“THERE’S A SPEED LIMIT IN THIS TOWN”

By Raymond Benson

If any film can be called the quintessential film noir, it has to be Double Indemnity. Even film noir scholar Eddie Muller, the go-to author and historian who seems to appear in every supplemental feature attached to Blu-ray and DVD disks of film noir titles, agrees.

Double Indemnity, directed by Billy Wilder and released in 1944, contains every cinematic trait that is associated with film noir: cynical characters, a femme fatale, betrayal, voice-over narration, witty dialogue, contrasting light and shadow, German expressionism in the production design and camerawork, smoking, drinking, murder, and an unhappy ending.

Based on James M. Cain’s scandalous 1943 novel (but it was first serialized in Liberty magazine in 1936), the picture was a challenge to the Hays Office censors, for the Production Code was heavily enforced at the time. Several studios had attempted to buy the rights in 1936, but the Hays Office warned producers that the novel was a non-starter as a Hollywood production. Years later, just after the separate publication of the book, Paramount tried again and this time, based on a treatment by Billy Wilder and his writing partner Charles Brackett, they were able to secure the rights.

Apparently, Brackett felt the material was too seedy and left the project, so Wilder sought out a new collaborator to pen the screenplay. Raymond Chandler landed the job, and the resulting alliance was the stuff of Hollywood gossip and legend. The two men couldn’t stand working together, but nevertheless the turmoil was the necessary ingredient. The screenplay, nominated for an Academy Award, is brilliant. What is especially notable is how the writers fooled the Hays Office with it. The dialogue was full of innuendo that spelled out to an audience exactly what was going on, even though no literal words were said that indicated that two people were committing adultery. Wilder and Chandler improved Cain’s dialogue in this manner, and it’s a delight to hear what comes out of the mouths of Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, and Edward G. Robinson during the course of the picture. (Phyllis, responding to unsubtle advances: “There’s a speed limit in this town.” Walter: “How fast was I going, officer?”)

Walter Neff (MacMurray) is an insurance salesman who calls on the Dietrichson house to renew an auto policy, but Mr. Dietrichson isn’t home. However, his wife, Phyllis (Stanwyck) is. There is an immediate attraction and flirtation, which leads to you-know-what. Phyllis eventually talks Walter into getting a life insurance policy—with a double indemnity clause (it pays double for accidental death)—for Phyllis’ husband, whom she can’t stand. Once Dietrichson (Tom Powers) is tricked into signing the policy, the naughty couple set out to murder him and make it look like an accident, and they succeed. Even Walter’s canny boss, Barton Keyes (Robinson), who has a “little man” inside of him that senses when something doesn’t add up, believes the story until he starts to closely examine all the angles. Throw in Dietrichson’s grown daughter from a previous marriage, Lola (Jean Heather), and now there’s an additional threat that comes between Walter and Phyllis. Keyes gets closer to the truth, Walter gets paranoid, Phyllis goes a little mad, and things heat up to a boiling point.

The acting, the direction, the script, the cinematography (by John F. Seitz), the editing, and the music score (by Miklós Rózsa), are all superb and were nominated for Oscars in each of these categories (Stanwyck was up for Best Actress). Why MacMurray and Robinson were not also nominated is a mystery worthy of Raymond Chandler! More significantly, Double Indemnity confirmed Billy Wilder’s future in Hollywood as one of the great, classic filmmakers.

The picture has been issued on home video many times in all formats, including Blu-ray. The Criterion Collection has now released two new editions—one in 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo (three disks), and another in just Blu-ray (two disks). The 4K digital restoration is the best this reviewer has ever seen the movie. It’s a flawless presentation with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack.

A vintage audio commentary by Richard Schickel, ported over from previous releases, is included. Supplements abound. A port-over vintage feature on film noir (“Shadows of Suspense”) is welcome, but new extras produced by Criterion are especially fun: an interview with film scholar Noah Isenberg (editor of Billy Wilder on Assignment); and a lively conversation between film historians Eddie Muller and Imogen Sara Smith. There are two radio adaptations—from 1945 and 1950—both starring Stanwyck and MacMurray. The entire second disk is a three-hour BBC documentary on Billy Wilder (originally on the Arena program), directed by Volker Schlöndorff and Gisela Grischow. The booklet comes with an essay by critic Angelica Jade Bastién.

Even if you already own a previous release of Double Indemnity, the Criterion Collection’s new edition is a must-have and worth the upgrade. For fans of film noir, Billy Wilder, the three stars, and solid, edgy filmmaking that raised eyebrows in 1944 and is still potent today. Highly recommended.

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