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Double Indemnity

Hollywood and English-Language Studio Cinema

Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film directed by Billy Wilder and co-written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, adapted from James M. Cain's novella, in which an insurance salesman played by Fred MacMurray conspires with a client's wife, played by Barbara Stanwyck, to murder her husband and collect on a fraudulent accident policy. Narrated in flashback by the doomed salesman as a confession into a dictaphone, the film established narrative and visual conventions, including its fatalistic voiceover and high-contrast lighting, that became defining features of the genre it helped found. Double Indemnity is widely regarded as one of the founding and most influential films of American film noir.

Facts
Classification
Original LanguageSourced to the subject's own account
English 1
Award
National Film Registry 2
Release YearSourced to the subject's own account
1944 1
CountrySourced to the subject's own account
United States 1
FAQs

When was Double Indemnity added to the National Film Registry?

Double Indemnity was added to the National Film Registry in 1992.

The Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board lists Double Indemnity, the film released in 1944, in its National Film Registry with an induction year of 1992. The registry listing gives only the film's release year and the year it was selected, so it does not say why the film was chosen.
Connections

Created By

Billy Wilder, Figures
Source Double Indemnity (Wikipedia)

In Medium

Film, Media Forms
Source Double Indemnity (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Original Language

Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.

Originated In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source Double Indemnity (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1tier 3
Quote, Lead sentence 1
Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom.
Sources
1. Double Indemnity (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • lead paragraph
    Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom.
  • Double Indemnity, Description, original language
    Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film directed by Billy Wilder and co-written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, adapted from James M. Cain's novella, in which an insurance salesman played by Fred MacMurray conspires with a client's wife, played by Barbara Stanwyck, to murder her husband and collect on a fraudulent accident policy.
  • In Medium: Film, Article lead sentence
    Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom.
  • Created By: Billy Wilder, Article lead sentence
    Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom.
View the Source
2. Library of Congress, National Film Preservation Board: Complete National Film Registry Listing
Library of Congress, National Film Preservation BoardNational Film Registry listing row: film released 1944, inducted 1992
Quote, National Film Registry listing row: film released 1944, inducted 1992
Double Indemnity 1944 1992
View the Source
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