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Kritzerland is proud to present a new limited edition soundtrack release to one of the most beloved classics ever:
LAURA
Music Composed by David Raksin
Laura—both the 1944 film and the immortal David Raksin score that supports and, in the opinion of some, lends it classic status—is the ultimate in noir-ish Hollywood glamour: a dark masterpiece that somehow transcended all the difficulties strewn along its path to production to become one of the great exemplars of the accidental artistry of a largely commercial studio system. With a brilliant cast, including Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson, and sublime direction by Otto Preminger, Laura, based on the novel by Vera Caspary, is as iconic a film noir as there ever was. The film is filled with classic bon mots, most of them coming from Clifton Webb as the acerbic Waldo Lydecker. “I should be sincerely sorry to see my neighbor’s children devoured by wolves,” or “I don’t use a pen, I write with a goose quill dipped in venom,” or “I cannot stand these morons any longer. If you don’t come with me this instant I shall run amok.”
The film, which runs a brisk eighty-eight minutes, was nominated for four Academy Awards – Clifton Webb received a Best Supporting Actor nomination and the others were for screenplay, director, art direction, and photography. It took home the prize for Joseph LaShelle’s velvety beautiful black-and-white photography. But what becomes a legend most? In the case of Laura it is clearly one of the greatest movie themes ever written. Laura was David Raksin’s first major composing assignment and he delivered the goods, with a breathtakingly beautiful monothematic score that fits Laura like a glove. Shockingly, there were twenty best score nominations in 1944 and Laura was not one of them. But the theme and the score have endured and grown even more popular over the years. Many singers have recorded the song (with its lyric by the great Johnny Mercer), and there have been an equal number of instrumental and jazz covers – in fact, during Raksin’s lifetime it was said to be the second most recorded song in history.
In tandem with the film’s release on Blu-ray, we are thrilled to present for the first time on CD, the complete score for Laura. The previous CD release on Arista, which has been out of print for many years, was missing about ten minutes of cues. Additionally, what was presented was compiled into a twenty-seven minute suite with no track breaks – one long track. That release was taken from a reel-to-reel tape, but for this complete release the original elements were used. Additionally, we include as a bonus some test demos and the entire suite from the previous release. In total, eighteen tracks of prime David Raksin, and a score that truly stands the test of time.
Laura – a movie and musical masterpiece.
Laura is limited to 1000 copies only. The price is $19.98, plus shipping.
CD will ship the second week of March but preorders placed at Kritzerland usually ship one to five weeks early (we’ve been averaging four weeks). To place an order, see the cover, or hear audio samples, just visit www.kritzerland.com.
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Bravo!
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Thank you!
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AWESOME. I've been hoping for a reissue of this. Can't wait.
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I know this is an unusually popular David Raksin work and much more likely to sellout, but usually his work does not command sell out status. I'm happy labels manage to keep his music refreshed, if only for us few who think he is extra special. Thanks guys.
Raksin is extraordinary, but sadly doesn't seem to sell - except for Laura, which is a whole different ball of wax, due to the classic and iconic nature of the film and its theme. But I would do any Raksin and we've got more coming.
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Instantly ordered, increased postage prices be damned. Thanks Bruce, this is incredible. I was listening to my newly acquired Hilda Crane CD last week and wondering if a new Laura would be released. I should hope for things more often!
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Raksin is extraordinary, but sadly doesn't seem to sell - except for Laura, which is a whole different ball of wax, due to the classic and iconic nature of the film and its theme. But I would do any Raksin and we've got more coming.
Thanks for the new LAURA!
I hope that BIGGER THAN LIFE will be among the Raksins which will come from Kritzerland in future. Can we expect it from your label, Bruce?
And is there any chance that the Raksin scores for the late 40s Preminger movies FALLEN ANGEL, DAISY KENYON, WHIRLPOOL have still survived at Fox?
And of course CARRIE from Paramount would be magnificent.
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I wonder if the music will sound this good on the blu ray?
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Raksin is extraordinary, but sadly doesn't seem to sell - except for Laura, which is a whole different ball of wax, due to the classic and iconic nature of the film and its theme. But I would do any Raksin and we've got more coming.
Thanks for the new LAURA!
I hope that BIGGER THAN LIFE will be among the Raksins which will come from Kritzerland in future. Can we expect it from your label, Bruce?
And is there any chance that the Raksin scores for the Preminger movies FALLEN ANGEL, DAISY KENYON, WHIRLPOOL have still survived at Fox?
And of course CARRIE from Paramount would be magnificent.
We're looking at everything 
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I wonder if the music will sound this good on the blu ray?
I don't believe there is an isolated score track on the Blu-ray.
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AMAZING NEWS!! But why...why....WHY ONLY 1000 copies???? This is a classic classic score from a classic classic movie!!!
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I know this is an unusually popular David Raksin work and much more likely to sellout, but usually his work does not command sell out status. I'm happy labels manage to keep his music refreshed, if only for us few who think he is extra special. Thanks guys.
Raksin is extraordinary, but sadly doesn't seem to sell - except for Laura, which is a whole different ball of wax, due to the classic and iconic nature of the film and its theme. But I would do any Raksin and we've got more coming.
Keep 'em coming K. Do you have any good David Raksin stories from your past?
He was a very bright and fun person to be around. I used to go to little luncheons at his house, and then we spent a little time together at some awards thing for Stephen Sondheim in NY. Sondheim was a big Raksin fan and vice versa. We all went to lunch together and it was just so much fun to sit there and listen to him.
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AMAZING NEWS!! But why...why....WHY ONLY 1000 copies???? This is a classic classic score from a classic classic movie!!!
Because that's the world we live in right now - hoping things will change, but for now and any Golden Age score - it's touchy to go higher. We thought about it a lot, believe me.
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That release is most fortunate!
Last Sunday, I attended a digital screening of the restored film.
I am not too fond of that picture, never have been I must say.
But the score... I am highly delighted that we finally get it in complete form and with better sound than ever before.
Thank you!
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That release is most fortunate!
Last Sunday, I attended a digital screening of the restored film.
I am not too fond of that picture, never have been I must say.
But the score... I am highly delighted that we finally get it in complete form and with better sound than ever before.
Thank you!
And separate tracks!
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