I inaugurate this database with a review of the film Laura, a sentimental favorite starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews. While the dialogue is not particularly thought-provoking nor the performances particularly inspired, Laura was groundbreaking for its exploration of some truly disturbing themes. Where does love cross the line to obsession? And can it blossom beyond the grave?
Needless to say, the title of the movie contributes to a significant amount of bias on my part, but the 88-minute film is truly engrossing, especially if the story is foreign to you. The performances are stiff, but they fulfill their function without distracting from the story. Gene Tierney (Laura Hunt) is beautiful. Dana Andrews (Mark McPherson) is sexy and tortured. Clifton Webb (Waldo Lydecker) is prissy; Vincent Price (Shelby Carpenter) is feeble; Judith Anderson (Ann Treadwell) is jaded; and Dorothy Adams (Bessie Clary) is peevish. They all capably fill their metaphorical shoes and move the story along with only the occasional disruption for melodrama.
All told, the film is vastly superior to the book by Vera Caspery (although she deserves acclaim for the originality of her plot and presentation, spinning the story from three different viewpoints.) The delicious Cassini costumes, the infamous portrait of the heroine, and, of course, the haunting theme song weave a tapestry of "film noir" that has proven difficult for other films of the genre to emulate. Laura is as much a work of art as it is an entertaining picture.
Conclusion: I would highly recommend Laura as a standard for a rainy Sunday afternoon. And for all women named Laura.
The lyrics to the theme song:
Laura is the face in the misty light,
Footsteps that you hear down the hall,
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall.
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through.
Those eyes - how familiar they seem.
She gave your very first kiss to you.
That was Laura, but she's only a dream.
I think you don't devote enough attention to Dorothy Adam's finely nuanced performance....
Posted by: Janice on January 28, 2003 08:20 PM