Sunday, April 29, 2018

Laura 1944

Gene Tierney's "Laura" and her men: Vincent Price, Clifton Webb, & Dana Andrews.




What is left to say about 1944’s Laura, one of the most celebrated film noirs? So much has been written, that I can only comment that Laura is one of my all-time favorite films, regardless of genre.
When I was younger, I found dark, nightmarish film noirs fascinating and very adult. As I’ve grown older, this genre usually grates on my nerves, especially those with stories that hinge on incredible coincidences or characters who seem to be telepathic. For instance, my eyes roll routinely if I catch The Postman Always Rings Twice, where Leon Ames’ D.A. is on to John Garfield and Lana Turner’s illicit lovers from the start—before they even consider wrong-doing! The same goes for Double Indemnity, when scheming couple Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanywck can’t catch a break with Fred’s insurance company boss Edward G. Robinson around.
Dana Andrews as the detective who seems to be love with a portrait of a dead woman.

For me, what makes Laura such a great film noir is not about the plotting and double-crossing, it’s about the mood and characters. Frankly, I never thought there was much mystery regarding Laura’s killer. While every character in the film is crazy about lovely Laura, you wonder what she sees in them—they’re mostly a pit of vipers.
'Laura' and the men in her life: the columnist, the playboy, and the detective!

The much-imitated story revolves around Laura Hunt and her social circle after it is thought she has been shot to death, right in her beautiful face. No-nonsense detective Mark McPherson is on the case and while sifting through the evidence and Laura’s life, becomes infatuated with her. There’s also a stunning portrait of Laura over her fireplace to inspire him. Mooning over the dead beauty while sorting through the case, he falls asleep at her apartment, only to be awakened by Laura, who isn’t dead after all. The murdered woman turns out to be a co-worker, with everyone a suspect—even Laura herself. The fun isn’t in the mystery, but the motives of each character, and the detective sizing them all up, to determine whodunit.
Clifton Webb in the role that made him a star, as the aptly named Waldo Lydecker.

Clifton Webb is routinely cited as stealing Laura. A former Broadway performer, Clifton created a classic character as catty columnist Waldo Lydecker, who’s obsessed with Laura. While Webb’s way with cutting comedic lines gets most of the praise, he also gives a great dramatic performance as the older man drawn to an ideal young woman, who knows that he can’t truly have. With Laura, the acidic, flamboyant Webb became an unlikely but big movie star, moving on to dramas like The Razor's Edge as well as the classic Mr. Belvedere comedies and the family favorite, Cheaper by the Dozen.
One of the great beauties of '40s films, Gene Tierney in literally her signature role as 'Laura.' 

Gene Tierney is usually touted for her great beauty, and rightly so. During her heyday, critics weren’t often kind, and a few felt that Tierney wasn’t all that Laura was touted to be, by the other characters. Gene wasn't as dynamic of an actress, as say, Vivien Leigh. Yet, Tierney radiated class and intelligence, something that studios went to great pains to give the illusion of in many of their actresses. However, like Leigh, Gene’s picture perfect, placid beauty had an undercurrent of emotional tension, which gave an extra dimension to her performances. Both actresses had turbulent personal lives and struggled with emotional illness, and worked hard to keep an even keel. I think Gene’s background and persona made her perfect as Laura Hunt. Consider that Hedy Lamarr was an early choice for Laura, and it’s easy to see how well Gene Tierney works in the role.
Vincent Price as the weak charmer, Shelby, the type of role that made him a character star instead of a matinee idol.

Vincent Price became typecast after co-starring as Gene's smarmy, slightly campy second-string love interest in both Laura and the next year in Leave Her to Heaven. Yet, Price plays the type so well! Vincent is sly and self-deprecating as boy toy Shelby Carpenter. And Judith Anderson is both sympathetic and sinister as Ann Treadwell, Laura’s aunt and rival for Price’s Shelby.
Dana Andrews is effortlessly natural as the street-smart detective Mark McPherson.

However, the unsung hero of Laura is Dana Andrews as detective Mark McPherson. Andrew’s gumshoe is street smart and tough, but with a tender side, which causes him to fall for Laura's bewitching portrait. Dana Andrews is a bit like Humphrey Bogart, but without the more obvious mannerisms. Andrews is the perfect every man in which audiences can view lovely Laura and her circle of friends. Amidst the movie’s intrigue and baroque characters, Andrews is the movie's rock.
Movie composer David Raskin wrote Laura’s theme, a recurring refrain throughout the film, and became justifiably famous. Later, lyrics later added by the great Johnny Mercer, and became even more popular.
Azadia Newman, wife of the original director of 'Laura,'
was a portrait painter. This was her take on Joan Crawford;
her portrait of Gene Tierney as Laura was not used!

This film is so smooth and near flawless, that it’s hard to fathom that Laura had such a fraught production. Fox’s head honcho Darryl F. Zanuck first refused to let Otto Preminger direct, but only produce. Rouben Mamoulian was brought in, but nobody was happy with his vision of Laura. So Rouben was given the boot, along with his painter wife Azadia Newman’s portrait of Laura. Even with Preminger now on board, Zanuck, a notoriously “hands on” mogul in more ways than one, called for a change in Laura’s ending. That is, until he showed it to columnist pal Walter Winchell, who basically commented, “Great picture, except for the ending!” I’m giving you the Reader’s Digest version, as my Mom likes to say, because the behind the scenes drama is a movie in itself.
Dana Wynter as Laura in '55's 'Portrait of Murder.'

This sublime slice of cinema was hilariously remade as a TV movie in the 1955. Robert Stack, with his glowering eyes and otherwise stony face, plays Dana Andrews’ detective role. The future Untouchables star only demonstrates how subtle Andrews was, compared to Stack, who always sounds like a morose radio announcer. Since this was 20th Century Fox’s foray into television, who else but Fox contract player George Sanders would do as Waldo Lydecker, right? Sadly, Sanders is on acid-tongued autopilot here and the cartoonish script has his Lydecker getting decked by the detective. Dana Wynter, a pale substitute for Tierney as Laura, comes across like a prim secretary. And since this is ‘50s TV, there’s even a wise cracking kid, who was Laura’s smitten neighbor, and says things like, “Gee, why would anyone want to kill a swell girl like Laura?”
Robert Stack and George Sanders reprised their roles a dozen years later
in yet another TV remake with Lee Radziwill as 'Laura.'

Even stranger was another TV remake over a dozen years later, in ‘68. Aging Robert Stack and George Sanders were trotted out once again as the detective and the columnist, opposite Jackie O's sister, Lee Radziwill, as Laura. Lee was getting mentored by writer/society pal Truman Capote as an actress—I’m surprised Tru didn’t suggest himself as catty scribe Waldo Lydecker! The reviews were lethal and any copies of the production are now hard to come by.
Also, did you know there was a 1962 German TV version of Laura, with Hildegard Knef as Laura? You can watch it on YouTube.
Who remembers the Carol Burnett spoof, 'Flora?'

And TV fans, do you remember Carol Burnett’s spoof of Laura, called “Flora?” I only remember Vicki Lawrence as Bessie, the hysterical maid, and Steve Lawrence as the wisecracking detective. And I’m sure Harvey Korman played the imperious Waldo Lydecker. Does that leave Lyle Waggoner as Shelby Carpenter? I’d love to find this!
So, what do I love about Laura? That it gave Gene Tierney her signature role? That it made Clifton Webb a movie star at 55? That it makes audiences appreciate the naturalistic Dana Andrews even more today? That it has one of the loveliest movie themes ever? Laura is one of those rare films where all the elements come miraculously together, despite what was going on behind the camera, to create movie magic.



1944's 'Laura' all comes together in one lovely film noir.
FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 


24 comments:

  1. I also loved her in Ghost & Mrs Muir with Rex Harrison.

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    1. The Ghost and Mrs Muir was an endearing film. I don't think there is a Gene Tierney or Rex Harrison film I have ever disliked.

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    2. Gene actually starred in a number of good films at Fox!

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  2. Dana Andrews doesn't get enough praise! I love that you highlighted him in your entertaining writeup. Laura was the first movie I saw Dana in, and in that scene where he's alone in Laura's apartment, I just fell head over heels in. Never recovered either. He wasn't the most versatile of actors, but his solid presence sure brought something special to a lot of great movies.

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    1. Dana was a very natural actor for his era, which I really appreciate. He made some really great films in the forties, too!
      Thanks, Rick

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  3. The late TCM host Robert Osborne owned the actual painting and had it in his NYC apartment.

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    1. I never knew this til I posted about Laura. How appropriate! I hope the painting is in good hands still... Thanks, Rick

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    2. Actually, the "portrait" is paint over photograph. Painted portraits don't read very well on film or video, so this little trick is common.

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    3. Yes, I've read that. I've also seen the original portrait done by the original Laura director's wife, who was an artist--they made a good choice in using the painted photo! Cheers, Rick

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  4. Concerning Carol Burnett's version parody of Laura called 'Flora', I'm pretty sure that Lyle Waggoner had left the show by then. I've only seen the episode once when it originally aired, but it was hilarious.

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  5. Robert Osborne's painting was a copy. If you look at the pictures from the portrait is his home it does not match the markings of the background at all. It its in fact an actual painted recreation. It's beautiful though.

    check this out on the painting.

    http://www.robswebstek.com/2012/01/gene-tierney-laura.html

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    1. Hi John,
      So, who owns the original? Which is really an airbrushed blown-up photo...wonder how it's holding up?
      What I really want to know is, what became of the painting done by the first director's wife, Azadia Newman? Did she keep it? Newman was a popular society painter, I think her style was a bit severe for the dreamy Laura!
      Thanks for all the info...
      Rick

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    2. The photos from Rob's page are from my house. I really do not know what happened to the original painting done by Azadia Newman. I wish I did. The publicity department didn't even have a record of the painting close up. They did of course have the set still which was produced for the 20th Century Fox studio lot book released last year. Hope this information helps.

      ~John

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    3. That's what I thought. Got the feeling Preminger wanted to start with a clean slate but it would be cool to see the original. What was the name of the book by the way?
      Thanks!
      Rick

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  6. Hey Rick,
    The book is called 'Twentieth Century Fox: A Century of Entertainment by Michael Troyan (Jeffrey Paul Thompson & Stephen X. Sylvester from the Archives worked on it with him supplying the photos. My uncle used to be in charge of the Fox Archives from the mid 60's till around 79-80.

    ~John

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    1. I also used to own the piano in Laura's aunt Ann's apartment. I had to sell that as my home at the time wasn't big enough to accommodate the huge prop.

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  7. How cool, and I will have to check that book out! Rick

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  8. This is beyond fabulous. I don't know where to start...but you floored me with Hildegard Knepf. The museum of Television occasionally trots out a screening of the Lee Radziwill version. It's on my bucket list! Amazing detail here Rick.

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    1. I never knew about the German TV version til I started researching this essay! Watch the '50s TV version...it's like a campy cartoon! I would DIE to see Lee's version of 'Laura.' Do you live in NYC? So much has been written about Laura, that I decided to focus on what hasn't been said, plus my two cents on the cast. As awesome as Clifton Webb is as Waldo, Tierney and Andrews are very natural actors by today's standards. And great support by Price and Anderson. I could watch this movie every week! Cheers and thanks for writing, Rick

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  9. This indeed is one of the all time best movies, Rick, and you have done it justice with your wonderful article that captures its elegant appeal. This film is many genres in one, from noir thriller to mystery to soap opera, romance and sophisticated comedy wrapped into one. I have seen it a hundred times and always find something new to life ve about it, and will doubtless see it a hundred times more. Congrats on another beautiful post.
    - Chris

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  10. Chris, I swear I could watch Laura every week!
    As you say, it's a lot of genres all rolled into one...
    Really had to think on this one, as so much has already been written, and then realized that Preminger and Webb usually get all the accolades, and Tierney got talk for her beauty, and Andrews often overlooked... and that was my hook!

    Cheers and look forward to reading your latest!

    Rick

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  11. I'm surprised no one is mentioning Judith Anderson's superb scene in the bedroom as Laura watches her in the mirror while she refreshes her makeup and says she was indeed capable of being the murderer, but wasn't.
    Judith must have rehearsed and blocked that scene so precisely....the way she manipulates her compact and lipstick as she paints on her persona, choreographing and timing every flawless, minute move of her hands, the props, her composed face, to emphasize and give precision to the lines she's speaking, painting in the shadows of her character's true nature, then finishing by drawing her veil over the self-revelations.....it's a truly brilliant piece of work.

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    1. A nifty, stylish scene for sure! In a movie filled with many, and a great role for Anderson, as well!
      Cheers, Rick

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