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Product Page
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| Format: |
Paperback, 123 pages |
| Publisher: |
University of California Press |
| Pub. Date: |
December 4, 2000 |
| ISBN: |
0520218485 |
| Dimensions: |
6 × 0.44 × 9 inches |
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Description
The film Double Indemnity (1944) is a triumph on every level—for its writing, direction, and acting—and stands as one of the greatest achievements in the director Billy Wilder's career. Adapted from the James M. Cain novel by Wilder and the 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 an archetypal femme fatale, portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck. From its grim action 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 and its 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.
This facsimile edition of Double Indemnity contains Wilder and Chandler's original—and quite different—ending, published here for the first time. An elaborate gas chamber was built for this scene, which was actually shot, but after the preview Wilder considered the scene unnecessary and cut it from the film. 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.
For six decades Billy Wilder created one movie masterpiece after another—as a writer, director, producer, or sometimes as all three. He was nominated for twenty-one Academy Awards and won six Oscars.
Jeffrey Meyers has written many books and articles on modern American, English, and European literature.
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Product Details
| Format: |
Paperback, 123 pages |
| Publisher: |
University of California Press |
| Pub. Date: |
December 4, 2000 |
| ISBN: |
0520218485 |
| Dimensions: |
6 × 0.44 × 9 inches |
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