Review by C.J. Bunce
To commemorate the 80th birthday of the release of director Billy Wilder’s memorable film noir classic Double Indemnity, TCM is publishing a deep dive into the making of the movie next month. Available for pre-order now here at Amazon, From the Moment They Met it was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir is noir historian duo Alain Silver and James Ursini’s look at the film in the context of its time, connecting the dots between its real-life influences and a dream team of creators drawn together to make an unforgettable picture. That dream team included stars Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson, along with writers James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler, and director Billy Wilder.
Beginning with a chapter on the history of sensational crime journalism and specifically one of the many “crimes of the century” upon which Double Indemnity was based, the book then turns to the novel’s author, James M. Cain, who attended that trial and borrowed its story. That’s the idea of a wife plotting to take on a new lover and entice him to murder her husband, all with a double indemnity clause in an insurance policy lined up so she could reap a financial windfall. The authors show similarities in the trial to the final novel, all thoroughly researched and written with some film noir style of their own.
Double Indemnity is not a mystery–it’s crime fiction–letting the audience know upfront who did it. But understanding the appeal of the movie and its source novel involves a look at the elements of human nature. Why is there a pull for the audience to empathize with Barbara Stanwyck’s murderess Phyllis Dietrichson? And why is that any different from the guilt we load upon Fred MacMurray’s Walter Neff? The writers waste some time weaving in psychological analyses of some of the players, but why must we revisit who did or didn’t get along with their mother or father in every historical review of a person? But it’s all there for anyone needing to find a connection between every line of dialogue in the movie and a real-world counterpart.
Pairing Raymond Chandler with Double Indemnity is always a strange thing to talk about. Yes, he co-wrote the screen adaptation of Cain’s work. But the noted crime novelists had very different styles so the choice was questionable from the first minute. The writers for this TCM chronicle parse historical documentation from the production to show readers how much of Chandler’s work made it into the film, and it’s not insubstantial.
While Silver and Ursini give the movie its due, they aren’t afraid to share all of the film’s downfallings. Most interesting are those from the filmmakers themselves. What do you remember most from Double Indemnity? It’s Stanwyck’s horrible wig, right? It seems the film crew agreed, but after days of shooting it became too late to ditch the wig. Wilder himself called it a “big mistake” and executive producer Buddy DeSylva remarked, “We paid for Barbara Stanwyck and we got George Washington.” He nailed it.
The writers also home in on what worked without identifying any single element that took the movie into “classic Hollywood” status. Foremost for me is the non-standard casting, especially the juxtaposition of roles. Putting two beloved actors in these cringey murderer roles and forcing the audience to stay with them for two hours is certainly some kind of experiment. Then they took a noted bad guy actor, Edward G. Robinson, and made him the only good guy. But beyond that you may notice some cinema magic the next time you watch the movie. Is it the cigarette smoke that seems to fog every other scene? Actually, it’s pixie dust. When you walk into a house and the sun beams in showing floating dust particles? Cameraman John F. Seitz is due the credit for the ambiance, using metal particles and an effects smoker. That aura is felt by the audience, creating a surreal world to visit.
The book includes plenty of film stills and behind the scenes images–all the key shots you probably remember from the movie. It also includes photos and an analysis of a key deleted scene showing MacMurray and other cast members taking his character to the electric chair. This deleted and now lost scene ties everything together–the original murder trial, the attendance by key Hollywood players including Cain in the courtroom, and an analysis of what the Hays Code–the censors for Hollywood’s ongoing press to put more sex and violence on the screen–would and would not allow for its 1940s film-going public.
Every big movie needs a thorough deconstruction like this. It contains critics’ views, both contemporary and current, and views of the film from the creators, also contemporary and as they revisited the film in their later years. Stanwyck and MacMurray became a movie headlining duo. The movie would be remade and revisited over the next 80 years. The writers include a bibliography and endnotes, along with a brief look at tropes and notable artistic elements the movie incorporated.
For anyone wanting a good read about classic Hollywood, it’s an exceptional review of a controversial movie and fan favorite put into historical context. Available for pre-order now here at Amazon, From the Moment They Met it was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir arrives in bookstores April 2, 2024.
Don’t miss the other volumes from TCM’s film library reviewed here at borg: 52 Must-See Movies That Matter, 52 More Must-See Movies That Matter, Must-See Sci-Fi, Dynamic Dames, Forbidden Hollywood, Viva Hollywood, Fright Favorites, Summer Movies: 30 Sun-Drenched Classics, TCM’s Hollywood Victory, TCM’s Danger on the Silver Screen, TCM’s Rock on Film, TCM’s Essential Directors, TCM’s Christmas at the Movies, Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, TCM’s 50 Oscar Nights, But Have You Read the Book?, Eddie Muller’s Noir Bar, Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed, and TCM’s 20th Century Fox: Darryl F. Zanuck and the Creation of the Modern Film Studio.
