Watched Billy Wilder's 1944 Noir Film "Double Indemnity"

Phyllis Dietrichson: We're both rotten.
Walter Neff: Only you're a little more rotten.

Double Indemnity is the story of an insurance salesman who meets and falls for a married woman that wants to kill her husband and collect a life insurance fraud claim. Together, they attempt to cash in on a special clause that doubles the claim amount if the death happens a certain way. It's directed by Billy Wilder and is #29 on the AFI 100.


Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff, a smooth talking insurance salesman that flirts with a client's wife on a routine house call.


The flirtation continues later when the woman, played by Barbara Stanwyck, pursues him. As a side note, in the year this film came out, Stanwyck was the highest paid woman in America.


Neff's associate and his company's claim adjuster Barton Keyes, played by Edward G. Robinson, has a knack for sniffing out phony insurance claims.


I really enjoyed this film. It was both fun and suspenseful. The dialogue was very entertaining, and I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. The acting was great, and I can see why the cinematography is considered very influential.

Related Items:
Double Indemnity on Netflix Streaming
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)

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