This portrait of actress Gene Tierney is perhaps one of the most recognizable props in film history. Created for the 1944 film 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂, it plays a crucial role in both the story and the film’s haunting atmosphere. The original portrait of “Laura” was painted by Azadia Mamoulian, wife of the film’s original director, Rouben Mamoulian. However, after several weeks of production, Mamoulian was fired and replaced by Otto Preminger, who also took on producing duties. Preminger felt the painted portrait lacked the mystery the film required, and he quickly set about replacing it. To achieve the ethereal effect he envisioned, Gene Tierney was photographed by Frank Polony. The resulting image was enlarged and lightly brushed with oil paint, transforming the photograph into something that read as a painting on screen. The portrait did not retire after 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂. The same portrait and frame were reused in the 1951 film 𝑶𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒂. Learn more at: Bit.ly/Props003
