Laura

Sunday I found the film, Laura, on TV. Bringing up Baby was also on, and although BUB is a film I can turn on at any time and enjoy, I decided to watch Laura from the beginning. (I have BUB on DVD.)

I'm not sure if it was Laura or The Best Years of Our Lives that turned me on to Dana Andrews. Let me be superficial here--he was hot. But he wasn't only hot--he could act. The Best Years of Our Life is worthy of a post on its own.

In Laura, Dana as Mark McPherson epitomises the tough cop with a tender side. He doesn't really fall in love with Laura's portrait (as Clifton Webb's character Waldo Lydecker says)--he falls in love with the woman that is described to him (although it doesn't hurt that she is as beautiful as Gene Tierney.)

There are a few good suspects in the murder: Shelby Carpenter--Laura's cheating fiancee--I won't go as far as calling him sleazy but maybe he's oily (Vincent Price looking more broad shouldered than I remember from my favorite Saturday matinees); Ann Treadwell, a rich woman in love with Shelby who admits to Laura that she's considered murder (Judith Anderson who's scary just from remembering her role in Rebecca) and Waldo (Clifton Webb) who seems to have taken his role as mentor a bit too far.

I don't remember if I guessed the killer in this movie the first time I watched it. Sometimes I actively seek the murderer, other times I just let the story unfold before me.

I recommend Laura for its mystery, film noir aspects, good cast and twists.