Laura is a 1968 American TV film, a remake of the 1944 film of the same name. It was directed by John Llewellyn Moxey and written by Truman Capote and Thomas Phipps. [1] David Susskind produced. [2]
The film had previously been adapted for television in 1955.
Plot summary
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Cast
- George Sanders as Waldo Lydecker
- Robert Stack as Mark McPherson
- Arlene Francis as Mrs. Ann Treadwell
- Farley Granger as Shelby Carpenter
- Lee Radziwill (billed as "Lee Bouvier") as Laura Hunt
Production
Truman Capote was friends with Lee Radziwill who wanted to act and had made her stage debut in a revival of The Philadelphia Story. He met up with David Susskind and told him, "Lee Radiziwill is going to be an actress and I think we should all put something together for her. I'm sure that she'll be so good I'll write it for her myself." [3]
Susskind thought Radziwill "wasn't very good" in her stage performance "but I thought maybe I saw a glimmer of something in her performance. The television companies had noticed the publicity, so it looked like we could set something up." [3]
Capote wrote an adaptation of The Voice of the Turtle for her but Susskind worried it would be too difficult. So he suggested they do Laura. [4]
Michael Dyne reportedly rewrote Capote's script. [5]
The show was taped in London in October 1967. Robert Stack and George Sanders reprised roles they had performed on TV in the 1955 version. [6] [3] Stack recalled in his memoirs that "the production resembled a junior high school effort." [7]
Reception
Critical reception to Radziwill's performance was hostile. [8] The Chicago Tribune called it the "worst drama" of the season in which Radziwill was "unbelievably bad". [9] Another review in The Washington Post said it was "disappointing all round." [10] The New York Times called it "so laboured and so dull that the occasion was just a laboured walk through." [11]
References
- ^ Clarke, Gerald. Capote: A Biography (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988), pp. 388–389.
- ^ Stack Will Star in 'Laura' Special Los Angeles Times 15 Sep 1967: d17.
- ^ a b c Laura' -- In Blue Blood New York Times 14 Jan 1968: D17.
- ^ Capote a Trousdale Gues Los Angeles Times 11 Sep 1967: c1.
- ^ Movies for TV, if You Have Price Los Angeles Times14 Sep 1967: d16.
- ^ A Princess for an actress Coleman, Terry. The Guardian 1 Nov 1967: 6.
- ^ Stack, Robert; Evans, Mark (1980). Straight shooting. Macmillan. p. 266.
- ^ For Lee Radziwill New York Times 1 Sep 1974: 42.
- ^ TV Today: Tribune Critic Picks Best Specials of Season: Steinbeck Play Called Tops, 'Laura' Poorest Gowran, Clay. Chicago Tribune 31 Mar 1968: g16
- ^ Much Lacking in TV's 'Laura' By Rick Du Brow. The Washington Post and Times-Herald (1959-1973); Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]26 Jan 1968: D10.
- ^ TV: Theme Song Is Still the Best Asset of 'Laura' By JACK GOULD. New York Times 25 Jan 1968: 75.