Cinema style filebarbara stanwyck straight down the line in. Late in the novel huff remarks that he never thought of his victim, mr. Jeffrey meyerss introduction provides hilarious anecdotes about the turbulent collaboration as well as background. Cains house, to the left of the hollywood signhope anderson productions. The book has strong themes of sexual jealousy as sachetti appears to be involved both with cora and with coras stepmother phyllis.
Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936 the film stars fred macmurray as an insurance salesman, barbara. 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. 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. Double indemnity novel themes these notes were contributed by members of the gradesaver community. First published in book form in the volume three of a kind 1943 double indemnity has been filmed at least twice. Cain novel by wilder and raymond chandler, double indemnity represents the highwater mark of 1940s film noir urban crime dramas in which a. This bastardization can be seen in how all three of the films major company men, norton, keys, and. Cinema style filebarbara stanwyck straight down the line. He was the love of my life, she said and when he passed she was hurt beyond belief. I knew when i committed to doing a month dedicated to film noir style on glamamor that double indemnity would have to enter into it. This book is has an excellent plot and well written characters but i found cains style. Double indemnity 1944 is director billy wilders classic film noir masterpiece a. 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. A suspenseful page turner double identity theme project.
The hollywood film noir era started in 1940s in which some of the best directors emerged, and so did the production code which sparked an interesting period of time for hollywood cinema as well as the role of females represented in hollywood films at the time. For the zombie film or comic book, or cable tv drama. That said, with this book you are likely saving money based on the amount of content between the covers. Unlike postman, double indemnity has a subplot involving nirdlingers daughter from a previous marriage, cora, age 19, and her boyfriend, beniamino sachetti, 26, a student working on his doctorate in chemistry. Learn how to make the costume at the educators spin on it. The double indemnity scene in house of cards is a perfect. Buy double indemnity by billy wilder, raymond chandler, jeffrey meyers introduction by online at alibris. 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. The theme of seduction and sex is the themes that help phyllis employ over walter. Barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray in double indemnity, billy wilder 1944. Here at, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Edith head creates an atypical femme fatale girls do film double indemnity is a perfect example of a classic film noir. Billy wilders double indemnity was made in 1944 and in the last seventy years it has stood on the pedestal as one of the best examples of what the film noir genre has to offer. I am wondering if her work was featured in films coming out.
Walter has jumped off the train and is crouched between two sets of track, out of view from the highway to wait. 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. The film s themes of betrayal, murder, and lust dont go out of style, and this film still sucks you in eighty years after it was made. Walter knows that accident insurance pays double indemnity on railroad. Portrait od robert taylor and barbara stanwyck in his brothers wife directed by w. One of the themes at this years tcm classic film festival style in the movies. 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. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. S van dyke, 1936 barbara stanwyck with husband robert taylor. The double indemnity novel community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context. Cains 1943 novella of the same name, which originally appeared as an eightpart serial in liberty magazine, beginning in february 1936. 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.
In honor of tcms summer of darkness film noir festival and online course, heres double indemnity 1944, an undisputed masterpiece of the genre. Its in black and white, it has fast badinage, its very witty, a story from the classic age. The book encourages students to appreciate differing interpretations of each film and to develop their own critical thinking. Double indemnity 1944 scene analysis double indemnity 1944 scene analysis how fast was i going officer. In double indemnity, and many other film noir, this use of shadows portrays the environment that the characters live in as dangerous and full of corruption, mystery and violence, inhabited by people with dubious motives and ambiguous morals. Double indemnity 1944 scene analysis hit that film. Cinema style file barbara stanwyck straight down the line in double indemnity. Your email address will never be sold or distributed to a third party for any reason. More than 50 years after its release, the classic double indemnity is one of the best films of all time. Dietrichsons stanford reunion is coming up, and he plans to take the train.
Double indemnity by billy wilder, raymond chandler, jeffrey. When looking at the costume and make up for the main protagonist it helps to present that walter is formal and has the right intentions at first. Tautly narrated and excruciatingly suspenseful, double indemnit. Double identity theme project by victory lee on prezi. Robinson is fundamental, and warmer than in the novel. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Phyllis then hires the lawyer customarily used for family business and has him file a suit against the company to enforce payment.
The dark stocks lowered production costs but also established the conventions of lighting, sound, and composition that defined the genre. A close analysis of billy wilders masterpiece and its association to the. Jump forward to modern filmmaking and we find the term neonoir referring to a similar brand of crime drama with modernized themes, content, and visual style not possible in the original noir era. The urgentlytold, highlystylized story was wilders third film after the major and the minor 1942 and five graves to cairo 1943. Double indemnity and the role of the femme fatale yeahsuvi. Get an answer for what are the 3 themes of the story double indemnity. The double indemnity house, from book to film to reality. Double indemnity was playing in his living room at the time meaning that the film has been at the. Cain, was sought by every hollywood studio in the late 1930s. And what does a movie need in order to belong to this notoriously slippery category. Jan 31, 2017 n insurance representative lets himself be talked into a murderinsurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigators suspicions. This scene is the first encounter between phyllis and walter. The movie double indemnity 1944 directed by billy wilder conveys a.
She accentuates her exotic sensuality with high heels, anklets, lipstick and flashy jewelry. Not only is double indemnity one of the archetypal films known as film noir but it is regarded by many as the first true film noir. According to jeffrey meyers, there were some problems inherent to the source material that required some fairly inventive thinking on the part billy wilder. Image detail for robert taylor and barbara stanwyck autographed photo actress.
Directed by billy wilder and adapted from a james m. In a city where insurance salesmen are close to the bottom of the social pecking order, walter huff rates as average. Double indemnity study guide contains a biography of director billy wilder, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. What are the 3 themes of the story double indemnity. Its seamy tale of murder is not layered in any way. The films of billy wilder are more famous than wilder himself. The women wear elegant dresses and luxurious jewellery. Cains 1936 novel double indemnity, which is based on an actual case.
The names of the main characters in the original novel were walter huff and. Double indemnity by billy wilder, raymond chandler. 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 double indemnity scene in house of cards is a perfect metaphor for the underwoods. 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. Cains 1943 novella of the same name as the foundation of their story, wilder and extraordinary novelistturnedscreenwriter raymond chandler wrote a mesmerizing script that introduced one of the. As with howard hawksanother director beloved by cinephiles but with little name recognition among the general publicwilders work spans so many genres and styles that he becomes impossible to pin down, definable only by the skill inherent even in his weakest efforts and by a somewhat skeptical worldview.
Each book discusses a key film from a broad academic and critical perspective, setting plot, themes and techniques in context and this text covers billy wilders 1944 classic double indemnity. This bastardization can be seen in how all three of the films major company men, norton, keys, and neff, act within the corporate system. 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. The characters, scenario and stylistic elements of double indemnity all perfectly. This facsimile edition contains wilder and chandlers originaland quite differentending, published here for the first time. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.
Sexuality phyllis dietrichson is a woman who shamelessly objectifies her own body, wielding it like a weapon. There are several rude, unexpected jokes that punctuate the films languor. Double indemnity, published in 1934, is cains second novel and is set in the young, booming city of hollywood. Double indemnity uses the common themes of film noir by displaying deception through the femme fatale phyllis dietrichson who uses her sexual appeal to manipulate walter neff not only to gain power over him, but also to gain money.
The genre of filmnoir, drama and crime that was directed by billy wilder and starring fred macmurray, barbara stanwyck and edward g. Double indemnity 1944 scene analysis how fast was i going officer. This edition not only includes the postman always rings twice, double indemnity, and mildred peirce, but also includes several of captain cains short stories that are no longer in print. Background adapted from a short novella by james m cain adapted for the screen by raymond chandler a detective novelist directed by billy wilder a jewish emigre who went on to direct a list films like sunset boul. Double indemnity barbara stanwyck as alluring phyllis dietrichson greeting walter neff from the balcony dressed in her sunbathing attire. Oct 09, 2008 i didnt get the money and i didnt get the woman. Double indemnity is a 1943 crime novel, written by american journalistturnednovelist james m. Double indemnity is the standard against which other film noirs and thrillers are judged, but its not just interesting in an academic sense.
Double indemnity is arguably the most famous film noir ever made, and its just one of many extraordinary movies made by paramount pictures. Paramount bought the rights in 1942, and created a film noir classic that was nominated for. Double indemnity is the second book i read of james m. A n accepted classic and archetypal film noir, billy wilders double indemnity is visually drab and flabby around the edges. According to christopher orr, films noir are marked by the eruption of physical violence or, more precisely, the discourse of law and criminality. Double indemnity shares with other films noir common themes of criminality and guilt. Double indemnity improves a little as it goes along. May 30, 2017 the double indemnity scene in house of cards is a perfect metaphor for the underwoods. It corresponds to a book im writing during the time frame, however, it is set in berlin. Cinema style file barbara stanwyck straight down the line in double indemnity i knew when i committed to doing a month dedicated to film noir style on glamamor that double indemnity would have to enter into it. 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. As a classic femme fatale, she dresses provocatively, favoring plunging decolletage, high silts and sensual colors.
As a classic femme fatale, she dresses provocatively, favoring plunging. Still, he is savvy enough to get through the door and get. Double indemnity provides a picture of how the corporate system itself wears down morality and twists men into cynical parodies of the helpful agents that they publicly claim to be. Double indemnity 1944 is director billy wilders classic film noir masterpiece a cynical, witty, and sleazy thriller about adultery, corruption and murder. Walter huff, an insurance agent, falls for the married phyllis nirdlinger, who consults him about accident. An indepth look at a film noir classic barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray in double indemnity, billy wilder 1944 it has all the characteristics of the classic forties film as i respond to it. 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 characters, scenario and stylistic elements of double indemnity all perfectly represent this group of hollywood films from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Double indemnity study guide contains a biography of director billy wilder, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. Its that word that carries me off to sleep, a lullaby of curiosity and loneliness and fear. Double indemnity novel archives literature essay samples.
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