Laursa 1944

     Laura Hunt has been found dead on the floor of her apartment.  She was shot twice with a shotgun.  Detective Mark McPherson is assigned to investigate the murder.  There are a lot of suspects, Waldo Lydecker, he helped her with her career.   Shelby Carpenter and Laura were supposed to marry Thursday of this week.  Ann Treadwell is in love with Shelby and Laura is not sure if Shelby is cheating on her with a model?  McPherson can’t seem to stop looking at the large painting above the fireplace in her apartment.  He begins to fall under her spell as well.

     The music in this film is by David Raksin and it seems lingering, sentimental and sorrowful but never intrusive.  All the characters except for Laura, her maid Bessie and McPherson care only about themselves, what they want, what they need and how they are going to accomplish getting their wants and needs.  All the suspects have a story to tell but what is the truth?  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

88 min, Film-Noir directed by Otto Preminger with Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson.

Note:  Imdb 8.1 out of 10, 100% critic 91% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*.

Special Note:  Film noir is a genre known for convoluted plots and twists in the screenplay.  Preminger began by producing this film and then became the director.  The original director Rouben Mamoulian started out making a disaster.  Daryl F. Zanuck was the head of the studio at the time of filming and it was a struggle to get this film made.  Zanuck didn’t like the original ending and another was filmed but cut and back to the first ending on the advice of Walter Winchell, a real gossip columnist.