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Books > Language & Literature > Literature: texts > Drama texts, plays > From 1900
On every level -- writing, direction, acting -- "Double Indemnity"
(1944) is a triumph and stands as one of the greatest achievements
in Billy Wilder's career. Adapted from the James M. Cain novel by
director Wilder and novelist Raymond Chandler, it tells the story
of an insurance salesman, played by Fred MacMurray, who is lured
into a murder-for-insurance plot by Barbara Stanwyck, in an
archetypal femme fatale role. From its grim story to its dark,
atmospheric lighting, "Double Indemnity" is a definitive example of
World War II-era film noir. Wilder's approach is everywhere
evident: in the brutal cynicism the film displays, the moral
complexity, and in the empathy we feel for the killers. The film
received almost unanimous critical success, garnering seven Academy
Award nominations. More than fifty years later, most critics agree
that this classic is one of the best films of all time. The
collaboration between Wilder and Raymond Chandler produced a
masterful script and some of the most memorable dialogue ever
spoken in a movie.
This facsimile edition of "Double Indemnity" contains Wilder and
Chandler's original -- and quite different -- ending, published
here for the first time. Jeffrey Meyers's introduction
contextualizes the screenplay, providing hilarious anecdotes about
the turbulent collaboration, as well as background information
about Wilder and the film's casting and production.
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