Double indemnity movie 1944 fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck. Movie veterans stanwyck, macmurray, and robinson give some of their best performances, and wilders cynical sensibility finds a perfect match in the storys unsentimental perspective, heightened by john seitzs hardedged cinematography. 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. The movie basically consists of welldressed rich people standing in luxury flats and talking to a cop. In the early 1970s paramount had plans to remake double indemnity with robert redford in the fred macmurray role. The hero is not a criminal, but a weak man who is tempted and succumbs. The story opens with walter macmurray,an insurance man and apparently injured returns to his office and dictates his confession. Filmmaker billy wilder has infused double indemnity with an agreeably hardboiled vibe thats reflected in everything from the performances to the visuals to the. The highly freudian approach described by laura mulvey is not necessarily obvious or relevant in every film and genre, but it is very helpful in understanding billy wilders double indemnity, which vividly illustrates some of the points made by both laura mulvey and molly haskell. Browse fun facts and trivia about at classic movie hub cmh. 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. The film is a masterpiece in the filmographies of wilder and stars barbara stanwyck and fred. Double indemnity refers to a clause in certain life insurance policies where the insuring company agrees to pay twice the standard amount in cases of accidental death. Double indemnity 1944 is the perfect film noir, filled with deception, crime, forbidden love, and suspense.
Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Double indemnity, american film noir, released in 1944, that was considered the quintessential movie of its genre. The film was adapted by director billy wilder and writer raymond chandler from the 1935 novella by james. Cain wasnt available, so he hired raymond chandler to do the screenplay. Rent double indemnity 1944 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. It is evident in the opening frames of billy wilders archetypal film noir, even before the confession he is about to recount, that walter neff is a doomed man. In the 1944 movie double indemnity, it is established at the beginning that the story is taking place in 1938. Please support tcmdb by adding to this information. Cains novel penned by billy wilder and raymond chandler double indemnity continues to set the standard for the best in hollywood film. 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. Edward g robinson, my favorite double indemnity scene 1944 duration.
In 1938, walter neff, an experienced salesman of the pacific all risk insurance co. Double indemnity, james mallahan cain double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturnednovelist james m. 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. Smitten insurance man walter neff plots the perfect murder with femme fatale client phyllis dietrichson. In this double story, the woman and man tempt one another. Both are attracted not so much by the crime as by the thrill of committing it with the other person. The best of film noir sizzles with crackling, sardonic dialogue, veiled lust, terrific blackandwhite photography, and overtones of. A 1944 film noir, directed by billy wilder, written by him and raymond chandler, adapted from james m.
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 directed by billy wilder and wilder coadapts the screenplay with raymond chandler from the novella written by james m. Cains novel penned by billy wilder and raymond chandler double indemnity continues to set the standard. Wilder presents phyllis dietrichson as a materialistic housewife, whose trinkets such as her anklet and lipstick signal both indulgent affluence and excessive eroticism. In our writers favourite film series, paul howlett is moved by the heartbreak in this classy film noir about an insurance salesman. The film stars fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck and edward g. Double indemnity 1944 was directed by billy wilder, cowritten by wilder.
A canadian dennis morgan accused of murder poses as a lookalike mountie to prove himself innocent. 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. In the classic black and white aesthetic, it goes further and turns up the darkness. Passed 1h 47min crime, drama, filmnoir 6 july 1944 usa. Double indemnity finally made it to the screen in 1944, and the postman always rings twice followed with its own wellreceived film version in 1946. In honor of tcms summer of darkness film noir festival and online course, heres double indemnity 1944, an undisputed masterpiece of the genre. Chandler, whose novel the big sleep wilder loved, turned up drunk, smoked a smelly pipe, didnt know anything about screenplay construction, but could put a nasty spin on dialogue. Buy double identity 1944 movie poster by dmitriyspice as a sticker, iphone case, iphone wallet, caseskin for samsung galaxy, throw pillow, tote bag, zipper pouch, travel mug, art print, canvas print, framed print, art board print, photo. Paramount pictures released double indemnity to theaters on july 3, 1944. And what does a movie need in order to belong to this notoriously slippery category. Nicholas pinter val kilmer, working in bulgaria for doctors beyond borders, is mistakenly identified as a secret agent by the.
Double indemnity 1944 movie mistakes, goofs and bloopers. Robinson, porter hall, fred macmurray a rich woman and a calculating insurance agent plot to kill her unsuspecting husband after he signs a double indemnity policy. Double indemnity is a movie that seems to live in the shadows, creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and deadly. Double identity is a riveting book by margaret peterson haddix that explores current social and ethical issues while maintaining extreme suspense. Double indemnity 1944 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Analysis paper on movie double indemnity 1944 essay. It followed the timehonoured noir plotline of a man undone by an evil woman. 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. It stars fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck and edward g. Ann treadwell anderson, a society dame, lusts for shelby but has to tell him or hed never. Double indemnity 1944 is director billy wilders classic film noir masterpiece a cynical, witty, and sleazy thriller about adultery, corruption and murder.
Double indemnity might well be the most famous of all film noirs, and there are good reasons for its outsized reputation. Double indemnity is the perfect mix of talents that combined to create one of the best films of all time. Robinson, at turner classic movies skip navigation tcm. Double indemnity is a tale of insurance fraud, murder and betrayal starring fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck, edward g. The movie is based on a brilliant novella by james m.
This film has the perfect cast, with characters who are very believable in their respective roles. An insurance representative lets himself be talked by a seductive housewife into a murderinsurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing double indemnity 1944 near you. Double indemnity ranks with the classics of mainstream hollywood moviemaking.
The urgentlytold, highlystylized story was wilders third film after the major and the minor 1942 and five graves to cairo 1943. No, i never loved you walter not you or anybody else. Double indemnity is a 1944 american film noir directed by billy wilder, cowritten by wilder and. Insurance agent, walter neff, arrives at his office with a. Classic movie hub your ticket to everything classic. Considered by many to be the definitive film noir, and popularizer of many of its tropes walter neff fred macmurray is a successful but bored insurance salesman who encounters phyllis dietrichson barbara stanwyck when he comes to her house to. Billy wilder directed the film which starred fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck, and edward g. Dietrichson is found dead on a train track, the police accept the determination of accidental death.
Double indemnity has one of the most familiar noir themes. Part of the campaign for the latter film were major ads that declared, since you went away are the four most important words in movies since gone with the wind. But when it finally got released in 1944, film history was made. Cain, written by raymond chandler and billy wilder. Double indemnity 1944 1944, classic crime drama noir released in english language in theatre near you in. Shelby and laura never seem to have much heat between them. This movie discusses not only interpersonal relations between men and women, but also it reveals corruption and immorality found in the society of those times. Waldo is possessive of laura, but never touches her. Billy wilder one of the greatest, darkest film noirs of all time and one of the best suspensethriller films of the 40s, with a brilliant script based on the 1943 crime novel by james m. Double identity is a crime thriller film directed by dennis dimster and starring val kilmer and izabella miko, originally titled fake identity. Double indemnity is a story that revolves around a womans attempts not only to have her oil baron husband murdered, but to profit immensely from it. It is a hugely entertaining film of great technical accomplishmentand if that sounds like mannered praise, its because ive never really fallen in.
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