Laura

Detective Mark McPherson investigates the murder of Laura Hunt from inside her apartment, keeps looking at her portrait, and at some point falls in love with it. This is a story about obsession as much as a murder case. The production started under someone else. Rouben Mamoulian struggled with the cast, and after watching the rushes Zanuck reluctantly let Preminger take over. Preminger immediately replaced the cinematographer and the set designer. There was a fight over the ending too. Zanuck demanded a version revealing the whole story as Waldo's fantasy, and it was shot. When columnist Walter Winchell watched it and said he did not get it, Zanuck backed down and Preminger's original ending stood. David Raksin wrote the Laura theme over a single weekend. Preminger had told him he would be fired if he failed, and Raksin worked from the effect of a Dear John letter from his wife. The piece became a jazz standard recorded by more than 400 artists. Preminger pushed hard for Clifton Webb as Waldo Lydecker. Casting director Rufus LeMaire and Zanuck both objected until a filmed audition of Webb performing a Noël Coward monologue convinced them. Joseph LaShelle won Best Black and White Cinematography, the only win among five nominations. Who it is for: anyone who wants one of the most elegant examples of noir. Who it is not for: viewers wanting sustained suspense. This moves more like a drawing-room drama.