Dietrichson aka tom powers, and his daughter, lola dietrichson aka jean heather. It is clear she has no true affection for her husband. 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. I vaguely recall watching the movie of the same name. Neff meets the alluring phyllis dietrichson during a house call to remind her husband to renew his automobile insurance policy. Dietrichson is found dead on a train track, the police accept the determination of accidental death.
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. Directed by billy wilder and adapted from a james m. Wilder s double indemnity 1944 that can be considered dissident vari ations of. 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. Walter met phyllis innocently enough he was dropping off auto insurance renewal papers for her husband but quickly fell under her seductive charms. 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.
Everett collection rex features the film was shot by john seitz like a textbook noir. 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. 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. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturned novelist james. 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. Cain s 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936.
Double indemnity quotes 43 total quotes barton keyes multiple characters phyllis dietrichson walter neff. Directed by billy wilder and written by billy wilder and raymond chandler, based on a novella by james m. Neff comes through the double entrance doors from the re. Double indemnity is een amerikaanse film noir uit 1944 onder regie van billy wilder. Cain the postman always rings twice serialized his novella of double indemnity in liberty magazine before it was published as a book. Stanwyck was nominated for the academy award for best actress for her performance in the film version. Cains 1935 novella of the same title which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine. Double indemnity 1944 summary, analysis jotted lines. Double indemnity is the second book i read of james m. She incites him to dream up a plot to murder her husband in order to collect a double indemnity insurance policy. 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. Dietrichson, the conspiracy from double indemnity charles gerhardt miklos rozsa national philharmonic orchestra classic film. 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.
The movie double indemnity attracts attention of the present day spectators. In double indemnity, the supposedglendalearea hillside abode pictured above is where phyllis lives with her abusive oilman husband, mr. 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. Cains novel double indemnity was serialized in liberty magazine. Cain was very pleased with the way his book turned out on the screen.
Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine. Phyllis and walter make arrangements for it to appear as if mr. Mayer as early as 1935, with the response that the story was in violation. 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. 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.
It is while walking up to the home at the very beginning of the film that walter neff utters what is arguably its most. Lola dietrichson, age nineteen, dietrichson and lola, his. 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 american psychological thriller film noir directed by billy wilder. Cain characters walter neff phyllis dietrichson barton keyes lola dietrichson mr. 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. This borrowing from robert stam s book, subversive pleasures, is intended to. 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. 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. Double indemnity 1944 aficatalog american film institute. 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.
A script outline had been sent to the production code administration the censors by louis b. It is quite short especially if you ignore the padding in the foreword which serves no real purpose. She is a beautiful and alluring woman, barely older than lola, her husbands daughter from a previous marriage. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936. Barton suspected that dietrichson was murdered by his wife, phyllis dietrichson, who was claiming the double indemnity on her husbands accident insurance policy. Dietrichson is found dead on a traintrack, the police accept the determination of accidental death. Outdoors its nearly always night, while the interiors, at the dietrichson.
Dietrichsons stanford reunion is coming up, and he plans to take the train. 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. 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. Double indemnity study guide contains a biography of director billy wilder, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. In 1938, walter neff, an experienced salesman of the pacific all risk insurance co. It comes in a sturdy book like case, with two discs inside. He is immediately attracted to dietrichsons wife phyllis, who first appears clad. Overview of double indemnity, 1944, directed by billy wilder, with fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck, edward g. Analysis paper on movie double indemnity 1944 essay. In the opening, at the very start o the film, there is a close up shot of the main character, called phyllis. Double indemnity screenplay by billy wilder and raymond chandler based on the novel double indemnity in three of a kind by james m. The movie double indemnity directed by billy wilder is considered to be the classic masterpiece of the u.
I love double indemnity because its about a couple who are cheap and. May 31, 2014 provided to youtube by sony music entertainment mrs. They were obvious to each other in their mutual attraction. Beyond any slipup in the plan, keyes and dietrichsons disgruntled daughter, phyllis stepdaughter lola dietrichson, factored into their ability to pull off the plan. How he hooked up with the icily beautiful phyllis dietrichson. 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. Phyllis dietrichson is not the ultimate femme fatale. An insurance representative lets himself be talked by a seductive housewife into a murderinsurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator. The film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman, barbara stanwyck as a provocative. 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. Dietrichson s falling off a trainjust after taking out an insurance policy that pays double in the case of that particular accidentsets off. Adapted from james m cains 1943 novel of the same name, and with a screenplay by. Neff starts an acquaintance with phylliss stepdaughter lola, who suspects that phyllis has started going out with her lola s previous. Walter huff, an insurance agent, falls for the married phyllis nirdlinger, who consults him about accident insurance for her unsuspecting husband.
Huff became walter neff, and phyllis nirdlinger became phyllis dietrichson. Double indemnity director billy wilder sunset boulevard and writer raymond chandler the big sleep adapted james m. Ik wou dat ik ze zelf al had bedacht toen ik mijn boek schreef, zei hij. Phyllis dietrichson barbara stanwych and how both came to murder her. Film analysis of double indemnity film studies essay. In the 1944 production, she was played by barbara stanwyck.
Cain novel by wilder and raymond chandler, double indemnity represents the highwater mark of 1940s film noir urban crime dramas in which a. Aug 11, 2006 after rereading james cains novella, upon which billy wilders seminal noir double indemnity is based, id like to point out the substantial differences from the novella, which made the movie better, richer, more complex than its source. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Cains double indemnity and the film adaptation by billy wilder and raymond chandler for the may noir book of the month club. 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.
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