Movies at Mechanics' Presents Laura (1944)

A Manhattan detective investigates the murder of socialite Laura Hunt, interviewing her best friend and a snobby gossip columnist in her Park Avenue apartment.

By 1944, film noir had reached its peak. The struggles of the Depression followed by World War II had left audiences hungering for dark, cynical stories like The Maltese Falcon, and Hollywood found great success in adapting those stories to the screen. When director Otto Preminger came across a serialized story entitled Ring Twice for Laura, he knew he wanted to direct it. For the main cast in the film that would become Laura, Preminger assembled Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Dana Andrews, and Vincent Price. 

Gene Tierney had been a contract player at 20th Century Fox since 1940. Though she had mostly played supporting roles up to this point, she lit up the screen with her striking blue eyes and breathtaking beauty. Her role in Heaven Can Wait the previous year established her as a star, and after she made Laura, she became an A-list Hollywood actress.

Otto Preminger was known as a somewhat difficult character in Hollywood. He had clashed with studio head Darryl Zanuck on an earlier film, and due to this ongoing feud, he was given permission only to produce Laura, not direct it. But Preminger got his way when director Rouben Mamoulian clashed with him over the casting of Clifton Webb and the nature of Dana Andrews’s character. Preminger fired Mamoulian, and began directing the film himself over Zanuck’s orders. The move was auspicious–Preminger makes the film his own, and gives us a noir for the ages.

Much of the suspense in Laura is achieved through the use of light, shadow, and camera angles. Preminger cleverly utilizes non-verbal cues to create tension in the atmosphere, which is so effective for the audience that, at certain moments, it sends chills down our spines.

October is Suspense Month here at Movies at Mechanics’ and Laura has become a beloved archetype of the art of noir. It features one of the greatest twists of the genre, and an unforgettable theme song.

Stay tuned for:

Sunset Boulevard (75th Anniversary) on October 17

Movies at Mechanics' has welcomed film enthusiasts for classic cinema screenings and salons on Friday evenings for over 20 years. Join us for fresh popcorn, lively discourse, and your favorite films the first three Fridays of the month. Hosted by Lara Gabrielle, film writer and author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies.