duminică, 12 martie 2017

Double Indemnity written by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder

Double Indemnity written by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder

Another version of this note and thoughts on other books are available at:


This is one of the best films, found on this and other respectable lists:


And Double Indemnity has been present in my preoccupations lately.
Not because I plan a crisscross, to “swap murders” like in Strangers on the Train, Throw Mama from the Train and others.

First of all, I have listened to a play about the writing of the script for the film, with Billy Wilder inviting Raymond Chandler to work together.
The latter refuses, in the first place, then he tries to tolerate the smoking and what he thought was the obnoxious manner of the director.

The director Billy wilder was also unimpressed, from the moment he first saw Raymond Chandler, who “looked like an accountant”.
Raymond Chandler was new in the “Screen Trade” and the first draft, eighty pages long, could not be used.

But the writer was ultimately responsible for the excellent dialogue and the substantial modifications operated on the original material.
What James Cain has written in the novel, could not translate well on the screen and although he opposed the changes, Billy Wilder would eventually understand his mistake.

The play about the writing of the script has a lot of tension and it is inspired by real events and the much publicized commentary, complaints offered by both sides, with accusations of lack of respect, because Raymond Chandler was not invited for the awards or the press conference and the response from Wilder:
-          How could we invite him?
-          He was under the table at Lucy’s

When he worked for the script, Raymond Chandler was a recovering alcoholic and the stress of this task brought him back to drinking.

The narrative of the film is stupendous and the work of Billy Wilder and Raymond chandler has made film history.
Walter Neff is an insurance salesman who meets the beautiful Phyllis Dietrichson, played by Barbara Stanwyck.

TIME Magazine considers her performance outstanding and one of the most notable, in one of the most acclaimed films ever.
Phyllis tries to convince Walter to have an accident insurance made for her husband, without the spouse knowing about it.

At first, the man is rejecting the idea, somewhat outraged by what would be a serious crime, with a term of many years in jail.
But seduced by the beauty of the woman, Walter is the one to concoct a plan that would not just mean the end of Mr. Dietrichson, but a daring insurance claim

He explains that in the case of very unlikely accidents, the insurance company pays twice the usual amount.
Trains are considered very safe and therefore a death during a trip on one would represent the jackpot:

-          A Double Indemnity

Of course, they have to be very careful, plan all the details in advance and stick to the plan, because the alternative is the gas chamber.
So he explains to his lover and would be partner- at least in Walter’s imagination- what needs to be done.
They will have to keep away from each other and do everything so that his (former) friend at the firm would not figure the plot out.
Barton Keyes, played very well by Edward G. Robinson- an actor that I heard was born in my country- is a specialist and knows when a claim is false.

Without a spoiler alert, I will stop giving details long before the denouement of the movie, which I will only say differs from the play I listened to a few months ago.
But when the case arrives at the insurance company, foul play is suspected, but not by Keyes, but by an executive.

Who thinks they are dealing with…suicide.

Excellent classic that made history, even if it did not win any of the Academy Awards it was nominated for.




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