Double indemnity study guide contains a biography of director billy wilder, literature essays. Double indemnity is a 1944 american film noir directed by billy wilder, cowritten by wilder and raymond chandler, and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom. Cain, screenwriter raymond chandler, and director billy wilderthis 1944 film noir works as a quintessential california narrative at the same time it creates a universe all its own. Double indemnity is the perfect mix of talents that combined to create one of the best films of all time. This and other perks can be found on our patreon page. The story first appeared as an 8part serial in liberty magazine in 1935. Double indemnity screenplay by billy wilder and raymond chandler based on the novel double indemnity in three of a kind by james m. The hero is not a criminal, but a weak man who is tempted and succumbs. The first impression i had when reading the book was just how closely billy wilder and raymond chandler had adapted it into screenplay that was, until walter and phyllis kill her husband. Double indemnity 1944 movie mistakes, goofs and bloopers. The movie is based on a brilliant novella by james m. The story follows the ambitions of walter huff, insurance salesman, who cooks up a scheme with phyllis nirdlinger to bump off phyllis husband in a manner that pays off the double indemnity clause of a life insurance policy. Double indemnity, american film noir, released in 1944, that was considered the quintessential movie of its genre.
I dont think theyre going to catch up with you, huff. Cain novel by wilder and raymond chandler, double indemnity represents the highwater mark of 1940s film noir urban crime dramas in which a. Double indemnity is based on a novella of the same name by american crime novelist james m cain 18921977. To ask other readers questions about double indemnity, please sign up. Double indemnity and the hollywood production code wide angle b ecause of its distinct narrative and stylistic technique, billy wilders 1944 double indemnity is widely considered to be the preeminent example of the film noir. Well, i get darn sick of tryin to pick up after a gang of fasttalking salesmen dumb enough to sell life insurance to a guy who sleeps in the same bed with four rattlesnakes. Walter comes to the nirdlinger house and wraps up the paperwork with mr. Sep 22, 2015 the film version of double indemnity is one of my alltime favourite hollywood classics, so i wanted to read the original novel. Complete summary of double indemnity 1944 a car swerves through downtown streets at night. And end it with the hero saying i love you, too to edward g. Dietrichson supposed had a broken leg, yet never filed a claim for it despite.
The embezzler is the story of a bank official who fell in love with an embezzlers wife, and covered up for her sake. Seitz, double indemnity s use of venetian blind lighting creating a jail bars effect that foreshadows the likely, if not actual, fate of its protagonists was to go on become a staple of the film noir look. In this double story, the woman and man tempt one another. First, we have the author of the source novel, james m. In the first place, if youve already put on an act, theyll smell something, and believe me lola will be hard to talk down. Taking a necessary break from watching a movie i know practically by heart, billy wilders double indemnity.
First published in 1936, this novel reaffirmed james m. Cains classic 1936 tale of lust and murder and insurance. What ends up destroying the evil people in the story is not crusading law enforcement, but their own natures. He survives, though, and the end sees both of them on a steamship heading to mexico. To be sure, there are more typical examples of the strengths. Representations of masculinity in double indemnity and. First published in 1935, this novel reaffirmed james m. Double indemnity is the most excellent example of a noir film to date. Double indemnity essays are academic essays for citation. Cain, the brainchild behind subsequent adaptations like mildred pierce 1945 and the postman always rings twice 1946.
Unsurprisingly, hollywood was keen to option james m. This summary of double indemnity includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Still, he is savvy enough to get through the door and get. Tautly narrated and excruciatingly suspenseful, double indemnity gives us an xray view of guilt, of duplicity, and of the kind of obsessive, loveless love that devastates everything it touches. Mature landscaping and the presence of other houses have softened its exterior, eliminating the sunbaked starkness that made it a believable setting for adultery and the hatching of a murder plot. Cain, written for the screen by billy wilder and raymond chandler, an enterprising film score by miklos rozsa and starring barbara stanwyck, fred macmurray and edward g. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936. Keyes, a tenacious investigator, does not suspect foul play at first, but eventually concludes that the dietrichson woman and an unknown accomplice must be behind the husbands death. Double indemnity is the second book i read of james m. Watch walter and phyllis as they get together in a luminous white southern california superstore, sporting dark glasses, not shopping or still watching each other while plotting up plans for a homicide. Mar 24, 2005 buy double indemnity read a great movie by james m. Attempts to prosecute the paper failed and howards camera would end up in the smithsonian. Dietrichson just unwitting signed carries a double indemnity clause which pays off double the face value in the event of death from a rare accident such as falling off a train.
The novel later served as the basis for the film of the same name in 1944, adapted for the screen by the novelist raymond chandler and directed by. Fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck between takes on the set of the film noir classic, double indemnity double indemnity. I vaguely recall watching the movie of the same name. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturnednovelist james m.
Double indemnity is one of hollywoods greatest crime thrillers possibly its greatest. Double indemnity is a 1944 film noir directed by billy wilder, cowritten by wilder and raymond chandler, and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of double indemnity by james m. Robinson, and in 1973, a tv film directed by by jack smight and starring richard crenna and samantha eggar return to top of the page. Jan 03, 2017 in this weeks fave film fashion on the ultimate fashion history, were going straight down the line with barbara stanwyck and her incredible edith head wardrobe in the classic film noir. The day before hes to start, i could bang the car up.
Jan 09, 2012 phyllis proposes to kill her husband to receive the proceeds of an accident insurance policy and walter devises a scheme to receive twice the amount based on a double indemnity clause. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of double indemnity by director billy wilder. In the 1944 movie double indemnity, it is established at the beginning that the story is taking place in 1938. Ruth brown snyder persuaded her boyfriend, judd gray, to kill her husband albert after having her spouse take out a big insurance policy with a double indemnity clause. Cain characters walter neff phyllis dietrichson barton keyes lola dietrichson mr. Wilders double indemnity, a confession that tells how he fell for femme fatale phyllis dietrichson. A housewife, played by barbara stanwyck, seeks to murder her husband. Finally, at the novels end, walter and phyllis, their. Movies dg this category is for questions and answers related to double indemnity, as asked by users of. Phyllis and walter make arrangements for it to appear as if mr.
Double indemnity the finale summary and analysis gradesaver. In any case, the double indemnity house looks much better today than it did in double indemnity. Double indemnity the murder sequence summary and analysis. Cain 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. Double indemnity, published in 1934, is cains second novel and is set in the young, booming city of hollywood. Sep 17, 2011 i had killed a man, for money and a woman. One night they walk through the woods behind the hollywood bowl, and lola confides in walter that she believes her stepmother and nino zachetti conspired to kill her father. His first novel, 1934s the postman always rings twice, is about a man who falls in. The double indemnity house, from book to film to reality. The product of a creative holy trinitynovelist james m. Released in 1944, double indemnity follows an insurance salesman fred macmurray who gets caught up in a murder plot. Double indemnity summary and analysis of the finale.
Walter, ive had twentysix years of this and let me tell ya, i neff. That early in his career, he was already cocky enough to begin a thriller with the lines, i killed him for money and for a woman. Aug 27, 2011 following up on his run away commercial success with the postman always rings twice, double indemnity was written as a serial for liberty magazine. Film analysis of double indemnity film studies essay.
A dark, seductive tale of lust and murder in double indemnity. In a city where insurance salesmen are close to the bottom of the social pecking order, walter huff rates as average. Double indemnity is a 1944 film noir about an insurance rep who lets himself be talked into a murderinsurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigators suspicions directed by billy wilder and written by billy wilder and raymond. Both are attracted not so much by the crime as by the thrill of committing it with the other person. The book double indemnity is a fast, slick morality piece wherein an amoral hero walter huff callously disregard notions of good and evil, only to find that evil does exist the things he discovers about phyllis dietrichsons past carry quite a shock and were omitted from the film. Cain, virtuoso of the roman noir, gives us a tautly narrated and excruciatingly suspenseful story in double indemnity, an xray view of guilt, of duplicity, and of the kind of obsessive, loveless love that devastates everything it touches. According to the encyclopedia of pulp fiction writers, double indemnity. Oct 12, 2014 this murder scene from double indemnity has many interesting and intelligent camera, sound, lighting, miseenscene and editing uses, all used to emphasise certain parts of the scene and create particular moods and feelings. Fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck in double indemnity dir. The driver stumbles to the office of the pacific all risk insurance company and begins to record his confession about killing a man named dietrichson. Double indemnity double indemnity audiobook, by james cain. It followed the timehonoured noir plotline of a man undone by an evil woman. Also noteworthy, regarding the use of editing in double indemnity, is the ambiguity it brings into different scenes, for instance, by leaving a character looking out for something or someone for two seconds before fading out which happens in. Double indemnity breaks one of the cardinal rules of storytellingwe know the final outcome in the first seven minutes.
It is quite short especially if you ignore the padding in the foreword which serves no real purpose. All the big crime mysteries in this country are locked up in insurance company files, and the writer that gets wise. Phyllis and walter begin to meet surreptitiously every morning in a local market. Double indemnity and the hollywood production code b.
The ending of double indemnity is chilling as walter and phyllis join each other in a suicide pact. In the only murder story, double indemnity an insurance broker kills a man to get his wife, and lives to see his love turn to hate. Bfi what marks double indemnity out from other great film noirs is that sense, among all the crazy, twisted, duplicitous shenanigans, of real, human heartbreak. First published in book form in the volume three of a kind 1943 double indemnity has been filmed at least twice. And before i get back to it, this observation, complete with spoiler warning for what i hope will be the very few of you who havent encountered book or movie. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturnednovelist james. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturned novelist james. Double indemnity has one of the most familiar noir themes. I was initially worried going into double indemnity as found a few scenarios sounded almost identical to what i read the postman always rings twice where the wife of a rich business man teams up with her lover to plot her husbands murder. Brackett spun the breakup in a decidedly different light, saying billy got so despondent at being. A team of editors takes feedback from our visitors to keep trivia as up to date and as accurate as possible. Cain wrote double indemnity, another story of a man swept up in a plot to. Directed by billy wilder and adapted from a james m. An indepth look at a film noir classic barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray in double indemnity, billy wilder 1944 it has all the characteristics of the classic forties film as i respond to it.
Ending spoiler for double indemnity 1944, plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. As richard schickel states in his double indemnity. Pacific allrisk will therefore be required, by the double indemnity clause in the insurance policy, to pay the widow twice the normal amount. Neff and phyllis are caught up in the same scramble, and the m aterialistic. Now despairing, walter begins to spend more time with lola, enjoying her calming presence. Double indemnity 1944 frequently asked questions imdb. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The american dream in billy wilders double indemnity. In celebration of its greatness, here are 10 facts about how double indemnity got. It was first published in serial form in liberty magazine in 1936 and then was one of three long short tales in the collection three of a kind. Wouldbe lover and coconspirator walter neff a grimfaced fred. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936 the film stars fred macmurray as an. He always thought i cheated on him with raymond chandler.
Walter is often seen smoking, a masculine trait, but walter and barton light cigarettes for each other. The film was adapted by director billy wilder and writer raymond chandler from the 1935 novella by james. Double indemnity 99 movie clip i love you too 1944. Double indemnity is a 1934 detective novella by james m cain. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936 the film stars fred macmurray as. Cain, the author of the book on which its based, admitted that, had he dreamed up some of the changes wilder and cowriter raymond chandler made to his story when he was writing the book he would. Double indemnity 1935 is one of the classic, toughtalking murder stories of the late 1930s.
Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. Barton keyes is the dogged, determined investigator for general fidelity of california who puts it all together in double indemnity, james m. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. One of the most prominent visual representations of masculinity in double indemnity is the relationship between walter neff and barton keyes, one having the qualities of a malefemale relationship. A mesmerizing film noir conceived out of a troubled relationship of two greats billy wilders double indemnity was made in 1944 and in the last seventy years it has stood on the pedestal as one of the best. Walter huff was an insurance salesman with an unfailing instinct for clients who might be in trouble, and his. Double indemnity 79 movie clip the end of the line 1944 hd duration. Cain 18921977, double indemnity is based upon a true story about a weakwilled insurance agent, walter huff, who falls for sultry blond, phyllis nirdlinger. During the confrontation between fred macmurray and barbara stanwyck at her house near the end of the movie, the poignant strains of tangerine, a song written in 1941, could be heard through an open window. With this statement comes the verbal proof of what the plot goes on to. I loved it just the same, and oh that endingraised my rating up a whole star. The films producer is on the phone with the head of the hollywood censorship office, using these words to describe the film in order to reassure him.
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