Cole Porter wished he had written it. Frank Sinatra loved to sing it. Charlie Parker reinvented it.

It’s David Raksin’s wonderful Laura.

Originally written for Otto Preminger’s classic murder mystery, Laura was subsequently adapted into a remarkably successful song, with lyrics by the legendary lyricist Johnny Mercer.

This poignant and unforgettable composition had a remarkably brief gestation.

Preminger had originally intended to use George Gershwin’s Summertime as the film’s main theme but this was struck down by Gershwin’s brother, Ira. Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady then became Preminger’s prime choice before a brash young composer intervened.

Born in Philadelphia, David Raksin was at that stage a burgeoning composer in Hollywood. His film career had begun in 1935 when Charlie Chaplin asked him to arrange the music for Modern Times.

Raksin had composed a number of scores since without breaking through to the public consciousness. That all changed after an infamous meeting one Friday afternoon.

Preminger met with Raksin and the head of the Fox Music Department, Alfred Newman. The director, already frustrated by Laura’s endless production problems, wanted to discuss the dilemma of the score.

By that stage, Laura had gone through a change in director, significant recasting and a number of script rewrites. Because of its poor reputation on the studio lot, two composers had already declined the offer to get involved.

Newman himself had turned it down, as he had concerns about working with the notoriously combustible director. The job was then passed onto future Hitchcock accomplice Bernard Herrmann, but he also refused.

When Preminger announced that he wanted to use Sophisticated Lady, Raksin insisted that it was the wrong choice. Ellington’s composition had been around for over a decade, and Raksin believed that it would carry its own connotations among the audience.

Raksin suggested that he could create something more suitable but Preminger was sceptical. On Newman’s advice, Preminger reluctantly agreed to let Raksin give it a try…so long as he could write it in two days!

Undeterred, Raksin worked like a demon. He composed a number of uninspiring themes before finding inspiration in a letter.

His first wife was away in New York at the time, and had sent him a note. Having trouble finding the right chords, Raksin placed the letter on his piano stand to see it where it would take him.

Heartbreak as it turned out. Raksin’s wife was writing to inform him of her decision to leave. Enlightened by a real sense of loss, Raksin composed a melody imbued with the pain of unrequited love.

On Monday, Raksin brought his new composition to Preminger. The director loved it. Variations of Raksin’s theme are used almost exclusively in the final picture. Yet, despite the music’s wonder, Laura’s soundtrack failed to receive an Oscar nomination.

After the film’s release, Raksin’s song was in demand. Various singers wanted to make renditions of it but there were no lyrics. After a number of unsatisfactory attempts, Raksin finally signed off on Mercer’s prose.

It has since become a jazz standard and pillar of the Great American Songbook. Laura has been recorded over 400 times by artists as diverse as Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Parker and even Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane.

Not bad for a weekend’s work…