Gene Tierney Movie Recommendation #1

Laura (1944)- 1 hr 28 mins

In this noir classic, Gene Tierney is ambitious advertising executive Laura Hunt. Laura, who was idolized by everyone while she was alive, continues to command the attention of others - even after her murder. As police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) tries to solve her murder, the past of the ill-fated beauty is uncovered. Unfortunately, she also drew the attention of the most unlikely and unsavory of characters. Among them is Clifton Webb. He is insanely witty as arrogant newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker. There is Vincent Price as the sheepish southern gigolo whose intentions are decidedly less than honorable. Lastly, Dana Andrews is a hard-boiled cop, who is unnerved by his feelings for the victim.

With movies, there is already an expectation that you are going to see beautiful, untouchable people up close on a larger-than-life screen possibly in some exotic and romantic location. The story in Laura only heightens this feeling. Is she real? What kind of woman could have the power to captivate so many? The confusing part is that Gene Tierney actually underplays the idealistic figure with whom everyone remains enchanted and continues to rant and rave about. We have all built her up in our own minds, so finally meeting her is somewhat disappointing. It's an anti-climax of sorts. She is not Ava Gardner. If Tierney played Laura in an obviously enticing and untouchable way, as the audience, we would know what to expect. The film would be much more predictable There would be no mystery to her allure. By downplaying the "untouchable" Laura, Tierney only adds to her character's mystery and captivating powers. The audience continues to wonder, what is the secret ingredient? In a sense, the downplay is the climax.

Do not miss this film. I have shared a bit more about it here. It won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, marked producer and director Otto Preminger's big directorial break, and cemented Tierney as a star. The film is hard to forget, especially with its immortal, haunting score by David Raskin.

Availability: Youtube, Amazon, Googleplay, DVD, and Blu-ray.

• Purchase DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Film-Noir-Gene-Tierney/dp/B00008LDNZ

• Purchase Blu-ray: https://www.target.com/p/laura-blu-ray/-/A-14381438?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Entertainment%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Entertainment&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9003967&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&ds_rl=1246978&gclid=CjwKCAjw67XpBRBqEiwA5RCocd1pv4Sn1iC03qgGbev8Fe4frtrK76Q6qRgXOAkT6AIrsrKuhKmh0BoCoc8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds