A young woman’s beauty and charm enchant a trio of men—including Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews), the detective investigating her murder in Otto Preminger’s suspenseful classic noir. Among McPherson’s suspects in the killing of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) is effete, middle-aged columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), who schooled her in sophistication and claims she represented “the best part of myself.” Another is Laura’s beguiling but ne’er-do-well fiancé Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price), who is also her Aunt Ann’s (Judith Anderson) kept man. Laura’s story unfurls through Waldo’s flashbacks, McPherson growing more and more captivated with Waldo’s version of Laura even as the real woman remains elusive. Preminger both produced and directed this adaptation of Vera Caspary’s novel, blending an attractive cast, sleek production design, and Joseph LaShelle’s Oscar®-winning gorgeous black-and-white cinematography into an indelible drama. Threading through it all is David Raskin’s theme and score, its haunting air adding another evocative layer to the mystery at the heart of the film. —Pam Grady
The new season of the You Must Remember This, launched on September 15, is called "The Bisexuals," and it’s about torch singer—and accused murderess —Libby Holman, and her sexually-fluid group of friends and lovers from the 1920s to the end of the 1960s, which included Montgomery Clift, Tallulah Bankhead, Josephine Baker, Nicholas Ray, Laura star Clifton Webb, and many more. 
In celebration of You Must Remember This’s new season, the podcast’s award-winning creator and host Karina Longworth introduces the Festival’s screening of Laura, her opening remarks sure to deepen our appreciation and understanding of Otto Preminger’s classic 1944 noir.