Laura Hunt (Jean Tierney) is riding a wave of success as a model in NYC that all comes to a crashing halt when she is murdered while answering the door at her lavish Apartment. Detective Mark Mc Phereson is assigned the case and finds himself bewitched by the beauty of her portrait and the hearsay of those that knew her. During his investigation he encounters a group of suspect characters (Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson) all claiming warmth and admiration for Laura. While they come across as refined they remain an surly trio with something to hide.
Otto Preminger's direction is both smooth and deliberate as McPhereson unravels the mystery in some nicely paced cat and mouse encounters with his suspects. Price and Anderson are solid while Clifton Webb as acerbic society critic Waldo Lydecker steals the picture. Overflowing with a sense of condescending superiority he hisses disdain for that an all around him but like all others falls for the allure of Laura. Andrews gives his usual well done everyman that is in excellent contrast to the pretentious Lydecker who first encounter each other with Waldo in the bathtub. Wracked with incertitude and finding himself transfixed at the same time with a ghost, Andrews displays the vulnerable toughness he excels at. Tierney makes for a perfect looking Laura as well as give a fine performance in this stylish and well crafted work gracefully constructed by Preminger and lensed by Joseph LaShelle.
Otto Preminger's direction is both smooth and deliberate as McPhereson unravels the mystery in some nicely paced cat and mouse encounters with his suspects. Price and Anderson are solid while Clifton Webb as acerbic society critic Waldo Lydecker steals the picture. Overflowing with a sense of condescending superiority he hisses disdain for that an all around him but like all others falls for the allure of Laura. Andrews gives his usual well done everyman that is in excellent contrast to the pretentious Lydecker who first encounter each other with Waldo in the bathtub. Wracked with incertitude and finding himself transfixed at the same time with a ghost, Andrews displays the vulnerable toughness he excels at. Tierney makes for a perfect looking Laura as well as give a fine performance in this stylish and well crafted work gracefully constructed by Preminger and lensed by Joseph LaShelle.