Couldn't help but notice that Det. Lt. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) casually poured himself hard liquor in a few scenes while inside Laura's apartment... this, while he was on duty, or at least while he was officially investigating the case.
I was almost expecting one of the other characters in the story to bring to his attention that he wasn't supposed to be doing that while on duty!
"Hey, McPherson! I said 'dick' -- not *hic!*"
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...and he had the suspects going with him on the investigations...
What an unusual way to conduct police work! No wonder Waldo got a bit suspicious of his feelings towards Laura.
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๐ JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen ๐
What an unusual way to conduct police work!
Oh, I doubt that police work was conducted in such a way back then. I think that the director just wanted to introduce a bit of borderline fantasy into this film.
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๐ JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen ๐
It wasn't "borderline fantasy", just a way of giving us the idea of a tough cop who's beginning to fall in love with a corpse, in Waldo's rather un-urbane phrase. So he takes to drink, like any guy hopelessly in love. It's standard movie shorthand to describe his emotional turmoil. The fact that he's usually on duty is very funny, but I bet few people ever thought about it. Hey, it was the 40s.
What always struck me about McPherson's drinking isn't its inappropriateness within the context of the film, but the more serious fact that in real life Dana Andrews was an alcoholic. He struggled with his alcoholism for decades before finally beating it in the late 60s or early 70s. He even did TV ads in the 70s warning of the dangers of drinking, and was widely praised for his candor and courage in owning up to his problem. So every time I see "McPherson" helping himself to another scotch, and holding his glass in that peculiar, thick-fingered way Andrews always did, I can't help but think that the actor was probably disappointed that the liquid he was quaffing wasn't the real McCoy.
Allow me to please point out that in almost every single episode of "GUNSMOKE," viewers would see the Matt Dillon character in Kitty Russell's Long Branch Saloon, casually downing a beer, while on duty as a US Marshal.
It was just as "improper," right?
True about the Matt Dillon character, but in Laura, the detective was hitting the hard booze, to the point where he seemed to have a drinking problem (not too far from the reality of the actor that played him, Dana Andrews, whose real-life alcoholism took a heavy toll on his personal and professional life).
I agree with you, but need to respectfully point out that both characters were drinking either iced tea or water (depending on the drink being shown on screen), rather than actual "spirits."
shareThe Maltese Falcon's Sam Spade kept a bottle in his desk drawer. The Big Sleep's Phillip Marlow drank with Gen. Sternwood, and then with his daughter (Bacall), not to mention that horn-rimmed glass wearing (but don't judge a book by its cover) bookstore owner (Dorothy Malone). Given the work they do and the inherent danger/loneliness, it seems to go with the territory of being a P.I., although Hammett's and Chandler's real life drinking may have been a projection.
"No, I don't like to cook, but I have a chicken in the icebox, and you're eating it."