Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)

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Director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) and writer Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) adapted James M. Cain's hard-boiled 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): kill Dietrichson's husband and make off with the insurance money. But, of course, in these plots things never quite go as planned, and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) is the wily insurance investigator who must sort things out. From the opening scene you know Neff is doomed, as the story is told in flashback; yet, to the film's credit, this doesn't diminish any of the tension of the movie. This early film noir flick is wonderfully campy by today's standards, and the dialogue is snappy ("I thought you were smarter than the rest, Walter. But I was wrong. You're not smarter, just a little taller"), filled with lots of "dame"s and "baby"s. Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale, and MacMurray, despite a career largely defined by roles as a softy (notably in the TV series My Three Sons and the movie The Shaggy Dog), is convincingly cast against type as the hapless, love-struck sap. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

must see.......2007-07-28

why did Phyllis shoot Walter....? to end the film?
In general the story is very well-designed.

Double Indemnity.......2007-06-21

One of the quintessential noir films, Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity" is a masterpiece of stark atmosphere and carefully stylized suspense. The talented Barbara Stanwyck, a familiar face in the 1940s noir universe, assumes her role with feline deviousness, while "My Three Sons" TV dad Fred MacMurray--narrating the film via flashback--brilliantly plays against type. Raymond Chandler's screenplay sizzles with hard-boiled repartee and the great Edward G. Robinson is aces as always as the dogged investigator hot on the lovers' trail. Sinister, tense, and cynical, Wilder's "Indemnity" is riveting film suspense.

Classic film noir from the great Billy Wilder.......2007-06-10

"Double Indemnity" is one of the first films of the genre that would come to be known as "Film Noir".

The plot is classic film noir - a smug, womanising insurance salesman Walter Neff (played by Fred MacMurray) gets in over his head with a conniving femme fatale Phyllis Diedrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) who wants rid of her boorish husband. Neff must also be wary of a suspicious claims manager at his insurance company Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson).

Naturally the story has some dated elements (it was made in 1943) but it still holds up pretty well as entertainment for a modern audience.

MacMurray is excellent in his role as a heel making a change from his usual nice guy roles. He helps make the character sympathetic whereas Stanwycks role has few redeeming features - she really is "rotten". Her turnabout at the end is also somewhat unconvincing. The great Edward G. Robinson steals every scene he's in as the tenacious investigator who has a soft spot for Neff.

The DVD includes a good commentary by Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman with useful insights on the film but it also continually laments the decline of Hollywood, which I think is a trifle unfair.

Like most Billy Wilder films "Double Indemnity" doesn't really have a message - it just provides great entertainment aimed at adults. It also marks a growing shift in the 1940s towards more maturity in Hollywood film-making.

It doesn't get any better than this blistering jewel.......2007-05-30

What else remains to be said about one of the true classics of noir? Fred Macmurry is just right as the sap who thinks he's a lot smarter & sharper than he really is; Edward G. Robinson shines as a dedicated & inexorable seeker of the truth, even as his concern & disappointment for his fallen friend shows clearly; and Barbara Stanwyck scalds the screen as the trashy, blatantly sexy femme fatale with the morals of an alley cat & an icy ruthlessness that stops at nothing -- just look at that cover art! Wrap these characters in moody, bleakly beautiful black & white cinematography, give them a witty, scathing script by Raymond Chandler, and you've got a sordid masterpiece about small-timers whose greedy, self-centered dreams are much larger than their shriveled souls. I can't recommend this film highly enough!

a great example of the early days of film noir..............2007-05-20

DOUBLE INDEMNITY, a 1944 film by Billy Wilder, is one of the most definitive and beautiful examples of early film noir (literally, "black film") at its best. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre of film noir, this was a type of film made popular in the 1940s and 1950s, features very dark cinematography (plenty of shadows intermixed with light), as well as equally dark subject matter. Common themes are murders, affairs and grizzly illegal activity. DOUBLE INDEMNITY is a great example of this style at its best.

Fred MacMurray plays wily insurance man Walter Neff, who finds himself drawn to a beautiful, married woman, Phyllis Dietrichsen, played by the lovely Barbara Stanwyck. Together, they cook a plot to murder her husband, so Walter can make off with the policy money. Of course, things don't go quite according to plan. Enter Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), an investigator who gets wind that "something is rotting in Denmark." Keyes knows that there is something decidedly un-kosher about the whole arrangement between Neff and Dietrichsen, and he is determined to find out where that feeling is coming from.

This film is beautifully acted, directed with great zest, and very, very engaging. Even though some of the dialogue is (delightfully) dated, you are still going to have a great time watching DOUBLE INDEMNITY. There is no question that this is an example of filmmaking, at its best.

Average customer rating:

must see
Double Indemnity
Classic film noir from the great Billy Wilder
It doesn't get any better than this blistering jewel
a great example of the early days of film noir.......

Double Indemnity
Starring: Fred MacMurray , Barbara Stanwyck , Edward G. Robinson , Porter Hall , and Jean Heather
Director: Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305077517
Release Date: 1998-01-28

Amazon.com essential video

Description

An insurance claims manager gets a familiar feeling of foul play while investigating the death of a man whose wife just had him sign a double-indemnity policy through her insurance agent and lover.

Customer Reviews:

must see.......2007-07-28

why did Phyllis shoot Walter....? to end the film?
In general the story is very well-designed.

Double Indemnity.......2007-06-21

Classic film noir from the great Billy Wilder.......2007-06-10

It doesn't get any better than this blistering jewel.......2007-05-30

a great example of the early days of film noir..............2007-05-20

Double Indemnity [Barbara Stanwyck & Fred Macmurray]

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The GREAT Billy Wilder gets his first recognition
Another classic film noir
"The Queen of Sass" in the role of a lifetime!

Double Indemnity [Barbara Stanwyck & Fred Macmurray]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EWAKYU

Product Description

Smooth talking insurance salesman Walter Neff meets attractive Phyllis Dietrichson when he calls to renew her husband's automobile policy. The couple are immediately drawn to each other and an affair begins. They cook up a scheme to murder Mr. Dietrichson for life insurance money with a double indemnity clause. Unfortunately, all does not go to plan...

Customer Reviews:

The GREAT Billy Wilder gets his first recognition.......2006-10-15

"Double Indemnity" is a trend-setter. Wilder got his first of many deserved Oscar nominations for this early foray into the realm of "noir". Indeed, Stanwyck was amazing (Oscar nominated) and Fred MacMurray held his own against her strong performance. Never nominated, MacMurray is one of those reliable actors of the illustrious past who was worthy of a Lifetime Achievement Award (don't forget the enjoyable films he made with Disney, just before he was a household name on "My Three Sons") Here, he shows range, depth and focus as the ultimate conflicted anti-hero. I applaud him, even though his peers didn't. Also, cast against type, was the great Edward G. Robinson (also never nominated) in another reliably solid role. (At least HE received a Lifetime award). The tension builds, and we are drawn in by these unlikable characters, and not really surprised by the outcome; yet, Wilder's build-up toward this end is utterly fascinating. Lawrence Kasden's film "Body Heat" was a fine update of this theme, though he tried too hard for tension, when Wilder's version and script had it in your face. The greatest thing is that you find yourself sympathetically involved with these reprehensible characters, and then hate yourself afterwards for doing so. Isn't that wonderful? This, to me, is artistry and real talent. It's almost as much fun as being duped by Charlie Chan or Agatha Christie.But different...and a fun ride.

Another classic film noir.......2006-07-31

What can be said about Double Indemnity that has not already been said. Great casting of Fred MacMurray against type as the eventual bad guy. Don't look for My Three Sons here. Barbara Stanwyck is great as the fiery ice goddess that makes Fred MacMurray give his life up. Edward G. Robinson is great as the dogged insurance investigator that works with Fred MacMurray. The plot is tightly wound with moments of reral thrills. This is one example you should not miss.

"The Queen of Sass" in the role of a lifetime!.......2006-04-23

Double Indemnity is one of those rare gems in Old Hollywood History. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck,(my idol) as a woman fed up with her husband and wants rid of him- with the help of an insurance salesman- Walter Neff aka "Walta". Fred MacMurray's usual golden boy image in films is transformed into a man who would do anything for a blonde in an ankle bracelet. The usual mobster in pictures, Edward G. Robinson, plays the honest claims adjuster, who has no idea just how things will transpire. Buy this movie, if not for the "action and drama", but for Barbara's sly and sassy line delivery, with her delightful polished Brooklyn accent. The film was directed by Billy Wilder in 1944.

Sara E. Jordan, (also a Barbara S. fan)

The Blue Dahlia [Non-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import]

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The Blue Dahlia [Non-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import]
Starring: Alan Ladd , Veronica Lake , and William Bendix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B000O0D0YY

Product Description

This neat, fast-paced perfectly cast film noir reflects the hard-boiled, grim wit of the author of its screenplay, Raymond Chandler. Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) returns from the war to find his wife Helen (Doris Dowling) having a party and in the arms of another man. Johnny and Helen have a terrible fight, and later Helen is found dead. Johnny must prove his innocence and he enlists the aid of Joyce Haywood (Veronica Lake), the ex-wife of Helen's lover. Pursued by the cops, and never sure if he is being set-up for the murder, Johnny finally solves the murder and clears his name. Alan Ladd is at his hard-boiled, no-nonsense best as Johnny and Veronica Lake is, as always, the perfect noir femme-fatale, mysterious and alluring. Nicely directed by George Marshall, the film moves with great pace to an exciting, satisfying conclusion. The screenplay, the only one written by Chandler directly for the screen, was nominated for an Academy Award.

Double Indemnity [NON-US Format, Pal, Region2, Import - Great Britain]

Average customer rating:

Good picture quality for film noir masterpiece

Double Indemnity [NON-US Format, Pal, Region2, Import - Great Britain]

Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

Region 2 encoding (Europe, Japan, South Africa and the Middle East including Egypt).
Requires multi-region or region free DVD player in the US.
Includes Collector's Booklet

ASIN: 8324002308

Product Description

Synopsis Wilder's classic noir, a familiar brew of lust, larceny, and lethal intentions, stars Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck as a hot-blooded couple. Framed in flashback, the story is told by the dying Walter Neff (MacMurray), beginning with his first meeting with the seductive Phyllis Dietrichson (Stanwyck) during a routine renewal of her husband's car insurance. After some flirtation she arranges a meeting without her husband, where she asks about an accident policy to be bought without her husband's knowledge. Although repulsed by the implications of her suggestions, his obsession with Phyllis leads Neff to contemplate the possibility of finding a way to kill her husband while making his death look like an accident. After she comes to his apartment, the insurance salesman finally agrees to become involved in the murder, and the two of them begin methodically working out the details. After the they dispose of Dietrichson, Neff learns more than he wanted about Phyllis' unsavoury past, but realises he's now too involved to extricate himself. He's also concerned about his a boss (Barton Keyes) Edward G. Robinson, an omniscient insurance investigator who has taken over the case. A brilliant noir, among the best of the genre, with a byzantine yet utterly plausible plot, stylised hard-boiled dialogue by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and three terrific performances by Stanwyck MacMurray and Robinson.

Customer Reviews:

Good picture quality for film noir masterpiece.......2006-04-27

If you have a chance do obtain this version, don't hesitate. The picture quality is very good, especially compared to the poor Image version. Unfortunately, there is no extras, but the difference in picture quality of this masterpiece of film noir justifies any effort you have to make.

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