All About Laura, Paula, and Margo

Laura

In 1944 Otto Preminger directed and produced an American film noir with an all-star cast. The film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The American Film Institute named it one of the ten best mystery films of all time. It has appeared in Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” series. The film was by 20th Century Fox.

The movie begins with the death of Laura portrayed by Gene Tierney. This lovely young woman got a shotgun blast to her face and died tragically right inside of the door to her apartment. This fact does not take away from the thrill of this movie. In flashbacks we get to know all about Laura, her life, and her friends. The entire plot of the movie is played out over three days of a weekend on which Laura was to go to her house in Connecticut.

Her housekeeper Bessie Clary portrayed by Dorothy Adams, had the misfortune to discover the grisly murder. She was very devoted to Laura. 

We meet many interesting people like Laura’s closest friend from the beginning when he first met her Waldo Lydecker portrayed by Clifton Webb. We discover that he supposedly helped make Laura the woman she became eventually. They had a large age gap but since Waldo was a newspaper columnist and knew many top people in society, he became her mentor. He was also a very jealous man and looked down on any suitors she had, especially a man named Shelby Carpenter.

A young Vincent Price portrays Shelby Carpenter, a playboy who is a ‘kept man” quite attached to his wealthy socialite aunt, Ann Treadwell portrayed by Judith Anderson. What we also find out is that supposedly Shelby had become the fiancée of Laura, who was going away to her country house to think about whether to marry him or not for a long weekend. That is before she got murdered.

In steps, what could be called the hero of the story, who will eventually unravel the mystery of Laura’s murder. The young, handsome detective given this assignment, New York City Police Department detective Mark McPherson, is portrayed by Dana Andrews. As time goes by and he interacts with all the people in Laura’s life, looks through her personal things, and learns more about her, he falls in love with her image. After all you cannot fall in love with a ghost, can you? He spends some nights in her apartment looking at a beautiful portrait of Laura hanging above her fireplace.

One night, sleeping in an armchair in Laura’s apartment Mark hears a key in her door, it opens, and in steps Laura, or is it a dream? This is where I leave you there is much more to enjoy from this movie to the very surprising ending. I have included the link to the original movie trailer. Find it and watch it you will be glad you did and even after you have seen this movie once you will want to see it again after some time has passed. 

Paula

Also from 1944 we have a brilliant psychological thriller “Gaslight” directed by George Cukor. This movie starred the top stars of this year in Hollywood. It keeps us in suspense from beginning to end. What could be said about a man who married a lovely young woman and tried to make her believe she is losing her mind?

The studio was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and this movie won two Academy Awards – Best Actress Ingrid Bergman and Best Production Design. The film has been selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The story begins when in 1875 world-famous opera singer Alice Alquist is found murdered in the home in London, England. At the time her niece, Paula Alquist at the age of fourteen portrayed by Terry Moore is staying with her aunt and the murder psychologically affects the young girl. To help the young Paula, she is sent to Italy to hopefully become as famous an opera singer as her aunt was. The young grown up Paula is portrayed by Ingrid Bergman. Her head is turned when she is taken on a two-week whirlwind romance with her accompanist Gregory Anton portrayed by Charles Boyer. The pair marry, and Anton suggests they settle down in her aunt’s London townhouse which has been left to her.

Anton knows more about his young wife than he is willing to admit to her. He has a very big interest in living in Alice Alquist’s home and has even met her at one time. He knows just how to handle things. After his young wife, Paula finds an upsetting letter to her aunt from a man named Sergis Bauer he hires a young maid, Nancy portrayed by a very young Angela Lansbury to look after her and see that no one bothers his very “high strung” wife.

As time goes on Anton starts weaving his web of lies beginning with insisting that his wife Paula is getting more and more forgetful. He keep up his campaign to drive her insane by making sure she hears noises coming from the boarded-up attic and seeing the gaslights in the house dim for no reason at all. When her loving husband returns he assures her it is all in her mind.

In this movie we also have a hero in the guise of a Scotland Yard inspector, Inspector Brian Cameron portrayed by Joseph Cotton. He was a childhood admirer of her aunt, Alice Alquist and finds it interesting that Paula greatly resembles her. When he discovers that a gift of royal jewels was never recovered after Alice was murdered he is determined to open this cold case.

Inspector Brian Cameron steps in just in time. By now Gregory has convinced Paul she is not only forgetful, imagining things, but also a kleptomaniac. Things are getting worse day by day with Paula now practically isolated from the world. What happens next is for you to discover watching this fascinating and thrilling movie. I have attached a link to the original movie trailer. 

Margo

“Dial M for Murder” is an American crime thriller from 1954 brilliantly directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It has an all star cast. Both the screenplay and stage play, on which the film was based were written by English playwright Frederick Knott. The film is by Warner Brothers. Keep an eye out for Alfred Hichcock whose cameo is a signature occurrence in most of his films. In this one he can be seen thirteen minutes into the film in a black-and-while reunion photograph Tony has on his wall. He is seen sitting at a banquet table among former students and faculty.

The plot of the film is about a young wife Margot Mary Wendice portrayed by Grace Kelly who gave up the love of her life after an affair to devote herself to her husband Tony Wendice portrayed by Ray Milland because she claimed her husband had changed and loved her. Then we discover her husband plans to have her murdered and so the film takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride.

Tony is a retired English tennis player married to wealthy socialite Margot. Margot has an affair with American crime-fiction writer Mark Halliday portrayed by Robert Cummings. Thinking that now all is well between her and her husband Margot has not idea that Tony has found out about her affair and is setting a plan in motion to murder her and inherit her fortune. 

Tony seeks the help of an old acquaintance from Cambridge University Charles Swann portrayed by Anthony Dawson. Charles has become a small-time con man and has a criminal record. When Swan arrives at his Maida Vale flat Tony tells him about his wife’s affair. He informs him that he found a love letter from Mark in her handbag. He forces Swan to help him with his plan to murder his wife.

Meanwhile Mark Halliday has returned to England and visits Margo and Tony. Margo still has no idea her husband knows what happened between her and Mark. The two men plan to attend a bachelor party while Margo will remain home alone. A perfect target for Charles Swann and her husband’s devious murder plan, To find out what happens to Margo and how the plot further unfolds in the movie watch it and you’ll find it will intrigue you. Take a look at the original movie trailer.