Eyes of Laura Mars is a 1978 thriller film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, adapted from a spec script titled Eyes, written by John Carpenter, was Carpenter's first major studio film. Producer Jon Peters, who was dating Barbra Streisand at the time, bought the screenplay as a starring vehicle for the actress, but Streisand eventually decided not to take the role because of "the kinky nature of the story", as Peters later explained. The role went to Dunaway, who had just won an Oscar for her performance in Network.
Production began on October 17, 1977. It was shot entirely in New York and New Jersey. The famous sequence where the Laura Mars character photographs a group of models against a backdrop of two burning cars was filmed over four days at New York's Columbus Circle. The $7 million production wrapped on January 9, 1978, after 56 days of filming. It was reported that Peters and Dunaway had a tense relationship while making the film, and that Streisand visited the set on a few occasions.
On its release, the film received mixed critical reviews, with critics such as Roger Ebert pointing out its clichd "woman in trouble" plot. Despite its lukewarm critical reception, the film was a box office hit, earning $20M off of a $7M budget.
The film's theme song, "Prisoner", was performed by Streisand, and was included in the soundtrack.
Laura Mars is said to be an example of an American version of the giallo genre. The film is also noted for its twist ending.
