Dvd/150: LAURA (Otto Preminger, 1944)

Certain films never set out to be classics of their genre but for some reason became just that.  Considering how the studio system was, these films could have been assigned to another director or actors, and been nothing special but somehow with these films alchemy happened.  Step forward Otto Preminger's glossy film noir LAURA...

Advertising executive Laura is shot dead in her apartment.  Detective Dana Andrews singles out three suspects: waspish columnist Clifton Webb whose launched Laura, rich aunt Judith Anderson and feckless gigolo Vincent Price who leaves her to romance Laura.

The detective becomes fascinated with the beautiful but dead Laura until she suddenly arrives back in her apartment three days after her 'murder' very much alive!  So who was murdered and can the detective find the killer?

Gene Tierney is a luminous Laura while Webb triumphs as the queeny Lydecker.  David Raskin's memorable and haunting theme still delivers.

Shelf or charity shop?  LAURA is actually in DVD limbo (kept in a paper sleeve and in a plastic storage box)...