From the Moment They Met It Was Murder: ‘Double Indemnity’ and the Rise of Film Noir

Based on the 1927 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.