VICKI (1953)

Director: Harry Horner

A remake of Fox’s Noir I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941), with Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters reenacting the characters played by Betty Grable and Carole Landis.

Harry Horner had been a student of Preminger in Vienna. His “homage” to the Master is evident from the start. Peters’ portrait is quite reminiscent of Tierney’s, and framed similarly.

Towards the end of the film, Crain and suspect Elliott Reid take refuge in an all-night movie house. The off-screen film is… LAURA, and a portion of the precinct scene is heard.

Inside joke relished by Premingerians : Reid complain he’s “seen the film four times” while waiting for Crain… Continue reading →

LAURA : PORTRAIT FOR MURDER (TV MOVIE, 1955)

Director : John Brahm

Producer : Otto Lang (TFC Television Productions)

Broadcast : CBS,  10/19/1955. 56 mn

Screenplay : Mel Dinelli

Director of photo : Lloyd Ahern (LAURA’s operating cameraman)

Art direction : Lyle Wheeler, Herman Blumenthal

Editor : Robert Simpson

CAST : George Sanders (Waldo Lydecker), Dana Wynter (Laura Hunt), Robert Stack (Mark McPherson), Scott Forbes (Shelby Caprenter), Johnny Washbrook Danny Morgan), Gloria Clark (Bessy), Gordon Wynne (MacAvity), Robert (B.) Williams (Fred Callaghan), Harry Carter (Policeman)

One of the numerous “capsule” television remakes of Twentieth Century Fox classics. Also released as film in certain territories.

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