double indemnity ( film )
double indemnity: classic film noir film scores vol. 1 (original soundtrack recordings )
essays, uk. (november 2013). double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay. retrieved from urltoken
a dvd release for' double indemnity' film critic john powers reviews the dvd release of billy wilder' s classic double indemnity, starring fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck .
film noir is the most intoxicating of hollywood cocktails, and none is more potent than double indemnity .
double indemnity essays are academic essays for citation. these papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of double indemnity by director billy wilder .
double indemnity is the season' s nattiest, nastiest, most satisfying melodrama .
double indemnity academy award nominations ~ vip ~ 16. 05. 2016 - youtube
you are currently reading the double indemnity house, from book to film to reality at under the hollywood sign .
the final scene in the house in double indemnity … yes, that was beautiful .
double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay .
ukessays. com. 11 2013. all answers ltd. 07 2018 < urltoken > .
ukessays. double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay [ internet ]. november 2013. [ accessed 9 july 2018 ]; available from: urltoken
in double indemnity, the make - up on barbara stanwyck… mistake there. big mistake .
thank you intrada for this fantastic release. 38 minutes for double indemnity, 30 minutes for
double indemnity from bookrags. (c) 2018 bookrags, inc. all rights reserved .
ukessays. november 2013. double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay. [ online ]. available from: urltoken [ accessed 9 july 2018 ] .
all answers ltd,' double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay' (ukessays. com, july 2018) < urltoken > accessed 9 july 2018
double indemnity screenplay by billy wilder and raymond chandler. based on the novel by james m. cain
barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray star in
double indemnity
from 1944. both played against type .
double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay .
all answers ltd. ukessays. com, november 2013. web. 9 july 2018. < urltoken > .
film noir black film or dark film. the film noir genre was born from crime films: audiences grew bored with the criminal protagonist. audiences grew bored .
interestingly, double indemnity locates the house not in los feliz but in hollywoodland, where cain himself lived .
[ … ] 15 tags: billy wilder, double indemnity, james m. cain, raymond chandler by chris routledge underthehollywoodsign has a nice piece about the house used in the film double indemnity as the home of phyllis dietrichson, played by [ … ]
double indemnity. film background year of release: 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james .
thanks for the fabulous info about the sites of double indemnity! i watched it again today on tcm and was reminded what a fabulous film it is .
duplicitous duo... barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray in double indemnity. photograph: everett collection / rex features
double indemnity suite: prelude - narration - the meeting - the lovers - the murder - finale ...
main titles from billy wilder' s
double indemnity
( 1944) with miklos rozsa' s score .
schmuck bait: the titular double indemnity clauses are clearly described as this by walter. they go for it anyway .
billy wilder' s
double indemnity
is a film noir classic of deception as a normal insurance salesman in los angeles is lured into a dark ...
double indemnity. film background year of release: 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james. - ppt download
dear old hollywood: double indemnity: film locations... dietrichson house, 6301 quebec drive, hollywood hills | vintage los angeles & hollywood | pinterest | d…
on april 24, 1944, billy wilder' s thriller double indemnity, eventually nominated for seven oscars at the 17th academy awards ceremony, was reviewed in the hollywood reporter. the original headline was
double indemnity drama of knockout proportions .
looking for movie tickets? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing double indemnity (1944) near you .
in this interview, conducted by james linville, billy wilder discusses collaborating with raymond chandler on the script for double indemnity .
stalk it: the double indemnity house is located at 6301 quebec drive in the beachwood canyon area of the hollywood hills .
download ppt
double indemnity. film background year of release: 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james .
insurance fraud: the plot of the film revolves around phyllis' attempt to arrange her husband' s murder and collect his insurance money, which pays double in the event of accidental death (i. e. double indemnity) .
wilder himself considered double indemnity his best film in terms of having the fewest scripting and shooting mistakes and always maintained that the two things he was proudest of in his career were the compliments he received from cain about double indemnity and from agatha christie for his handling of her witness for the prosecution .
curated by conductor robert ziegler and featuring singer hannah waddingham, this is film music from the wrong side of the tracks including hits from rebel without a cause and double indemnity .
thank you for writing this post about the double indemnity locations. as a fan of film history, los angeles history and architecture etc. i' ve really enjoyed your blog. i wrote a post on my blog about noir and double indemnity and put a link to your post. urltoken cheers -
the question and answer section for double indemnity is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel .
people go to a film with certain expectations based on that genre. how well the film fulfills these will determine in part how well the film succeeds .
wilder was not only proud of his film, he was plainly fond of it as well :
i never heard that expression, film noir, when i made double indemnity... i just made pictures i would have liked to see. when i was lucky, it coincided with the taste of the audience. with double indemnity, i was lucky .
“double indemnity, ” “roman holiday, ” “miracle on 34th street” and a double feature of the english and spanish - language versions of “dracula” join the previously announced “jaws” to round out the schedule of classics .
tagged :
double indemnity
, barbara stanwyck, billy wilder, fred macmurray, james m. cain, raymond chandler, spanish colonial architecture
presentation on theme :
double indemnity. film background year of release: 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james .
— presentation transcript :
despite the singer kate smith organizing a campaign to get the public to stay away from double indemnity on its release, the film was a hit, even as some critics were divided as to its moral rectitude. the notoriously waspish and conservative gossip collumist, louella parsons surprisingly gave the film her seal of approval but the film was jilted by the academy. perhaps the final word on the perfect noir of double indemnity should go to alfred hitchcock, who wrote to the director - -
since double indemnity, the two most important words in motion pictures are' billy' and' wilder'
.
with the headline: the screen;' double indemnity,' a tough melodrama, with stanwyck and macmurray as killers, opens at the paramount .
james m. cain’s liberty story, “double indemnity, ” apparently based on a sensational murder of the 1920s, has become an absorbing melodrama in its paramount adaptation. it is certain boxoffice insurance. and double indemnity with such marquee names as fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck and edward g. robinson .
film review. i basic information about the film. ii a brief summery of the plot. iii your opinion – good and bad things about the film. iv conclusion .
{ { cite web | last = essays | first = uk urltoken | title = double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay | publisher = ukessays. com | date = november 2013 | accessdate = 9 july 2018 | location = nottingham, uk } }
a dark, tautly constructed adaptation of james m. cain' s novel - - penned by billy wilder and raymond chandler - - double indemnity continues to set the standard for the best in hollywood film noir .
double indemnity
along with
the lost weekend
are two of my very favorite rózsa scores. amazing that intrada has managed both this year !
great article! i studies this film in a2 film studies and it really is a land mark in the noir stylistic .
on 24 april 1944, one of the all - time great film noirs had its first public screening: billy wilder’s double indemnity. here are stars barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray filming their clandestine rendezvous in the supermarket .
dozens and dozens of film noir movies from the 1930s and' 40s are now on dvd. our critic at large has piles of them, but he says one stands out: the new digitally remastered double indemnity .
james m. cain' s liberty story ,
double indemnity ,
apparently based on a sensational murder of the 1920s, has become an absorbing melodrama in its paramount adaptation. it is certain boxoffice insurance. and double indemnity with such marquee names as fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck and edward g. robinson .
double indemnity study guide contains a biography of director billy wilder, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis .
can be seen as a standard in the genre while double indemnity is fixed around the idea of the genre and twisted to use certain attributes of the genre .
right now, today, double indemnity is my favorite rozsa noir score. i would need to view the movie again to detail why that is the case .
film historians maintain that double indemnity was instrumental in easing the restrictions enforced by the censorship code, and many believe that it is the archetype of a whole host of later films in which the main characters are thorough villains .
well, double indemnity does just the opposite, and how i love it. it' s sort of like psycho, in that the leading man is oddly sympathetic and the leading lady always suspect. but there' s a core of sadness in the lead pair in double indemnity, instead of the shiftiness that characterizes both…
some view double indemnity (1944), the dark, suspenseful adaptation of the james m. cain story, as one of the best, if not perfect, noir film. a june 1944 film review in time magazine called it the
nattiest, nastiest, most satisfying melodrama .
ii
shadows of suspense
. double indemnity universal legacy series dvd (universal studios). 2006. the lost weekend can be enjoyed here at network wesome .
double indemnity is a clause in an insurance policy that provides for double the face amount of the policy should the policyholder die of an accidental death (a death that is not intentional, such as murder, nor foreseeable, such as cancer) .
double indemnity. novella by james m. cain published 1935, eight - part serial in liberty magazine hard - boiled school of crime fiction – cynical, first - person .
this study guide consists of approximately 51 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of double indemnity .
in many ways, woody allen’s quote encompasses all the main elements that make billy wilder’s double indemnity (paramount pictures, usa, 1944) a masterpiece. anchored in the film noir’s aestheticism, its low - key lighting, oppressive music, sharp dialogues and breathtaking performances achieve to make this film an unavoidable classic .
alfred hitchcock american cinematheque barbara stanwyck bette davis billy wilder dan duryea double indemnity eddie muller edward g. robinson egyptian theatre femme fatale film noir film noir blonde film noir foundation film noir horoscopes françois truffaut fritz lang gloria grahame howard hawks humphrey bogart ida lupino james m. cain james stewart joan crawford john huston joseph cotten lacma lana turner lauren bacall marilyn monroe michael curtiz mildred pierce neo noir nicholas ray orson welles otto preminger raymond chandler robert mitchum robert siodmak roman polanski stanley kubrick tcm tcm classic film festival the big sleep zodiac fun
based on james m. cain' s 1943 novella of the same name, double indemnity tells the story of an experienced insurance salesman who starts an affair with the seductive wife of one of his clients & devises a scheme to murder his client in a manner that invokes the double indemnity clause of his insurance plan. trouble begins when his boss begins to…
ok i was able to download the music from the
double indemnity / killers / lost weekend
cd. that' s definitely not the version i' m looking for. what i originally heard on youtube was titled
double indemnity suite
, was slightly more than 8 minutes & had a faster tempo than the cd. very dramatic ending .
film noir is an american invention, although clearly many of the major directors were from europe having fled the nazi takeovers. many of the cinematographers however were american. while billy wilder, the director / co author of double indemnity is from austria - hungary, john seitz, the cinematographer for this film was from chicago
great breakdown of film noir… especially for someone that is not so familiar with the “genre” (if one can truly call it that… .) i have not seen double indemnity in many years and this most definitely makes me want to revisit the classic !
james m. cain’s liberty story, “double indemnity, ” apparently based on a sensational murder of the 1920s, has become an absorbing melodrama in its paramount adaptation. it is certain boxoffice insurance. and double indemnity with such marquee names as fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck and edward g. robinson. there are unmistakeable similarities between the paramount pic and [ … ]
amazingly enough, as you can see above, the house has remained virtually unchanged since 1944 when double indemnity was filmed. i simply cannot express how cool i think that is !
the cd with double indemnity and lost weekend is great. if the tempos are slower than those in the film, big deal. if it' s lacking in high end, boost your treble. big deal. it' s a great album .
a dramatic, dark and moody evening of music from the film noir greats presented by one of the uk’s best known film critics mark kermode .
a rich woman and a calculating insurance agent plot to kill her unsuspecting husband after he signs a double indemnity policy. against a backdrop of distinctly californian settings, the partners in crime plan the perfect murder to collect the insurance, which pays double if the death is accidental .
of course, i flipped right to wilder’s answer to crowe’s question about the direction given to barbara stanwyck in “double indemnity” for the silent shot on her face while the murder is occurring .
i cannot tell you how thrilled i am that paramount located double indemnity tracks and that this album came together for intrada. i am glad to see people as excited as i am !
double indemnity (wilder, 1947), which is based on the novel of the same name by james cain, underwent a similar transformation from print to screen to that of crossfire, but where the latter removes all vestiges of the queer, double indemnity makes a point of adding into a narrative a strong homosocial relationship. brian gallagher made a study of the changes and concluded :
praised by many critics when first released, double indemnity was nominated for seven academy awardsbut did not win any. widely regarded as a classic, it is often cited as a paradigmatic film noir and as having set the standard for the films that followed in that genre .
i absolutely love this film. i came across it when i did an independent study on film noir, and it became one of my instant favorites (as well as the 1941 version of “the maltese falcon”). film noir is such an interesting and complex genre, because it includes aspects from so many different influences. i think “double indemnity” is one of the better examples of all of those influences working well together .
thrilling and suspenseful, double indemnity is a complex classic that deserves to be seen and praised by all movie - goers. you won' t be able to keep your eyes off the screen .
billy wilder' s classic film noir double indemnity (with seven nominations and no wins), one of the best, but darkest films ever up for a best picture award, based on james m. cain' s novel; undoubtedly, the film' s cynicism and hard - boiled themes hurt its competitive changes against the' feel - good' winner
: one of the main areas in which the film differs from the book .
cite a: braudy & cohen, p. 696, film theory and criticism
american film comparative study. american film – comparative study context 1. why are the classic noir films obsessed with the femme fatale? 2. why are .
guest in the house, 1944, film noir directed by john brahm. avi
films of the 1940s and the genre of film noir. films during this time were often dramatic, melodramatic, or considered a film noir. other genres like .
many critics and film historians point to april 24, 1944 as the birth date of film noir, for it was on that date that double indemnity premiered. as is the case with so many other things to come out of hollywood, film noir may be shaving a year or two off its age. whether the corrosive portrait of greed among the middle class of l. a. rightly lays claim to being the first film noir or is really beside the point. the creation of any movie genre is a process, and wherever double indemnity may fall in the line of succession between film noir’s birth and death, one thing is beyond argument: it was the key film in developing many of the genre’s most familiar tropes and signatures, both because it contained soon - to - be iconic representations of those generic elements and because it exposed those elements to the largest audience yet in the weeks and years to follow .
in the ten year interim between releasing its two rankings of the 100 greatest american movies of all time, double indemnity leaped from 38th to 29th on the american film institute' s list. the film inarguably inaugurated one of the most critically revered genres in cinematic history, and continues to be one of the most paradigmatic examples of the film noir genre that populated american cinemas in the postwar years, and continues to influence the style and content of contemporary crime dramas .
i love that film. great photos. i hope you had a nice weekend .
the quintessential film noir - - acid and snappy, and shockingly cold - blooded .
it is indeed true that
double indemnity
represents one of the best examples of a film noir and has also been viewed to set some standards for the upcoming movies. in film noir, elements like violence, sexual harassments, adultery, crime and greed are representatives of similar evil types in the society with a moral conflict emerging at the base of the plot (gene 145) .
it was followed by double indemnity (1944), one of the most searing of the early films noir and, in the eyes of many historians, the apotheosis of the genre. james m. cain’s 1936 novella, on which the film is based, had been deemed too controversial for hollywood’s production code…
powers says billy wilder' s film, an account of infidelity and murder starring barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray, is the best example of the enduring power of film noir .
a monumentally important screenplay. dear every screenwriter / filmmaker, read billy wilder & raymond chandler’s screenplay for double indemnity [ pdf ]. (note: for educational and research purposes only). the dvd / blu - ray of the film is available at amazon and other online retailers. absolutely our highest recommendation .
a screen grab showing the staircase in the set built for “double indemnity. ” notice that the delicacy of the original has been replaced with a heavier style of work. also notice that the plaster is finished much more roughly than in the actual home, presumably so that the texture would be evident on film .
double indemnity will remain on movie best lists as long as they are written. it ranked no. 38 on the afi’s original top 100 in 1997, and then jumped up to no. 29 when the list was revised in 2007. it holds a key place in film history on a number of fronts. as suspense, it’s nail - biting. as romance, it’s passionately intense. and as noir, it’s as good as it gets. the maltese falcon (1941) may have begun film noir, but it was 1944 that gave us edward dmytryk’s murder my sweet, otto preminger’s laura and wilder’s double indemnity masterpiece. which brings us back to muller’s statement: “if i had one movie to explain to people what noir is, it’s double indemnity. ” muller insists that noir is hollywood’s only organic artistic movement. and if that’s the case, what does that say about this amazing film, the epitome of hollywood’s only organic artistic movement ?
many noir writers had their works translated into film. some of the more famous are :
i agree – wonderful film. my favourite from old hollywood. perfect in every respect .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
join the bbc concert orchestra for a dramatic evening of music from the film noir greats .
luhr, william. raymond chandler and film. new york: frederick ungar, 1982 .
many marked widler’s decision to remove the gas chamber scene as an improved ending, more succinct and screen - friendly. and now, over 70 years later, double indemnity is still regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made .
double indemnity
is a marvelously crafted noir film that is purely driven by its impeccable narrative and flawless filmmaking techniques. billy wilder, howard hawks, john ford, alfred hitchcock; all renowned people within cinema history, but were unknown in my book. little did i care to learn about these filmmakers, nor did i care to see their work because it was too
old school
for me. boy, am i glad to have seen this film. james m. cain, the author of
the postman always rings twice
which is the source material for the narrative, is beautifully translated from book to film by billy wilder' s deft hands. the narrative' s where all the glory is at: it flows like liquid gold with tensely interesting twists and turns from start to finish; no hiccups found here. and what' s found within the storytelling is one of the most highly engaging and innovative crime thrillers to date. though
double indemnity
is already regarded as an exceedingly entertaining film due to the narrative, the film surpasses further due to flawless directing. the noir elements audiences have come to know are present, but with spotless results. the style
double indemnity
takes to deliver crisp, sharp - edged shadows, the breathtakingly distinct shots, and the narrative told by flashback are nothing short of astonishing. merely, everything about
double indemnity
is perfect. billy wilder managed to craft a masterpiece that remains fresh even to the 21st century. nothing short of cutting - edge ,
double indemnity
is brimming with an atmosphere of a cool, cold cockeyed - ness style - - a film that will not be forgotten for decades to come .
double indemnity is based on a novella of the same name by american crime novelist james m cain [ 1892 - 1977 ]. the story first appeared as an 8 - part serial in liberty magazine in 1935. the novella was adapted for the movie by another american crime writer raymond thornton chandler [ 1888 - 1959 ] along with director billy wilder [ 1906 - 2002 ]. a made - for - tv remake, double indemnity (1973) was released in 1973 .
talking double indemnity originally an eight part novella from james m. cain, a famous writer of detective books the parts no one wanted - stanwyck and mcmurray pretty skeptical four months of hell - wilder and chandler look out for that double entendre dialogue! original ending - not for our eyes # 38 on the afi top 100 list box office and critical success
double indemnity is a black - and - white crime story that combined a number of elements now known as film noir hallmarks: low lighting, expressionist use of shadows symbolizing a morally ambiguous universe, morally weak men and predatory women, urban environments filled with dissolute criminals, and voice - over narration combined with a flashback structure. while previous films had combined some or even most of these elements, double indemnity fused them together with unprecedented sharpness, coherence, and originality, likely owing to the directorial stewardship of billy wilder and raymond chandler' s talent as a wordsmith .
some eight years later paramount were to finally acquire double indemnity for $ 10, 000 less than their original offer. james m. cain was somewhat annoyed but breen was still implacable. it took a treatment by wilder and his regular writing partner charles brackett to finally get his grudging acquiescence. the film was approved with a few changes .
will join haynes to discuss issues raised by his work and the hopper film programme. part of
– blakeney, catherine, ‘an analysis of billy wilder’s “double indemnity”‘, studentpulse (2009) accessed the 13 / 02 / 2014 – gemünden, gerd, a foreign affair: billy wilder’s american films (new york: berghahn books, 2008) – hanson, helen and o’rawe, catherine, the femme fatale: images, histories and contexts (basingstoke, hampshire, uk; new york: palgrave macmillan, 2010 .) – lax, eric, woody allen: a biography (new york: alfred a. knopf inc, 1991) pp. 37 - 8. – mills, michael, ‘double indemnity: an in - depth look at the classic’, moderntimes (2007) accessed the 13 / 02 / 2014 < urltoken > – schickel, richard, bfi classics double indemnity (london: british film institute, palgrave macmillan, 1992 )
double vision... a still from the coen brothers' film blood simple, set to be remade by zhang yimou as a woman, a gun and a noodle shop. photograph: sportsphoto / allstar / cinetext collection
richard dyer, professor of film studies at university of warwick and author of white and the matter of images will join todd haynes to discuss issues raised by his work and the hopper film programme .
i don' t use itunes much except for sampling music i may buy on cd but there' s something called the
double indemnity suite
there. i think i' ve heard this on youtube. it' s a fairly long piece that begins with the opening credits & touched on all the major themes. it' s a slow version of the opening theme so i wondered if this is the
double indemnity / lost weekend
cd people refer too. i actually enjoyed this piece .
influential radio host and hearst paper columnist louella parsons would go even further, saying ,
double indemnity is the finest picture of its kind ever made, and i make that flat statement without any fear of getting indigestion later from eating my words .
prepare to get your nostalgia on. eight films, including “psycho” and a “grease” sing - a - long, are returning to theaters later this year as part of the “tcm presents” series, a partnership between fathom events and turner classic movies with several major studios. “double indemnity, ” “roman holiday, ” “miracle on 34th street” and a double feature of the english [ … ]
the film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman, barbara stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead, and edward g. robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find phony claims. the term double indemnity refers to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles the payout in cases when death is caused by accidental means .
high stakes conflict of emotions. this film pits the fixation of passion versus the enticement of evil .
film noir pictures from paramount with dramatic soundtracks are examined in exciting world premiere 2 - cd set .
, the preserved mag track of the “prelude” featured a slightly different ending than the one heard in the film; we have included the film version (from the composite audio) as an “extra. ”
voted the wga’s # 26 greatest script of all time, double indemnity was a collaboration between three of history’s sharpest writers. first, we have the author of the source novel, james m. cain, the brainchild behind subsequent adaptations like mildred pierce (1945) and the postman always rings twice (1946). it was double indemnity that proved cain’s novels could become noir successes on the big screen, contributing a complex murder plot where one of the plotters tries to beat his insurance company at its own game .
following the releases of the vintage paramount scores the lost weekend and desert fury, intrada' s next entry is a 2 - cd set featuring seven different composers writing for film noir classics. the headliner is miklós rózsa' s oscar - winning score to double indemnity, in near complete form. rózsa composed three principal motifs for the film. a restless “conspiracy” theme dominates his score, but it is the powerful murder theme that opens the film and the composer returns to this theme repeatedly with an almost tragic quality. the third principal theme is a love theme .
establishing the genre of film - noir in cinema, catapulting billy wilder into the big leagues of hollywood filmmakers & expertly sustaining its foreboding ambience throughout its runtime, double indemnity is one of the brightest works of wilder' s career which, in spite of revealing its finale to the viewers in its opening moments, succeeds in carving out its own moments of suspense .
after the success of double indemnity, imitators of the film' s plot and style were rampant. in 1945, producers releasing corporation, one of the b movie studios of hollywood’s poverty row, was set to release a blatant rip - off titled single indemnity starring ann savage and hugh beaumont. paramount quickly slapped an injunction on the cut - rate potboiler that remains in force to this day. prc eventually edited its film down to 67 minutes, re - titled it apology for murder, and sold it to television in the early' 50s as part of a syndicated half - hour mystery show .
apparently so. novelist james a cain based his novella on a 1927 crime in which a married queens woman, ruth brown snyder, persuaded her lover to kill her husband albert after albert had just recently taken out a large insurance policy with a double indemnity clause .
few houses in the movies are better known than barbara stanwyck’s spanish colonial in “double indemnity. ” the director billy wilder first shows it in an establishing shot that highlights not only its architectural features but its distinctive site–a hilly corner lot on a sparsely - built suburban street .
in any case, the double indemnity house looks much better today than it did in “double indemnity. ” mature landscaping and the presence of other houses have softened its exterior, eliminating the sun - baked starkness that made it a believable setting for adultery and the hatching of a murder plot. and, as shown in a recent spread in the la times, the vibrant interiors have come a long way from the white walls and heavy mission - style furniture featured in the film. in fact, the house radiates prosperity and warmth. at christmastime, decked in wreaths, garlands and lights, it is among the most beautiful in the neighborhood .
quite possibly the most perfect example of film noir to emerge from hollywood during that genre' s reign .
creator cameo: the film' s co - screenwriter, raymond chandler, appears briefly in one scene .
in “quasi stereo” because there were “directional angles” for certain cues. all other film tracks are mono. for
classic example of a new approach to storytelling. the style of film addresses the darker side of human behavior
double indemnity
is all about the art of the scheme. when an insurance man gets caught up in a plot to kill a man for his insurance policy, no one involved will ever be the same. hushed - tone voice - overs, femme fatales, and…
femme fatale, city woman; descent guy led astray, attempted crime (but unlike noir, aborted – compare double indemnity where scheming woman traps man into murdering her husband with scheming woman traps man into murdering wife). even some stylistic elements can be found in murnau’s lighting. some people divide things into pre - noir, classic noir and neo noir. the divisions are open to debate depending on what the person feel is echt noir! some feel double indemnity is the first “true” noir, while others would argue the point. and point to
blonde - wigged barbara stanwyck (with her third of four unsuccessful career nominations) for her role as the villainous femme fatale wife phyllis dietrichson in double indemnity. [ stanwyck' s previous nominations were for stella dallas (1937) and ball of fire (1941). ]
like the postman always rings twice, double indemnity enjoyed great success as a film. it was released in 1943, was directed by billy wilder, and starred fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck. raymond chandler wrote the screenplay, for which he received an academy award nomination. it was favorably reviewed when it appeared and today remains a big draw at arts and repertory cinemas in many cities .
keywords: academy awards, alfred hitchcock, awards & honors, ben hecht, bernard f. dick, british film institute, cary grant, criticism and interpretation, czenzi ormonde, dan callahan, double indemnity, ed sikov, edith head, film adaptations, frank krutnik, indemnity, irving pichel, james naremore, james stewart, joan copjec, laura mulvey, marlene dietrich, miklós rózsa, mysteries, paramount pictures, patricia highsmith, peter lorre, raymond chandler, richard armstrong, richard schickel, robert montgomery, screenplays, screenwriters, scripts, strangers on a train (1951), warner bros. , wendy lesser, works
wilder’s ingenious craftsmanship of lighting, sound, dialogue and performance succeeds in making the film a real chef d’oeuvre. all the cinematographic qualities of double indemnity contributed to its enormous impact on film history: everyone remembers these beautiful black - and - white shots, like lonely edward hopper settings, and the actor’s brilliance. the techniques used are more than simply aesthetic choices: each one is meant to remind the audience of the danger of desire. the means of the film can be seen as cathartic and purgative; by bringing out the worst in the characters, it teaches us to resist to our cruellest cravings .
between the two stories, it is difficult not to prefer the film, as it is a masterpiece of style as well as storytelling, conveying its themes with a sophisticated visual look that obviously cannot be replicated in print. the guilt and confinement of the characters becomes more palpable and immediate in the chiaroscuro shots and claustrophobic compositions wilder employs, and the script keeps enough of the book entirely intact so that not much of this short hardboiled novel is lost or changed in transition. even excisions made for the sake of censorship–the way the film obscures the murder, for example–only serve to heighten the tension and mystery that intrigue in the book but truly captivate in the film. to conclude, the film adaptation of double indemnity not only honors the story and mood of its antecedent but actually demonstrates that the story is more suited to film .
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film background year of release: 1944 directed by - billy wilder adapted screenplay - billy wilder and raymond chandler original novella - james m. cain director of photography - john seitz one of the best of the film noir genre
fwiw, i sunset boulevard is a great, great film, but i wouldn’t classify it as a noir .
you had the same cameraman lighting these moody interiors in both double indemnity and sunset boulevard, john seitz. johnny seitz was a great cameraman. and he was fearless. he should have won an [ academy ] award on five graves and i thought surely he would on sunset boulevard .
i was recently studying film noir in one of my classes–it was a graphic novel class though. i’m pretty new to the genre so this article was an interesting and informative read. i definitely want to watch this film now .
it is essential to understand the characteristics of film noir’s aesthetic to appreciate double indemnity ‘s richness. the term has first been used in 1946 by french critics to describe the rise of crime dramas in hollywood that explored sexual motivations and growing cynicism. its low - key black and white style is significantly recognizable, influenced by german expressionism and 1930s’ gangster movies. in a good film noir, we expect to encounter feverish desire and transgression, portrayed by sympathetic anti - heroes who remain outside society, in an underworld of misdeeds .
having lost this duel of false confidence, neff leaves the house entirely smitten, as macmurray’s voice - over narration asks, “how could i have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle? ” in just a few short moments, double indemnity has showcased screenwriting that puts other scripts to shame .
howard barnes at the new york herald tribune was much more enthusiastic, calling double indemnity
... one of the most vital and arresting films of the year ,
and praising wilder' s
... magnificent direction and a whale of a script .
the trade paper variety, meanwhile, said the film
... sets a new standard for screen treatment in its category .
is the dietrichson house in whitley heights? this was such a great film! thank you for posting this information .
pendo, stephen. raymond chandler on screen: his novels into film. metuchen, nj: scarecrow, 1976 .
much like in the previous comment, i too have only seen “double indemnity” twice. but the author of the referenced analysis of the classic movie is impeccable. i’ve always been a fan of billy wilder since first watching one of my favorite films of all time, wilder’s timeless work of cinema “sunset boulevard. ” he was the perfect embodiment of the nearly extinct genre film noir. often times when teaching or offering up my own analysis or critique, the general public appears to think that the film noir genre is limited to detective movies. although detective movies played a large part in the film noir genre, the most iconic films of that genre and 1940 - 50s hollywood were more dramatic and mysterious. it’s been years since its been many years since film noir was the popular genre of film in hollywood. there was once a time when nonlinear, dark, and convoluted films filled with labyrinthine plots were very popular. like “sunset boulevard, ” “double indemnity” laid the ground work by which all other film noir style movies would be judged. everything from the dying or doomed protagonist to the mysterious individual to the lighting patterns and dialog. i appreciate the author’s in depth analysis of a movie that helped set the standard in what was once a time tested and popular genre during hollywood’s golden era .
similarly of course, neff’s relationship with phyllis is nasty, brutish and short - lived: and it becomes clear by the end of the story that phyllis is only showing any interest in the insurance man for her own ends. double indemnity is archetypal noir for its abject lack of hope of any sort .
wilder trades cain' s sun - rot imagery for conventional film noir stylings, but the atmosphere of sexual entrapment survives .
praised the site for offering
lengthy, spirited reviews... with the ethos of a true film aficionado .
billy wilder’s double indemnity (1944) wasn’t the first film noir, but it was the beginning of a new phase in miklos rozsa’s already stellar career. adapted from james m. cain’s classic crime novel, fred macmurray stars as insurance salesman walter neff, barbara stanwyck is the sultry housewife phyllis who convinces him to bump off her husband for the insurance money, and edward g. robinson is the claims adjuster who smells something fishy .
maybe the most interesting stop, architecturally and cinematically speaking, is the glendale southern pacific railroad depot, a spanish colonial revival (or mission revival, take your pick) structure by macdonald and couchot from 1924. it was used in a key scene of
double indemnity ,
the 1944 film adaptation of the james m. cain novella starring fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck as two murderous insurance schemers. the location has been used for many films, including as a stand - in for the fictional clayton college in the 1927 buster keaton film
college .
but their effort paid off abundantly, as the script for double indemnity has been continuously lauded for the wittiness and cynicism of its dialogues, well - developed characters and intriguing, heavily atmospheric plotline. in fact, as cain’s original dialogue from the novella fared poorly when translated to the screen, the lines seen in the movie have more to do with wilder and chandler than with the original author. besides the bulletproof screenplay and inspired deliveries from its cast, what makes double indemnity such a haunting experience is miklós rózsa’s effective musical score, as well as john f. seitz’s beautiful cinematography, with masterful use of lighting and shadows .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
neither fred macmurray (as pacific all - risk insurance salesman walter neff) nor edward g. robinson (as insurance claims investigator / adjuster barton keyes), the two principal actors in the dark, sleazy film noir double indemnity were nominated for their unforgettable performances. in fact, both macmurray and edward g. robinson were never nominated for an oscar. director / screenwriter billy wilder and co - writer raymond chandler were nominated for the adaptation of james m. cain' s original novel, but lost to frank butler and frank cavett' s loose, episodic screenplay for going my way. although a critical and box - office success with seven nominations and one of the best film noirs ever made, double indemnity came away empty - handed when competing against the' feel - good' themes of the ultimate best picture winner - especially given the war - time climate of the time .
considering the characteristics of film noir, the
double indemnity
film seems to cover almost all of them. the film contains the ambiguous antihero, stories driven by crime, shady lighting and some other several qualities that qualify it in the genre. this is actually a perfect example of a film noir with dark stories that are criminally manipulated. in the movie, walter neff says that ,
yes, i killed him. i killed him for money and a woman, and i didn' t get the money, and i didn' t get the woman. pretty, isn' t it ?
( gene 170). this line actually gives us the overall view of the film' s move as being dark and pessimistic. walter neff as played by fred macmurray goes to renew his automobile insurance and engages in an adulterous affair with phyllis dietrichson as played by barbara stanwyick who was an already married woman. this actually demonstrates a typical film noir relationship. from this, the viewers can actually justify from the actions that these characters are doomed (leitch 126) .
a screenwriter is hired to rework a faded silent film star' s script, only to find himself developing a dangerous relationship .
chandler himself was a reclusive sort. he gave very few interviews of any description (apart from, famously, a radio chat with fellow novelist ian fleming, in london for the bbc in 1958). there is no television footage or film of him at all, apart from a snippet from a home movie. his preferred form of communication was the letter, although there is no apparent reference in any of his epistles to his appearance in front of the camera during the making of double indemnity. wilder never mentioned it either in any of his many interviews about the film.
double indemnity is a 1944 film noir directed by billy wilder , co-written by wilder and raymond chandler , and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom . the screenplay was based on james m. cain 's 1943 novella of the same name , which originally appeared as an eight-part serial in liberty magazine . the film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman , barbara stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead , and edward g. robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find phony claims . the term " double indemnity " refers to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles the payout in rare cases when death is caused accidentally , such as while riding a railway . praised by many critics when first released , double indemnity was nominated for seven academy awards but did not win any . widely regarded as a classic , it is often cited as a paradigmatic film noir and as having set the standard for the films that followed in that genre . deemed " culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant " by the u.s. library of congress in 1992 , double indemnity was selected for preservation in the national film registry . in 1998 , it was ranked # 38 on the american film institute 's list of the 100 best american films of all time , and in 2007 it placed 29th on their 10th anniversary list . 
double indemnity is a 1944 film noir directed by billy wilder, co-written by wilder and raymond chandler, and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom. the screenplay was based on james m. cain's 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eight-part serial in liberty magazine. the film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman, barbara stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead, and edward g. robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find phony claims. the term " double indemnity " refers to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles the payout in rare cases when death is caused accidentally, such as while riding a railway. praised by many critics when first released, double indemnity was nominated for seven academy awards but did not win any. widely regarded as a classic, it is often cited as a paradigmatic film noir and as having set the standard for the films that followed in that genre. deemed " culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant " by the u.s. library of congress in 1992, double indemnity was selected for preservation in the national film registry. in 1998, it was ranked # 38 on the american film institute's list of the 100 best american films of all time, and in 2007 it placed 29th on their 10th anniversary list.
double indemnity is a 1944 film noir directed by billy wilder, co-written by wilder and raymond chandler, and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom. the screenplay was based on james m. cain's 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eight-part serial in liberty magazine. the film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman, barbara stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead, and edward g. robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find phony claims. the term " double indemnity " refers to a clause in certain life insurance policies that doubles the payout in rare cases when death is caused accidentally, such as while riding a railway. praised by many critics when first released, double indemnity was nominated for seven academy awards but did not win any. widely regarded as a classic, it is often cited as a paradigmatic film noir and as having set the standard for the films that followed in that genre. deemed " culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant " by the u.s. library of congress in 1992, double indemnity was selected for preservation in the national film registry. in 1998, it was ranked # 38 on the american film institute's list of the 100 best american films of all time, and in 2007 it placed 29th on their 10th anniversary list.