Cover-art blunder with Fox's "Laura" on Blu-ray? (1 Viewer)

[Filmgazer]

Who IS that on the Blu-ray cover art for "Laura"?! Cick on link below to see Gary Tooze's review of "Laura" in Blu-ray that he posted on his website (DVD Beaver). His sharp eye caught the fact that someone at Fox Home Video made a major blunder in the Blu-ray cover art and, apparently, the menus and actual disc art as well. That is definitely NOT Gene Tierney in the arms of Dana Andrews! It looks more like Linda Darnell wearing a blonde wig. Only thing is, Darnell and Andrews only made two movies together – “Fallen Angel” and “Centennial Summer” – and in both, Darnell is a brunette (as she was in real life). Maybe the photo’s a composite? Regardless, somebody at Fox goofed! ;-) http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdreviews10/laura_.htm

 

[philip*eric]

Though airbrushed , that is Gene Tierney -- see the photo posted at dvd beaver. Also Dana Andrews was not in CENTENNIEL SUMMER with Linda Darnell -- I think their only other film together was ZERO HOUR.

 

[OliverK]

Horrible cover art.

 

[Charles Smith]

Sure is. And sadly, this is hardly the first time the new cover art is so execrable that the star is barely recognizable.

 

[Eric Vedowski]

At least Fox is consistent-the LaserDisc & VHS of Laura had bad covers too.

 

[JoeDoakes]

No, it doesn't look at all like Linda Darnell. Problem is, it barely looks like Gene Tieney. It's photographed from a very odd angle.

 

[Robin9]

Though airbrushed , that is Gene Tierney -- see the photo posted at dvd beaver. Also Dana Andrews was not in CENTENNIEL SUMMER with Linda Darnell -- I think their only other film together was ZERO HOUR.

They were definitely together in Fallen Angel.

 

[TonyD]

Silly topic, that's clearly him.

 

[Craig Beam]

This is gonna require yet another custom blu-ray cover....

 

[philip*eric]

They were definitely together in Fallen Angel.

If you read the original post, it mentions FALLEN ANGEL -thats why I said their only "other film" was ZERO HOUR!!

 

[Robin9]

If you read the original post, it mentions FALLEN ANGEL -thats why I said their only "other film" was ZERO HOUR!!

You're right. My mistake.

 

And Fallen Angel is an excellent film BTW

 

[Garysb]

I always question if the so called extended cut is not in fact the original cut. I remember how Laura played on TV and it was very clear that something had been cut from the film when Waldo remembers Laura. It was a jump cut. They have smoothed this on the DVD so it plays better than it did on TV back in the day. I guess I just wish the film would default to the complete version of the film rather than having to dig for the so called extended edition. I have heard two versions of the reason why the footage was cut. One mentioned on the DVD was that Laura was seen as too glamorous for war time . The other was a music rights issue during the cut scenes. Neither makes much sense to me. The war was ignored in the film. There were certainly many other films made during the war where the women were dressed glamorously without complaint. Music rights I am less familar with but I suppose it was possible but it wasn't mentioned on the DVD.

 

[John Gilmore]

I have heard two versions of the reason why the footage was cut. One mentioned on the DVD was that Laura was seen as too glamorous for war time . The other was a music rights issue during the cut scenes.

I have heard a THIRD version, although I honestly don't remember where ("Celluloid Closet" perhaps?). I've heard that the notion of Waldo "re-making" Laura into a society lady seemed to infer Waldo was gay (like Waldo and Shelby didn't appear that way already?) and so that scene was requested cut by the studio. Of the three, this one sounds, to me, the most logical

 

[Filmgazer]

Phillip, You are SO right on both counts. I was mistaken that Dana Andrews co-starred with Linda Darnell in "Centennial Summer" -- it was Cornell Wilde.! And I'd completely forgotten about Darnell and Andrews in "Zero Hour", their only other film together besides "Laura" and "Fallen Angel'> And that IS apparently Gene Tierney (although extensively air-brushed) on the Blu-ray cover art for "Laura". Gary Tewes has updated his review on DVD Beaver to include a link to the original photo from which the cover art was taken. WHY would sometime try to change Tierney's looks?! Thanks for the reply. Louis

 

[Ray H]

Looking at the pictures, it looks like they overdid it, especially by airbrushing out her cheekbones and flattening the bridge of her nose. The coloration also alters her pale eyes. They've altered her defining facial features.

 

[gunthertoody]

It looks nothing like her. I thought it was a blunder too, but after googling her and looking very closely at her features (especially her nose), it's likely her. I think the reason most of us are so skeptical is because her cheekbones are a dominant characteristic of hers and they've been done away with.

 

[David_B_K]

I was convinced it wasn't Tierney until I saw the original photo. I don't know what's worse - using a wrong photo or "enhancing" one so that it no longer resembles the actress in question. Makes one wary of what sort of fiddling went on with the film itself. I would have used original poster art or simply the color version of the painting of Tierney.