Double Indemnity (1944) FAQ

Double Indemnity is a 1944 film noir directed by Billy Wilder and based on the 1943 novel of the same name by James M. Cain. The film stars Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman, Barbara Stanwyck as a recent widow, and Edward G. Robinson as her paramour.

The film was adapted by Raymond Chandler and Wilder from James M. Cain’s 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eight-part serial in Liberty magazine, beginning in February 1936.

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.

The film stars Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman, Barbara Stanwyck as a seductive wife who wishes her husband were dead, and Edward G. Robinson as a claims adjuster whose job is to find bogus insurance 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; it also refers to the plot device of fraudulent death by accident.

Double Indemnity received seven Academy Award nominations and was one of the biggest hits of 1944. Today, it is widely regarded as one of cinema’s finest films noirs with some calling it the first true film noir style picture.

The film is a classic example of the “noir” genre of films from this era. The term “film noir” was coined by French critics for these crime thrillers because of the dark themes, lighting and shadowy images presented throughout the films. It has been referred to as “the first major film noir”. Because of the success of the film’s initial run it was re-released twice in 1947 and 1954.

It was placed number 35 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list in 1998 and number 13 on its 2007 updated version. In 2004, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. In 2015, Double Indemnity was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

All About Of Double Indemnity 1944

How long is Double Indemnity?

The running time of Double Indemnity is 108 minutes (01 hours 48 minutes).

Who owns Double Indemnity?

The film “Double Indemnity” is owned by Paramount Pictures.

How many times does Walter Neff say baby?

Walter Neff says the word baby 16 times. There are no other instances of any form of the word in the whole movie.

What is significant about Double Indemnity?

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, beginning in February 1936. The film stars Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman, Barbara Stanwyck as a lethal femme fatale and Edward G. Robinson as her husband’s claims manager.

Is Walter Neff married?

Walter Neff is not currently married. In the film, he is engaged to Lola but the relationship ends when he realizes that she is cheating on him with Keyes. He then has an affair with Phyllis Dietrichson, her stepmother, who conspires with him to murder her husband and then collect on his life insurance policy. The plan ultimately backfires as Walter is shot by Phyllis and dies of his wounds before he can go to the police.

Walter Neff is a fictional character created by novelist James M. Cain and screenwriter Billy Wilder for the movie Double Indemnity. He is portrayed by Fred MacMurray in the 1944 film and by William H. Macy in the 2004 TV remake.

The character is portrayed as an insurance salesman who becomes romantically involved with a married woman, Phyllis Dietrichson, who convinces him to murder her husband in order to collect on his life insurance policy. Phyllis’ husband turns out to be wealthier than either Walter or Phyllis suspected, which brings them into conflict with Keyes, Walter’s superior in the insurance company.

Who was the cinematographer for Double Indemnity?

John Seitz.

Who is the antagonist in Double Indemnity?

Walter Neff.

How is the content of Double Indemnity enhanced by the visual style?

Double Indemnity fits well within the film noir genre. The character of Walter Neff is a classic film noir anti-hero, and Phyllis Dietrichson is a femme fatale. Film noir generally focuses on immoral people doing immoral things. Often, this involves crime and murder, as they do in Double Indemnity. It’s fitting that a story about murder and deception would take place in a dark world with lots of shadows, rain, and smoke.

In fact, many film noir fans consider rain to be an icon of the genre, just as much as the fedora hats worn by men in those films. More importantly, because of its focus on crime and corruption, it makes sense that a film noir would make heavy use of images that are dark and scary.

The content of Double Indemnity is enhanced by its dark visual style because it helps convey to viewers that they are watching an noir film.

The use of light and shadow helps create a moody atmosphere that mirrors the inner thoughts and emotions of Walter Neff, who struggles with guilt over his involvement in Mr. Dietrichson’s death and his attraction to Phyllis Dietrichson, a woman whom he perceives as evil but can’t seem to stay away from.

The dark themes in Double Indemnity are enhanced through the use of noir lighting. This technique uses harsh lighting on actors’ faces and high contrast between light and dark areas of the frame. It also uses low angles, often shooting up at characters to make them look more powerful or threatening.

How does Double Indemnity book end?

Nirdlinger gets killed by Phyllis Neff as her second husband comes home from work early one day. Double Indemnity ends with Walter Neff telling his story on tape as he bleeds out from a gunshot wound inflicted by the police chief investigating the murder he committed with Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck).

Knowing he’s going to die, he finishes his confession, takes off his recording device and dies off-screen. In his review in The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote that Double Indemnity was “a superlative melodrama”, and praised Fred MacMurray as “an actor who can display smooth villainy without losing his basic charm”.

Was there a remake of Double Indemnity?

There was a remake of Double Indemnity on TV in 1973, with Richard Crenna, Samantha Eggar and Lee J. Cobb.

What film techniques are used in Double Indemnity?

There are many film techniques used in Double Indemnity: camera angles, lighting, shadows, voice over narration, etc.

Who is Phyllis husband in Double Indemnity?

Phyllis’ husband is Walter Neff.

Is there voice over narration in Double Indemnity?

Yes, there is voice over narration in Double Indemnity.

Film noir is usually used to describe crime dramas, but the term literally translates to “black film” and was used by French critics to describe a handful of American films in the 1940s that were suffused with bleakness and cynicism. Double Indemnity is one of those films, and it’s one of the darkest; it’s about a man who falls for a killer and helps her murder her husband.

These questions need not be asked in every class discussion: The answers are found in our detailed analysis of the movie, but they do give you a good starting point for discussions. Use them as they are or adapt them to fit your own needs.

How is film noir used in Double Indemnity?

Film noir is usually used to describe crime dramas, but the term literally translates to “black film” and was used by French critics to describe a handful of American films in the 1940s that were suffused with bleakness and cynicism. Double Indemnity is one of those films, and it’s one of the darkest; it’s about a man who falls for a killer and helps her murder her husband.

Low key lighting is used throughout the film to create dark shadows and deep contrast in images. Double Indemnity also uses flashbacks to show Phyllis’ and Walter’s plan. The film’s lead characters, Phyllis and Walter, are both anti-heroes which adds to their dark nature. Lastly, Double Indemnity takes place in Los Angeles, California so it has an urban setting.

Who was the witness for the insurance policy in Double Indemnity?

In this classic film noir from director Billy Wild, the witness for the insurance policy in Double Indemnity is Walter Neff’s coworker Barton Keyes.

Why is Double Indemnity a classic?

Double Indemnity is a classic because it’s one of the first films to use film noir and it’s considered to be among the best films of all time by many organizations such as the National Film Registry, and has been referenced often in modern film, television, video games and literature.

What are some symbols in Double Indemnity?

The symbols in Double Indemnity include cigarettes (which represent death), darkness (representing evil), seduction (representing temptation) and mirrors (representing deception).

Conclusion

Double Indemnity (1944) is director Billy Wilder’s classic film noir story of greed, lust and deception. The screenplay by Wilder and Raymond Chandler was based upon James M. Cain’s 1943 novel of the same name. This quintessential noir film was one of the earliest in the genre to focus on murder and adultery.

The film opens with a voice-over narration by insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who has just committed a murder. With his back against a filing cabinet drawer in his office, he recalls the circumstances that led up to the killing in a flashback.