Any investigation of what might be meant by the term ‘film noir‘ is going to be helped by a study of the production of Double Indemnity. We are fortunate that we can access a Blu-ray of the film courtesy of Eureka’s ‘Masters of Cinema’ #44 using a restored version of the original film and released in 2012. The Blu-ray package includes a booklet of interviews/extracts of pieces on Billy Wilder, James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler. The disc includes a documentary on the film’s production and critical responses from a selection of journalists, academics etc. from 2006, plus a commentary on the film by Nick Redman and Lem Dobbs. There is also a recording of a 1945 radio play based on the script and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray.

Double Indemnity is important for the study of film noir, because:

  1. It has been claimed as the first major success of a new type of Hollywood film. Several other titles have been claimed as ‘starting the cycle’ of film noir titles but Double Indemnity was the first genuine ‘A’ feature with leading stars to combine several elements of what later became the definition of a film noir.
  2. Adapted from James M. Cain’s novella by Raymond Chandler and writer-director Billy Wilder, the film involved two of the ‘hardboiled writers’ whose work was central to the development of the film genre (or mood, mode, approach etc.).
  3. Barbara Stanwyck as star with Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson guaranteed audience interest.
  4. Wilder as an émigré director from the former Austria-Hungary via Germany was a direct link to the Weimar Cinema of Germany, often quoted as one of the influences on film noir. Wilder was working with John Seitz as the leading cinematographer at Paramount during this period, ensuring attention to the visual style of the film.
  5. By successfully negotiating with the Breen Office of the Production Code Administration, Wilder succeeded in putting Cain’s work on screen and opening the door for both Mildred Pierce (1945) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), Cain’s other two ‘hard-boiled’ classics to be adapted and produced by Warner Bros. and MGM respectively.
Not sure about the sun-glasses Phyliss – or did you mean to look out of place?

In 2021 I explored the production of Double Indemnity in relation to the work of its three writers in a Zoom Event. My notes sent out before the Zoom discussion are available here to download as a pdf. (It’s a 10 page document of 5,000 words):

DoubleIndemnityWriters.pdf

If you’ve never seen the film, the story is about  Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) an insurance salesman who visits a house in Los Angeles, hoping to update the vehicle insurance of a client. When he meets the client’s wife Phyliss (Barbara Stanwyck) he is immediately struck by her erotic appeal and seemingly unable to avoid her hints about taking out life insurance on her husband. Such a policy might include a ‘double indemnity’ clause in the event of her husband’s death. Who is best placed to carry out the perfect murder? Unfortunately, Walter’s boss Barton Keyes is the investigator who can spot a fraudulent claim on nearly every occasion. Is it worth the risk?

Here’s the original trailer: