Sunday 20 January 2019

Laura (1944 Otto Preminger)

Considering he's clearly nuts about Laura, there's something rather gay about the way Clifton Webb invites Dana (pronounced 'Daina') Andrews into his bathroom and gets dressed in front of him.

There's some sharp dialogue in the screenplay by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein (who shaped the Lydecker part specifically for Clifton Webb, thus answering that question) & Elizabeth Reinhardt, from Vera Caspary's novel.

Gene Tierney in one of her wet hats:


Q dubbed him 'Scrawny bath man'.

David Raksin's theme winds around LaShelle/Guffey's photography. (I found myself playing that game again - 'This scene looks quite neutral - It's one of Guffey's. This looks more contrasty, more Apartment like - It's LaShelle.' I'm probably wrong - some scenes begin like one then track into the other. I don't have the eye to know which is which - but it's a fun game.)

With Vincent Price (who I still find rather difficult to take seriously), Judith Anderson and Dorothy Adams as the maid Bessie (we just saw her in Peeper; and is in Best Years of Our Lives as Cathy O'Donnell's mum).

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