Laura

Directed by Otto Preminger, 1944
NR; 88 minutes

“Less a crime film than a study in levels of obsession, Laura is one of those classic works that leave their subject matter behind and live on the strength of their seductive style.” —Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

As NYPD Detective Mark MacPherson (Dana Andrews, The Best Years of Our Lives, Curse of the Demon) investigates the grisly murder of beautiful marketing executive, Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Leave Her to Heaven) he finds himself accused of obsessing over the dead woman’s image.

Anyone in Laura’s life could be a suspect, from her sleazy fiancé (horror icon Vincent Prince, House of Wax, Michael Jackson’s Thriller) to her overprotective mentor (Clifton Webb, The Razor’s Edge, Titanic)—the film has enough surprises to keep a modern audience guessing until the very end.

This screening will include a newly recorded video discussion with Brandon Davis, host of Front Row Classics: A Hollywood Golden Age Podcast.

The “My Favorite Films” series features tales of romance, humor, suspense, satire, and heroism with films since 1945. These films may hold special memories for you—no matter how many times you see them, they continue to draw you in once more. While many of these films are available through streaming, it's always more fun to see them in the theatre.

Cowtown Movie Classics (CMC) is partnering with My Favorite Films to take you down the damp streets and smoky alleyways of the criminal mind with three film noir essentials.

Literally French for “black film,” the term film noir was a retroactive description of wartime and post-World War II crime films. Known for their stylized black-and-white cinematography, these films explored the darker side of life, featuring gangsters and guns, dangerous dames, and determined detectives. Rather than clear-cut heroes and villains, film noir emphasized moral ambiguity.

The Deadly Dames series showcases different examples of the femme fatale trope through films from the height of the noir movement in the mid-1940s. Each screening is introduced by CMC Host Ryan Bijan.

Make a day of it at the Modern and include extra time to visit the galleries. Enjoy lunch in Café Modern and then settle in for an afternoon screening, or plan for a coffee break afterwards with fellow film enthusiasts.

Screenings are at 2 pm most Wednesdays in the auditorium. Tickets are $5 (FREE for Modern members) and are available at the Museum’s admission desk or online here.