Laura, 1944

A police detective falls for the woman whose murder he’s investigating. Before he’s finished investigating, strange happenings make him rethink his findings.

Laura’s only Academy Award was won by Joseph LaShelle in the category of Best Cinematography, Black and White. He must have been thrilled to win the first Oscar he was nominated for. Oscar nominations went to Otto Preminger for Best Director and Clifton Webb for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. It was also the first Oscar nomination for both of those men. Additional Oscar nominations were received for Best Writing in a Screenplay and Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration in a Black and White.

The trench coat and fedora at the beginning of the film put me in the mood for a classic film noir. The shadowy lighting as well as the attitude of the detective was perfect. There were many twists and opportunities to guess who killed Laura, but I never guessed correctly.

Gene Tierney played the title role with her own special flair. She appeared in five movies with Dana Andrews from 1941 to 1950. He added a lot to this film as Det. Lt. Mark McPherson.

I hadn’t realized Vincent Price was in the movie when I started watching it. He was great in his role as Shelby Carpenter, who seemed a little slimy.

No comments: