What I have read about the portrait of Laura. Is that it is, a photograph done over with oil paint.And the portrait of Gene Tierney as Laura appeared in On the Riviera (1951) in color co-starring Danny Kaye, then later in Woman's World (1954) starring Clifton Webb, the frustrated Waldo Lydecker of "Laura". In "Woman's World" the painting hung on a wall amid portraits of several other women who were supposed to have been former romantic interests of Webb's character.
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I didn't know the portrait was in On the Riviera and Woman's World. Interesting!
At first a painting was made by the wife of the initial director Mamoulian. After a month of filming he was fired, and Otto Preminger took over. He found the painting unflattering, he said it lacked the mysterious feel that the painting needed to capture the audience. It was flat and boring. Since it plays a large role in the movie, he wanted it to be perfect, it had to have allure and power. To replace it, Preminger sent Gene to studio photographer Frank Polony. Several portrait shots were taken, and the best shot was enlarged to the size of a painting. After it was framed it was lightly airbrushed with paint, giving it the appearance of brush strokes.
Where is it now? I know the story, thanks, but wonder where it is now, if known, pls. She is ethereally gorgeous...a shame if her likeness is lost.
It's owned by a collector named Michael Shaw. He also owned the pair of ruby slippers that were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids MN in 2005. He also has the clock from "Laura" or at least he did in the story I read some time ago.
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