Double Indemnity (1944) | |
| Director(s) | Billy Wilder |
| Producer(s) | Buddy G. DeSylva (executive uncredited), Joseph Sistrom (uncredited) |
| Top Genres | Crime, Film Noir, Thriller/Suspense |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, Infidelity |
Featured Cast:
Double Indemnity Overview:
Double Indemnity (1944) was a Crime - Film Noir Film directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy G. DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom.
The film was based on the serial story of the same name written by James M. Cain published in Liberty Magazine and as a Novel (1936 magazine; 1943 novel).
Double Indemnity was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1992.
Academy Awards 1944 --- Ceremony Number 17 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Actress | Barbara Stanwyck | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | John Seitz | Nominated |
| Best Director | Billy Wilder | Nominated |
| Best Music - Scoring | Miklos Rozsa | Nominated |
| Best Picture | Paramount | Nominated |
| Best Writing | Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
Noir Nook: Just the Facts on Double Indemnity
By Karen Burroughs Hannsberry on Sep 12, 2019 From Classic Movie Hub BlogNoir Nook: Just the Facts on Double Indemnity Not long ago, I was interviewed on a podcast about my very favorite film noir ? Double Indemnity (1944). I had an absolute ball talking about the superb writing and direction, the distinctive cinematography and music, and the first-rate performances b... Read full article
Cinema Style File - Barbara Stanwyck Straight Down the Line in 1944's DOUBLE INDEMNITY
on Jul 8, 2019 From GlamAmorA little over a week ago, I started my Pre-Code screening series The Style of Sin at the Egyptian Theatre and my first star was Barbara Stanwyck. As we saw while watching Ladies of Leisure (1930) and Baby Face (1933), she was a talented actress from the very beginning of her career. And though a fil... Read full article
Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder)
By Andrew Wickliffe on Feb 16, 2018 From The Stop ButtonDouble Indemnity is mostly a character study. There?s the noir framing device?wounded insurance salesman Fred MacMurray stumbling into his office and recording his confession on a dictaphone. Turns out he met a woman and things didn?t work out. MacMurray narrates the entire film. Occasionally the ac... Read full article
Five Things I Learned from Double Indemnity
By Amanda Garrett on Oct 15, 2016 From Old Hollywood FilmsToday, I'm writing about the lessons I learned from the classic film noir Double Indemnity (1944), starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson. This article is part of the Things I Learned from the Movies blogathon hosted by Speakeasy and Silver Screenings. There are many... Read full article
Double Indemnity (1944)
on Jul 20, 2015 From Journeys in Classic FilmOriginally published March 2012 This is my second viewing of Double Indemnity, and my first time where I actually had to study it critically as part of my Women in Film class. ?The first time I saw the movie was for an earlier film class and while I enjoyed it, I didn’t consider it anything sp... Read full article
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Quotes from
Phyllis: Mr. Neff, why don't you drop by tomorrow evening about eight-thirty. He'll be in then.
Walter Neff: Who?
Phyllis: My husband. You were anxious to talk to him weren't you?
Walter Neff: Yeah, I was, but I'm sort of getting over the idea, if you know what I mean.
Phyllis: There's a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff. Forty-five miles an hour.
Walter Neff: How fast was I going, officer?
Phyllis: I'd say around ninety.
Walter Neff: Suppose you get down off your motorcycle and give me a ticket.
Phyllis: Suppose I let you off with a warning this time.
Walter Neff: Suppose it doesn't take.
Phyllis: Suppose I have to whack you over the knuckles.
Walter Neff: Suppose I bust out crying and put my head on your shoulder.
Phyllis: Suppose you try putting it on my husband's shoulder.
Walter Neff: That tears it.
Barton Keyes: Now look, Walter. A guy takes out an accident policy that's worth $100,000 if he's killed on the train. Then, two weeks later, he *is* killed on the train. And, not from the train accident, mind you, but falling off some silly observation car. You know what the mathematical probability of that is? One out of, oh, I don't know how many billions. And after that, the broken leg. No, it just, it just can't be the way it looks. Something has been worked on us!
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Facts about
The part of Walter Neff was originally offered to George Raft. He insisted that he would only take on the role if his character turned out to be an FBI agent at the end, entrapping Barbara Stanwyck's character. As this ran completely counter to James M. Cain's original novel, he naturally didn't get the part.
The blonde wig that Barbara Stanwyck is wearing throughout the movie was the idea of Billy Wilder. A month into shooting Wilder suddenly realized how bad it looked, but by then it was too late to re-shoot the earlier scenes. To rationalize this mistake, in later interviews Wilder claimed that the bad-looking wig was intentional.
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