Laura

[jaF0]

"Laura" is a 1945 popular song. The music, composed by David Raksin for the 1944 movie Laura, which starred Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, is heard frequently in the movie. The film's director, Otto Preminger, had originally wanted to use Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" as the theme, but Raksin was not convinced that it was suitable. Angered, Preminger gave Raksin one weekend to compose an alternative melody. Raksin later said, and maintained for the rest of his days, that when, over that weekend, his wife sent him a "Dear John" letter, the haunting theme seemed to write itself.

The lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer after the film made the tune popular, so he had to title the song "Laura". According to Mercer, he had not yet seen the movie when he wrote the lyrics but was aware that it was a romantic, somewhat haunting story


The song became a jazz standard and has been recorded more than 400 times. Some of the best-known versions are by Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Johnny Johnston, Emil Newman, David Rose, Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker, J. J. Johnson, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra, Spike Jones and Julie London.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_(1945_song)

Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall

And you see Laura on a train that is passing through
Those eyes how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream​

It seems like this story could be told a hundred (or more) different ways here. Perhaps some will take a shot at it.

 

[Rob_Royale]

A very interesting idea. I've never seen the film, but I did listen to the song just now, sung by Frank Sinatra. Very haunting indeed.

Perhaps a period story about a young man on a train. He's headed off to boot camp before going to war.

He's in the dining car when a beautiful woman of indeterminate age (a timeless beauty) walks up to his table. "Is this seat taken?"

He's just floored that such an enchanting, glamorous woman is talking to him. She's just so open and effervescent that the young man gets over his nerves and they have a delightful meal. They talk about living well and making a difference in the world and being kind to everyone.

Then she entices him back to her sleeper berth and they have a wild passionate night.

He awakes alone as the train pulls to its destination, and there is no sign she was ever there except for a heart drawn on the mirror in the same shade of lipstick she wore. When he asks the porter about the woman, he cannot recall seeing such a woman on the train during this trip.

He survives the war and Laura's face and voice show up in his dreams for the next fifty years. Until he lies in the hospital on his deathbed, he looks up in his last moments and the nurse standing next to him is Laura.

She leans over him and he hears her voice in his ear. "You have lived very well." Her kiss on his lips is the last thing he feels.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I like this. I may give this a go. I've never done a romance story, and this might fit nicely. Thanks jaF0.