Laura (1:41)

“Laura” is a movie theme melody written by David Raksin in 1944 for the film Laura, a noir mystery directed by Otto Preminger.

Preminger had originally wanted to use Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady” as the theme, but Raksin was not convinced that it was suitable. Angered, Preminger gave Raksin one weekend to compose an alternative melody, and over that weekend he got a personal letter from his wife asking for a divorce – which may explain its haunting quality.

The melody is lyrical, chromatic, and bittersweet, moving between major and minor moods. Because of its sophisticated structure, it became a favorite among jazz musicians for improvisation. It was recorded by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Nat King Cole, Bill Evans, and Julie London, among many others. Today, it’s considered one of the most enduring and frequently played ballads in the Great American Songbook and probably the most notable film noir music theme.

The lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer after the film made the tune popular. Mercer makes Laura not just a woman, but a metaphor for elusive beauty and memory. I tried to match my illustration to the lyric: “And you see Laura on the train that is passing through, those eyes, how familiar they seem…”

My father was of age when movies like ‘Laura’ came out almost weekly, and since there was no TV, he (and everyone else) got their entertainment at the movies. He turned me on to film noir and I became a big enthusiast.

A little about film noir:  [from Wikipedia] “Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the “classic period” of American film noir. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key, black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Many of these stories derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Great Depression.

The term film noir is French for ‘black film’ (literal) or ‘dark film’ (closer meaning). Film noir encompasses a range of plots: the central figure may be a private investigator, a plainclothes policeman, an aging boxer, a hapless grifter, a criminal, a law-abiding citizen lured into a life of crime, or simply a victim of circumstance.”

Anyway, enjoy my interpretation of the classic film noir theme “Laura.”

Dr. Weiss

PS These are the films that Covid-19 gave me the time to watch one weekend:

Rome – Open City, 1946, filmed in Rome shortly after WWII, HBO MAX
Convicted, Broderick Crawford and Glenn Ford, 1950, Prime video. A film noir classic and prison movie to boot!
Gilda, Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth, 1946, Don’t miss this one!
The Lady from Shanghai, Orson Wells and Rita Hayworth, 1947
The Mob, Broderick Crawford, 1951, He is SO good! Prime video
The Last Gangster, Edward G Robinson and Jimmy Stewart, 1937, Crime doesn’t pay!
The Safecracker, Ray Milland, 1958
The Temptress, Greta Garbo, 1926 (if this is the only silent film you ever watch…)
Grand Hotel, 1938, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore (The evil banker Mr. Potter in 1946 It’s a Wonderful Life), Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery (Long John Silver in Treasure Island 1934)
 

 
Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
And you see Laura on a train that is passing through
Those eyes how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura, but she’s only a dream