History Literature / Laura

* CrazyJealousGuy: Waldo seems to feel that no other man is worthy of Laura's affection. He uses his column to destroy the career of the painter of her portrait, openly loathes Shelby, chides Mark for his seeming posthumous interest in her, and, in the climax, we learn that [[spoiler:he was the murderer, seemingly driven to {{Yandere}} status by his obsession with Laura]].

* CrazyJealousGuy: Waldo seems to feel that no other man is worthy of Laura's affection. He uses his column to destroy the career of the painter of her portrait, openly loathes Shelby, chides Mark for his seeming posthumous interest in her, and, in the climax, we learn that [[spoiler:he was the murderer, seeming driven to {{Yandere}} status by his obsession with Laura]].

* CampStraight: Waldo.

* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Laura has natural charisma and intelligence, but she was stuck as a lowly office worker before Waldo's guiding hand and networking connections gave her the boost she needed. [[spoiler:This fact also gives Waldo a sense of entitlement towards Laura, as he's the one who got her off the ground in the first place.]]

* WestminsterChimes: The doorbell in Laura's home.
* {{Yandere}}: [[spoiler:Waldo turns out to be this.]]

** In the book, Laura is painted wearing a hunting outfit. This outfit, plus the fact there are no pictures of anyone else in her apartment, serves to emphasize her self-reliance (an unusual thing in a woman of that era, and also an echo of author Vera Caspery's own self-reliance). In the movie, she is painted in a negligee, emphasizing her attractiveness.

** In fact, [=McPherson=] isn't actually that hardboiled at all. This is lampshaded in the book, in which Laura echoes author Vera Caspery's own disdain for that type of detective.

** In the book, Laura is painted wearing a hunting outfit. In the movie, she is painted in a negligee.

''Laura'' is a 1943 novel by Vera Caspary. Originally, the story was supposed to be a play, but, after it failed to materialize, it was written into as a book. The novel was adapted into a classic 1944 film starring Creator/GeneTierney, Creator/DanaAndrews, Clifton Webb, and Creator/VincentPrice. It was also later adapted into a TV play.

''Laura'' is a 1943 novel by Vera Caspary. Originally, the story was supposed to be a play, but, after it failed to materialize, it was written into as a book. The novel was adapted into a classic 1944 film starring Creator/GeneTierney, Creator/DanaAndrews, Creator/CliftonWebb, and Creator/VincentPrice. It was also later adapted into a TV play.

* MaybeEverAfter: Mark is clearly in love with Laura, and she kisses him before the climactic confrontation, but then the film ends, albeit with her in his arms.
* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Laura has natural magnetism and charisma, but she was stuck as a lowly office worker before Waldo's guiding hand and networking connections gave her the boost she needed. [[spoiler:This fact also gives Waldo a sense of entitlement towards Laura, as he's the one who got her off the ground in the first place.]]

* MayDecemberRomance: [[spoiler:Shelby and Ann are together. Subverted, as he's really only in it because he's a gold-digger and she has money.]]

* HardboiledDetective: McPherson affects this manner, despite being legitimate police.

* MaybeEverAfter: Mark is clearly in love with Laura, and she kisses him before the climactic confrontation, but then the film ends.

%%* CampStraight: Waldo.

%%* TheDandy: Waldo again.

* PrettyInMink: The clothes Waldo boys Laura includes a few furs, including a fox wrap, a mink cape, and even a knee length fur skirt.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Sort of. Mark always has his rolling ball maze on hand, causing no amount of annoyance to Waldo while he is being questioned.
* CampStraight: Waldo.
* ConspicuousConsumption: All the pretty clothes Waldo bought Laura.
* TheDandy: Waldo again.
* FilmNoir

* IfICantHaveYou: [[spoiler: Waldo tried to kill Laura for choosing another man over him]].

* PrettyInMink: A few furs, including Laura wearing a fox wrap, a mink cape, and even a knee length fur skirt.

* StartsWithTheirFuneral: Even though it turned out to be mistaken.

->'''Waldo:''' "I shall never forget the weekend Laura died. A silver sun burned through the sky like a huge magnifying glass. It was the hottest Sunday in my recollection. I felt as if I were the only human being left in New York. For with Laura's horrible death, I was alone. I, Waldo Lydecker, was the only one who really knew her..."

* BigNo: Bessie the maid lets out a very loud "NO!" after Mark arrests Laura for murder. (It's a bluff.)

* IfICantHaveYou: Waldo tried to kill Laura for choosing another man over him.

* GoldDigger: Vincent Price's Shelby is a male example of this, first latching onto Laura, then onto her even more well-to-do aunt Ann (Judith Anderson).

* ConspicuousConsumption: One scene was cut from the initial theatrical run due to it being WorldWarTwo, and all the expensive clothes and beauty treatments flying in the face of an audience asked to live austerely in order to give as much resources as possible to the war effort.
* DeletedScene: The scene mentioned above, with Waldo flashing back to how he made Laura a queen of glamor.
* FemmeFatale

* IfICantHaveYou: [[spoiler:Waldo tried to kill Laura for choosing another man over him.]]

* TheReveal: Laura being alive was a big twist, even if it came at the middle instead of the end.
* SecondaryCharacterTitle

''Laura'' is a 1943 novel by Vera Caspary. Originally, the story was supposed to be a play, but, after it failed to materialize, it was written into as a book. The novel was adapted into a classic 1944 film starring GeneTierney, DanaAndrews, CliftonWebb, and VincentPrice. It was also later adapted into a TV play.