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. 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. Neff starts an acquaintance with phylliss stepdaughter lola, who suspects that phyllis has started going out with her lola s previous. It is while walking up to the home at the very beginning of the film that walter neff utters what is arguably its most. The film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman, barbara stanwyck as a provocative. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Directed by billy wilder and written by billy wilder and raymond chandler, based on a novella by james m. Overview of double indemnity, 1944, directed by billy wilder, with fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck, edward g. Cains 1935 novella of the same title which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine.
Adapted from james m cains 1943 novel of the same name, and with a screenplay by. Lola dietrichson, age nineteen, dietrichson and lola, his. Cinema scholars often refer to barbara stanwycks character of phyllis dietrichson in double indemnity 1944 as one of the top examples of the femme fatale, as her conniving spirit and good looks worked all the men in her story to her whims. The movie double indemnity attracts attention of the present day spectators.
Wilder s double indemnity 1944 that can be considered dissident vari ations of. Double indemnity is een amerikaanse film noir uit 1944 onder regie van billy wilder. Dietrichson, the conspiracy from double indemnity charles gerhardt miklos rozsa national philharmonic orchestra classic film. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine. Cains double indemnity and the film adaptation by billy wilder and raymond chandler for the may noir book of the month club. Phyllis dietrichson is not the ultimate femme fatale. Directed by billy wilder and adapted from a james m. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturnednovelist james. A script outline had been sent to the production code administration the censors by louis b. Dietrichson s falling off a trainjust after taking out an insurance policy that pays double in the case of that particular accidentsets off.
Film analysis of double indemnity film studies essay. Cains novel double indemnity was serialized in liberty magazine. How he hooked up with the icily beautiful phyllis dietrichson. Double indemnity quotes 43 total quotes barton keyes multiple characters phyllis dietrichson walter neff. An insurance representative lets himself be talked by a seductive housewife into a murderinsurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator. He is immediately attracted to dietrichsons wife phyllis, who first appears clad. In double indemnity, the supposedglendalearea hillside abode pictured above is where phyllis lives with her abusive oilman husband, mr. Double indemnity is a 1944 american psychological thriller film noir directed by billy wilder, cowritten by wilder and raymond chandler, and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom. Ik wou dat ik ze zelf al had bedacht toen ik mijn boek schreef, zei hij. Double indemnity 1944 aficatalog american film institute. Walter met phyllis innocently enough he was dropping off auto insurance renewal papers for her husband but quickly fell under her seductive charms.
Dietrichson died on a train because the accident policy has a double indemnity clause that pays double on certain rare accidents, like deaths on trains. Cains novel by raymond chandler and directed by billy wilder, double indemnity is a film noir representing one of the highest levels of urban crime dramas. Cain characters walter neff phyllis dietrichson barton keyes lola dietrichson mr. They were obvious to each other in their mutual attraction.
Barton suspected that dietrichson was murdered by his wife, phyllis dietrichson, who was claiming the double indemnity on her husbands accident insurance policy. Double indemnity is a 1944 american psychological thriller film noir directed by billy wilder. Cain the postman always rings twice serialized his novella of double indemnity in liberty magazine before it was published as a book. Everett collection rex features the film was shot by john seitz like a textbook noir. Dietrichson is found dead on a train track, the police accept the determination of accidental death. Cain novel by wilder and raymond chandler, double indemnity represents the highwater mark of 1940s film noir urban crime dramas in which a. I vaguely recall watching the movie of the same name.
The movie double indemnity directed by billy wilder is considered to be the classic masterpiece of the u. Double indemnity is the second book i read of james m. Neff meets the alluring phyllis dietrichson during a house call to remind her husband to renew his automobile insurance policy. It is while walking up to the home at the very beginning of the film that walter neff utters what is arguably its most famous line. Jointly they simulate dietrichsons inadvertent death in order to meet the criteria for the double indemnity, but things go awry when neffs manager, barton keyes, starts to infer murder. Outdoors its nearly always night, while the interiors, at the dietrichson. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturned novelist james. Stanwyck was nominated for the academy award for best actress for her performance in the film version. Dietrichsons stanford reunion is coming up, and he plans to take the train. Double indemnity screenplay by billy wilder and raymond chandler based on the novel double indemnity in three of a kind by james m. Double indemnity director billy wilder sunset boulevard and writer raymond chandler the big sleep adapted james m. In the 1944 production, she was played by barbara stanwyck.
The film was developed at a time when film noir movies were gaining immense popularity, making it one of the best film noir to date. Double indemnity study guide contains a biography of director billy wilder, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Cain was very pleased with the way his book turned out on the screen. Dietrichson aka tom powers, and his daughter, lola dietrichson aka jean heather. Cain s 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936. Huff became walter neff, and phyllis nirdlinger became phyllis dietrichson. May 31, 2014 provided to youtube by sony music entertainment mrs. Dietrichson is found dead on a traintrack, the police accept the determination of accidental death. Cains hardboiled novel into this wildly thrilling story of insurance man walter neff fred macmurray, who schemes the perfect murder with the beautiful dame phyllis dietrichson barbara stanwyck. Dont know if the interior when stanwyck is coming down the stairs was a studio, but it still conveys such a dusty, decaying, sunbaked realm.
Double indemnity is often identified as being among the first true films noirs the name given by french critics to a particular kind of american crime drama of this period which has by now lost approximately as much of its meaning as criminality itself has. May 11, 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. In 1938, walter neff, an experienced salesman of the pacific all risk insurance co. She is a beautiful and alluring woman, barely older than lola, her husbands daughter from a previous marriage. 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. Phyllis dietrichson phyllis nirdlinger, in the book is a fictional character in the book and two film adaptations of james m. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936. It comes in a sturdy book like case, with two discs inside. 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. 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. Phyllis and walter make arrangements for it to appear as if mr. There is no doubt in double indemnity, that phyllis dietrichson, the dissatisfied wife of a wealthy older man is being sexually objectified both by the imagery of the film and by her position in relation to the other characters. In the opening, at the very start o the film, there is a close up shot of the main character, called phyllis. I love double indemnity because its about a couple who are cheap and.
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. Double indemnity 1944 summary, analysis jotted lines. It is clear she has no true affection for her husband. Mayer as early as 1935, with the response that the story was in violation. Walter huff, an insurance agent, falls for the married phyllis nirdlinger, who consults him about accident insurance for her unsuspecting husband. Universals doubledisc special edition of double indemnity explains why the popular film hasnt been included on earlier noir release lists the studio was saving it for the fancypackage treatment reserved for its top titles, like to kill a mockingbird and deer hunter. Beyond any slipup in the plan, keyes and dietrichsons disgruntled daughter, phyllis stepdaughter lola dietrichson, factored into their ability to pull off the plan. It was strange reading this book as it times it seemed like i was watching an old black and white movie.
It is quite short especially if you ignore the padding in the foreword which serves no real purpose. Phyllis dietrichson barbara stanwych and how both came to murder her. Jul 08, 2019 for a perceptive chapter on double indemnity that, among other things, builds on naremores insights and pursues wilders connections to the field of journalism, see gerd gemunden, the insurance man always rings twice. To renew mr dietrichson s automobile insurance mr dietrichson had held an insurance policy with neffs company, the pacific allrisk insurance company, for three years, for his two cars. She incites him to dream up a plot to murder her husband in order to collect a double indemnity insurance policy. Why is phyllis in double indemnity hailed as one of cinema. Analysis paper on movie double indemnity 1944 essay. Framed as an episodic flashback narrated by insurance agent walter neff fred macmurray, the story begins with an encounter between neff and housewife phyllis dietrichson barbara stanwyck during a sales call. Neff comes through the double entrance doors from the re.
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