From the Moment They Met It Was Murder
Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir
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From real crime to serial to novel to movie, the history of Double Indemnity is as complex and exciting as the plot of any to hit the screen during film noir's classic period. Born of a true crime that inspired reporter and would-be crime writer James M. Cain's novella, Hollywood quickly bid on the rights but throughout the 1930s a strict code of censorship made certain that no studio could green-light a murder melodrama based on real events. Then World War II loosened some strictures, and director-writer Billy Wilder—before his prime as director of sparkling comedies—could hire hardboiled novelist Raymond Chandler and revamp the story enough to pass the censors.
Overcoming strong resistance, Wilder then lined up a star cast led by the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck in her unforgettable turn as the ultimate femme fetale, alongside Fred MacMurray, cast against type as her partner in crime, and Edward G. Robinson as a bloodhound claims adjuster. With these skilled actors set against a low-key look, Wilder's final film became one of the earliest studio noirs to gain critical and commercial success (nominated for 7 Oscars!), to influence the entire noir movement, and to impact filmmakers and audiences to this day.
Authors Alain Silver and James Ursini tell the complete history of Double Indemnity in their latest and most provocative work on film noir: From the Moment They Met It Was Murder.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
April 2, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781668637616
- File size: 252054 KB
- Duration: 08:45:06
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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February 15, 2024
Between them, Silver and Ursini have written dozens of books about film in general and film noir in particular. In this rigorously researched and highly detailed study, they focus on James M. Cain's classic 1936 novella, Double Indemnity, and its 1944 film adaptation, cowritten by mystery novelist Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder and directed by Wilder. The story is based on the 1927 case of Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray, who conspired to murder Snyder's husband for the insurance money. The authors cover the laborious process of turning the book into a screenplay and the production and cultural impact of the film. They offer lots of fascinating stories; for example, the movie originally ended with the gas-chamber execution of insurance salesman Walter Neff. It was filmed but cut before the movie was previewed. The authors discuss other works inspired by the Snyder case, including Lawrence Kasdan's Body Heat; William Styron and John Phillips' unproduced 1973 screenplay, Dead!; and a 1928 play, Machinal, with a cast that briefly included a young Clark Gable. An exceptionally fine, endlessly entertaining book about filmmaking.COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Starred review from March 1, 2024
Based on the 1928 murder trial of a woman who lured her lover into helping her kill her wealthy husband to get money from his insurance policy, 1944's Double Indemnity is considered one of the best noir films of all time. Film mavens Silver and Ursini (coauthors of the "Film Noir Reader" series) write with authority about a movie that often ignites fervor and incites arguments, even in academic studies. Adapted from James M. Cain's novel, the film was cowritten by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler in a union that tested both men but produced an outstanding script. Wilder also directed the film, which starred Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, and Edward G. Robinson. Silver and Ursini show that MacMurray, Robinson, and Stanwyck all played against type in Double Indemnity. MacMurray and Stanwyck worried it might make them less appealing to fans, but Stanwyck was nominated for an Oscar, and MacMurray deemed it the best movie he'd ever made. This book is generously illustrated with photos from on and off the set, and readers will get a kick out of the newsy and opinionated footnotes. VERDICT Film lovers will eat up this book about Double Indemnity's true-crime origins.--David Keymer
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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