Double indemnity, published in 1934, is cains second novel and is set in the young, booming city of hollywood. In this double story, the woman and man tempt one another. A novella written in 1980, the material was first adapted to the screen by frank darabont in a 2007 film of the same name. 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.
Robinson, and in 1973, a tv film directed by by jack smight and starring richard crenna and samantha eggar return to top of the page. At the end of shopping scene, her facial expressions showed that she was pretending to be upset, so that she wanted to be with walter, but she just wants double the money. Phyllis and walter make arrangements for it to appear as if mr. Still, he is savvy enough to get through the door and get. The ending to frank darabonts the mist though is a dark, gutpunch of an ending, that shows a man on the wrong side of fate, with one less bullet than he needed.
She is upstairs wearing a towel, and the camera is looking up at her to show that she is more superior than the others and her importance in the film. Dietrichson becomes increasingly accident prone after his icily calculating wife encourages him to sign a double indemnity policy proposed by a smoothtalking insurance agent. This and other perks can be found on our patreon page. The book double indemnity is a fast, slick morality piece wherein an amoral hero walter huff callously disregard notions of good and evil, only to find that evil does exist the things he discovers about phyllis dietrichsons past carry quite a shock and were omitted from the film. Read on to see our dissection of what happened and why, as well as. Double indemnity lost alternate endings of film noir.
Another successor was raymond chandler 18881959, whose novels, such as the big sleep 1939, farewell, my lovely 1940, and the little sister 1949, deal with corruption and racketeering in southern california. 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. Double indemnity by billy wilder, raymond chandler. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturnednovelist james m. Edward g robinson, my favorite double indemnity scene. Billy wilders double indemnity 1944 and the phenomenon of american film noir by david walsh and joanne laurier 28 july 2015 as part of an eightfilm series, turner classic movies, the us. The film was adapted by director billy wilder and writer raymond chandler from the 1935 novella by james.
Both are attracted not so much by the crime as by the thrill of committing it with the other person. Cain novel, itself based on the 1927 murder of albert snyder by his wife ruth in queens, ny. In a city where insurance salesmen are close to the bottom of the social pecking order, walter huff rates as average. Double indemnity 1935 is one of the classic, toughtalking murder stories of the late 1930s.
Double indemnity summary and analysis of the finale. Bailey writing 39b 7 november 2016 double indemnity book vs. 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. Sep 17, 2011 i had killed a man, for money and a woman. Jun 27, 2017 the mist might not be stephen kings best known work, but it has achieved a small degree of fame.
Barbara stanwyck in double indemnity, 1944 barbara stanwyck is another classic actress i,m a fan of and my favorite films of her,s are baby face, sorry wrong number, and double indemnity barbara stanwyck in double indemnity. We were talking about automobile insurance, only you were thinking about murder. I saw the movie the mist today, and they say the ending was different than the ending in the book. In other words, all this help the viewers to get to understand the character as well as narrative function of neff as male protagonist which is actually a vital component of classic film noir. The mist might not be stephen kings best known work, but it has achieved a small degree of fame. In honor of tcms summer of darkness film noir festival and online course, heres double indemnity 1944, an undisputed masterpiece of the genre.
And what does a movie need in order to belong to this notoriously slippery category. Cain 18921977, double indemnity is based upon a true story about a weakwilled insurance agent, walter huff, who falls for sultry blond, phyllis nirdlinger. One of the most prominent visual representations of masculinity in double indemnity is the relationship between walter neff and barton keyes, one having the qualities of a malefemale relationship. The ending that was never filmed was the one written in the novel. Some of the changes made to the double indemnity screenplay were definite improvements on the book, probably due to the fact that raymond chandler was a cowriter on the movie. Hi there, i watched the mist last night and gotta say i was blown away by the ending.
I finished the book and watched the movie the very next night, which is the ideal timeline when doing a comparison. Im really getting to like these late 1930s early 1940s crime novels, and double indemnity by james m. From the moment they met it was murder unsuspecting mr. 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. First published in book form in the volume three of a kind 1943 double indemnity has been filmed at least twice.
It followed the timehonoured noir plotline of a man undone by an evil woman. Two of cains other novels, mildred pierce 1941 and double indemnity 1943, were also made into film noir classics. Nov 22, 2007 i saw the movie the mist today, and they say the ending was different than the ending in the book. Now despairing, walter begins to spend more time with lola, enjoying her calming presence. In the opening, at the very start o the film, there is a close up shot of the main character, called phyllis. Cain, virtuoso of the roman noir, gives us a tautly narrated and excruciatingly suspenseful story in double indemnity, an xray view of guilt, of duplicity, and of the kind of obsessive, loveless love that devastates everything it touches. Cain s 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936. Anyway, i hear the ending in the book is different, can anyone tell me the difference between the two as ive never read the book. Jeffrey meyerss introduction provides hilarious anecdotes about the turbulent collaboration as well as background. Walter huff was an insurance salesman with an unfailing instinct for clients who might be in trouble, and his instinct led him to phyllis nirdlinger.
The mists ending edited to show it as it is in the novella stephen king wrote. Double indemnity has one of the most familiar noir themes. Completely not what i expected, big change for hollywood not to sugar coat something and make it all nice. The screenplay was written by raymond chandler and billy wilder. Double indemnity as a film noir classic film studies essay. What are the 3 themes of the story double indemnity. 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. This study guide consists of approximately 51 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of double indemnity. Oct 21, 2017 its been a little over 10 years since the mist dropped that huge ending on us, and now its time to unpack it all once again. Mar 10, 2008 hi there, i watched the mist last night and gotta say i was blown away by the ending. Double indemnity, american film noir, released in 1944, that was considered the quintessential movie of its genre. The two main characters, walter neff and phyllis, overcome with guilt commit double suicide.
One night they walk through the woods behind the hollywood bowl, and lola confides in walter that she believes her stepmother and nino zachetti conspired to kill her father. She is a beautiful and alluring woman, barely older than lola, her husbands daughter from a previous marriage. I hated the ending to the movie and it was a good scary movie, but if anyone has read the book version, i would like to know how the book ended. It was strange reading this book as it times it seemed like i was watching an old black and white movie. Walter comes to the nirdlinger house and wraps up the paperwork with mr. Cains double indemnity elena gonzalvo july, 20 comments off on the book and the film. We round up the finest of your reponses to last weeks films in this case way out west, double indemnity, tampopo, back to the future and kes. Walter is often seen smoking, a masculine trait, but. The second ending was filmed and was intended to be in the film. Its been a little over 10 years since the mist dropped that huge ending on us, and now its time to unpack it all once again.
Edward g robinson, my favorite double indemnity scene 1944. Representations of masculinity in double indemnity and. 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. 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. Cain 1892 1977 wrote double indemnity in 1936, just after his other short masterful noir novel the postman always rings twice 1934 both these novels became celebrated movies. Double indemnity in life insurance policies 9 quite as reasonable and is economically decidedly more defen sible than one for death which resulted from bodily injury effected solely by violent, external and accidental means. 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. Nirdlingers inconvenient husband has to be eliminated so that his wife. Double indemnity the finale summary and analysis gradesaver. The story follows the ambitions of walter huff, insurance salesman, who cooks up a scheme with phyllis nirdlinger to bump off phyllis husband in a manner that pays off the double indemnity clause of a life insurance policy. Double indemnity is the second book i read of james m. There were quite a number of differences that could be spotted between the original novel and the film. More than 50 years after its release, the classic double indemnity is one of the best films of all time. Jul 14, 2015 on the long list of movies featured in this course is billy wilders double indemnity.
Find release information for double indemnity 1944 billy wilder on allmovie. Sep 24, 2011 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. Cain was made into a big screen adaptation in 1944. Double indemnity by billy wilder, raymond chandler, jeffrey. According to imdb, cain liked the plot solutions that billy wilder and raymond chandler came up with for the movie and would have used them in the book if he had thought of them himself. Jun 25, 2010 the mist s ending edited to show it as it is in the novella stephen king wrote. What ends up destroying the evil people in the story is not crusading law enforcement. Billy wilders double indemnity 1944 and the phenomenon of. This facsimile edition contains wilder and chandlers originaland quite different ending, published here for the first time. The story of double indemnity is based on a 1943 james m. Phyllis emotions consists of different, suspicious emotions. I vaguely recall watching the movie of the same name.
The ending of double indemnity is chilling as walter and phyllis join each other in a suicide pact. Film is a column comparing books to the film adaptations they spawn, often discussing them on a plotpointbyplotpoint basis. Double indemni ty is a 1944 america n film no ir directed by billy wilder, cowritten by wilder and raymond chandler, and produced by buddy desylva and joseph sistrom. The book double indemnity is a fast, slick morality piece wherein an amoral hero walter huff callously disregard notions of good and evil, only to find that evil does exist the things he discovers about phyllis dietrichsons past carry quite a shock and. Double indemnity 1944 billy wilder releases allmovie. Starring thomas jane, laurie holden, and marcia gay harden, the film is most famous for a twist ending that has left audiences divided to this day. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Before watching the film, i knew i had to read the james m. However, i shall throughout this paper employ the generally accepted name. Buy double indemnity read a great movie by james m. Oct 12, 2014 this murder scene from double indemnity has many interesting and intelligent camera, sound, lighting, miseenscene and editing uses, all used to emphasise certain parts of the scene and create particular moods and feelings.
The hero is not a criminal, but a weak man who is tempted and succumbs. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936. This facsimile edition contains wilder and chandlers originaland quite differentending, published here for the first time. It is quite short especially if you ignore the padding in the foreword which serves no real purpose. 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. The ending would have conflicted with the hayes code and was probably never intended to be filmed. Although not published in book form until 1943, james m. Mar 24, 2005 buy double indemnity read a great movie by james m. An analysis of billy wilders double indemnity inquiries.
Jul 28, 2015 billy wilders double indemnity 1944 and the phenomenon of american film noir by david walsh and joanne laurier 28 july 2015 as part of an eightfilm series, turner classic movies, the us. Double indemnity also begins with music that is nondiagetic. Billy wilders double indemnity 1944 and the phenomenon. Get an answer for what are the 3 themes of the story double indemnity. To be sure, there are more typical examples of the strengths. The classic 1944 movie double indemnity based on this book is one of my alltime favorites.
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