillers of all. In fact, apart from the halfway twist much of the mysterious elements would remain predictable for modernday audiences. But i dont think laura truly enters film noir territory until waldo relinquishes the films narration, allowing mark to become the official viewpoint character. Film noiralthough the extensive literary origins of film noir have been traced to the gothic novel of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth.
Although one of the big four along with double indemnity, the maltese falcon john huston, 1941, and murder, my sweet edward dmytryk, 1944 identified by nino frank in his pioneering essay on film noir that gave the style its name, he describes laura as conventional when compared to the other three. Billy wilders classic was part of a wave of films in 1944 see also. Laura has endured through the years as one of the most beloved and talked about film noir classics in cinema history. Every male character, both young and old, seems to be in love with her. Banned in occupied countries during the war, these films became available. Laura 1944 is elegance incarnate in a genre known for its hard edge, the sleekest, silkiest noir of all. Today we look at otto premingers film of vera casparys. This paper argues that otto premingers film laura 1944 is an excellent example of film noir and shares many of the attributes of genre, especially in regards to its characters, cinematography, moodatmosphere, narrative devices, and music.
God save the seventh art and protect copies of laura for eternity. Premingers lowkey approach to a story of lethal obsession allows the suggestions of sexual deviance emanating from clifton webbs epicene critic lydecker, dana andrewss cynical yet besotted necrophiliac cop, and the. Film noir literally black film or black cinema was coined by french film critics first by nino frank in 1946 who noticed the trend of how dark, downbeat and black the looks and themes were of many american crime and detective films released in france to theatres during and following world war ii, such as the maltese falcon 1941. It may have been created out of a hodgepodge of happy accidents and second choices, but the results are first rate. As he sits in laura s apartment, ruminating over the case and his own obsessions, the door opens, the lights switch on, and in walks laura hunt, very much alive. Noir of identity and illusion senses of cinema film. Premingers laura has endured through the years as one. With rich, involving characters and a plot that features terrific twists and turns, it becomes a lively little murder mystery. Laura 1944 directed by otto preminger genres mystery subgenres film noir, romantic mystery, detective film, psychological thriller run time 88 min. Oct 31, 2017 in investigating a crime, a police officer often gets close to the victim, maybe a little too close in this famous film noir by director otto preminger. Music from the motion picture laura with music by david raksin. Laura 1944 otto preminger synopsis, characteristics. A celebrated, oscarwinning 1944 film noir, laura is the psychologically complex, gripping story of a manhattan detective dana andrewswho grows obsessed with a case hes investigatingthe murder of a madison avenue executive gene tierneyand even finds himself falling in love with the dead woman. The painting of laura watches over mark as he drowns his sorrows.
Film noir is known for its convoluted plots and arbitrary twists, but even in a genre that gave us the maltese falcon, this takes some kind of prize. Aug 26, 2014 its beyond dispute otto premingers 1944 film noir laura is a stone cold classic, so of course its going to be remade. Otto premingers laura, the film noir classic, and the. A perfect film with better music david raksin that movies ever made. With its collection of decadent new yorkers embroiled in a murder mystery, otto premingers hit laura 1944 stands as an early, elegantly crafted film noir. The 15 best noir films of the 1940s taste of cinema movie. Tags crime, filmnoir, mystery language english director otto preminger. The whole is expertly directed by otto preminger at his creative best. Of all the women of film noir, gene tierney was perhaps the most alluring, and the 1944 film laura, directed by otto preminger, is a great vehicle for her talents. The film starts after the murder of a beautiful young woman named laura. Dana andrews embodies the most cynical and romantic detective of the movies. Laura, otto preminger film analysis senses of cinema.
Like the woman in the window, laura features a protagonist under the spell of a beautiful women in a portrait. The original starred gene tierney, dana andwers, clifton. A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating. In investigating a crime, a police officer often gets close to the victim, maybe a little too close in this famous film noir by director otto preminger. Producer otto preminger ultimately ended up directing the film, after filming was begun by rouben mamoulian and his cinematographer lucien ballard. Lauraboth the 1944 film and the immortal david raksin score that supports and, in the opinion of some, lends it classic statusis the ultimate in noirish hollywood glamour. With time, otto premingers laura gets richer in texture, deeper in meaning, and more problematic than most noir films of the 1940s.