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Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather ... see more see more... , Tom Powers , Byron Barr , Richard Gaines , Fortunio Bonanova , John Philliber , Al Bridge , Edmund Cobb , Kernan Cripps , Bess Flowers , Miriam Franklin , Judith Gibson , Sam Gorlopis , Edward Hearn , Boyd Irwin , Teala Loring , George Magrill , Sam McDaniel , Clarence Muse , Constance Purdy , Dick Rush , Floyd Shackelford , Lee Shumway , Oscar Smith , Douglas Spencer , George Melford , James Adamson , Betty Farrington

Directed by Billy Wilder and adapted from a James M. Cain novel by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, Double Indemnity represents the high-water mark of 1940s film noir urban crime dramas in which a greedy,... read more read more... weak man is seduced and trapped by a cold, evil woman amidst the dark shadows and Expressionist lighting of modern cities. Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) seduces insurance agent Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) into murdering her husband to collect his accident policy. The murder goes as planned, but after the couple's passion cools, each becomes suspicious of the other's motives. The plan is further complicated when Neff's boss Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), a brilliant insurance investigator, takes over the investigation. Told in flashbacks from Neff's perspective, the film moves with ruthless determinism as each character meets what seems to be a preordained fate. Movie veterans Stanwyck, MacMurray, and Robinson give some of their best performances, and Wilder's cynical sensibility finds a perfect match in the story's unsentimental perspective, heightened by John Seitz's hard-edged cinematography. Double Indemnity ranks with the classics of mainstream Hollywood movie-making. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

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45 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Billy Wilder

Release Date: September 6, 1944

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DVD Release Date: October 10, 2000

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Stats: 2,217 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,217)

  • cosmo313
    April 24, 2012
    cosmo313
    Before anything, let's just look at the talent behind this film: Based on a novel by James M. Cain, directed by Billy Wilder, script by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and starring Fred MacMurray, Barabra Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson. Damn.

    Thankfully, this talent doesn't go to... read more waste at all, and the end result is one of the greatest entries into the film noir genre. The plot concerns an insurance salesman named Walter Neff who, smitten with a client's wife, schemes with her to kill the husband in an accident like fashion in order to cash in on the double indemnity clause of their policy- a cluase that will pay out double than normal in the event of a death caused by accident. Things get tricky though, when a suspicious claims adjuster who works with Neff is assigned to the case.

    This is a smart, suspenseful, and tightly written thriller, and despite how old it is, really holds up extremely well. The film has also been very influential not only on the film noir genre, but also several films by a couple of guys you may have heard of named Joel and Ethan Coen (among others). Wilder's direction is superb, and the acting is brilliant. MacMurray and Stnawyck had never done anything quite this sleazy and gritty before, and this also marked the start of a long tenure as a supporting character actor for Robinson..something he was great at.

    From the music, to the technical details like cinematography, editing, etc, the tightness of the plot is made even more spectacular, and this is hands down one of the best ever. Leave it at that and go see it.
  • fb619846742
    January 21, 2012
    fb619846742
    A well-executed noir smash concerning a gullible insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) who gets suckered into a scheme to murder the much older husband (Tom Powers) of a sultry woman (Barbara Stanwyck) in order to get his money through his newly signed policy. With crackling dialo... read moregue and riveting performances, Billy Wilder keeps this thing trucking along. Although the love story between MacMurray and Stanwyck could have probably used a little more time and feels a bit forced into place to get the story going, this thing excels in keeping the twists coming and the characters interesting. A darker Wilder picture than one is usually used to, but a worthy one nonetheless.
  • fb1664868775
    November 14, 2011
    fb1664868775
    A benchmark in the film noir genre, Double Idemnity is a gritty, cinematic masterpiece.
  • fernandorafael
    November 6, 2011
    fernandorafael
    Even when they reveal the ending right after the initial credits stop rolling, Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler manage to keep the suspense high. Double Indemnity might seem slow and talky, because it is, but I really can't complain. The cast, particularly Barbara Stanwyck and E... read moredward G. Robinson, delivers. Besides, this film features some of the best dialog I've ever heard! I'm so in love with the script.
  • garyX
    August 4, 2011
    garyX
    Fast talking insurance salesman Fred MacMurray falls for beautiful but ice cold oil tycoon's wife Barbara Stanwyck and together they hatch a scheme to kill off her husband for the insurance money. Using the classic technique of beginning at the end, the entire story is narrated b... read morey a blood stained MacMurray as he gives his insight into the downward spiral his life took the moment he got involved with the irresistible femme fatale. Stanwyck is perfect in this role; glamorous, but with a steely gaze that belies the emptiness of her heart. As is MacMurray playing the sap who thinks he is in control, but Edward G. Robinson still manages to steal every scene he is in as the wily investigator. Anyone looking for a feelgood movie with a happy ending should give this one a miss, but if it's an expertly written, brilliantly played and influential cornerstone of an entire genre you want, this is straight down the line...
  • bookmunki
    August 2, 2011
    bookmunki
    A winning combination: Chandler's dialogue and Wilder's direction.
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    August 2, 2011
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Pretty damn engaging, if i have to nitpick i don't understand why Neff encourges Nino to call Lola, considering the guy is an asshole. Character motivations could have been developed more, but the smooth flow of the story will trap you so well you won't be wondering about all tha... read moret stuff.
  • mjgildea
    July 26, 2011
    mjgildea
    The Kind of Blue of film noir. Double Indemnity is utterly flawless and quite possibly the best movie of each of its main stars careers. Billy Wilder's direction and the script he co-wrote with Raymond Chandler are pure gold, cementing Double Indemnity's status as a truly essenti... read moreal movie. While you've probably seen half of what's in this landmark film dozens of times since, you haven't seen it done this well. If you haven't seen this you're truly missing out.
  • stevenecarrier
    May 30, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I'm not sure why I forgot that Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler wrote the screenplay for "Double Indemnity" together, but I should have know. This film is a dazzler, teeming with both Wilder and Chandler's numerous sensibilities. It's been years since I have seen it and it's jus... read moret as gripping and involving as ever. "Double Indemnity" was the film that started (or solidified) the film noir genre and the film seeps with tension, cynicism and danger. The acting, from MacMurray, Stanwyck and Robinson is spot on and Wilder's direction is extremely precise.
  • FilmFanatik
    January 3, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Marvelously engaging and well-played noir crime drama. A shame that this didn't win a best picture Oscar, but I think it has a legacy that runs deeper than any award.

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Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
February 11, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Wilder trades Cain's sun-rot imagery for conventional film noir stylings, but the atmosphere of sexual entrapment survives. Full Review

Variety Staff
August 14, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

MacMurray has seldom given a better performance. It is somewhat different from his usually light roles, but is always plausible and played with considerable restraint. Full Review

Douglas Pratt
September 23, 2006
Douglas Pratt, Hollywood Reporter

The film is a brilliant collision of evil and the mundane, and one of the reasons viewers respond to it so well is that it makes the mundane seem a little sexier in the resulting debris.

Bosley Crowther
January 1, 2000
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Such folks as delight in murder stories for their academic elegance alone should find this one steadily diverting, despite its monotonous pace and length. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Few other directors have made so many films that were so taut, savvy, cynical and, in many different ways and tones, funny. Full Review

Charles Cassady
December 14, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

Dark, dialogue-heavy classic of grim suspense. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
July 15, 2010
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

The perfect material for Wilder to remake himself as Hollywood's dark jester for decades. Full Review

Cole Smithey
April 12, 2009
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Edward G. Robinson stars as MacMurray's associate, but it's Barbara Stanwyck that rules the roost as one of cinema's most diabolical femme fatals. Full Review

Radheyan Simonpillai
March 26, 2009
Radheyan Simonpillai, AskMen.com

Writer/director Billy Wilder cements all the hallmarks of a style that comes into its own with this wicked and suspenseful portrait of capitalist greed and post-war anxiety. Full Review

Robert Roten
October 22, 2008
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope

Notable for its perfect cast, great performances, deft direction and of course that sparkling dialogue. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Phyllis Dietrichson: I think you're rotten.
    • Walter Neff: I think you're swell - so long as I'm not your husband.
    • Phyllis Dietrichson: Get out of here.
    • Walter Neff: You bet I'll get out of here, baby. I'll get out of here but quick.
    • Walter Neff: Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money - and a woman - and I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. Pretty, isn't it?
    • Walter Neff: How could I have known that murder could sometimes smell like honeysuckle?
    • Walter Neff: You know why you couldn't figure this one Keyes? Cause the guy you were looking for was too close -- right across the desk from you.
    • Barton Keyes: Closer than that Walter.
    • Walter Neff: I love you too.
    • Phyllis Dietrichson: There's a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff. 45 miles an hour.
    • Walter Neff: How fast was I going, officer?
    • Phyllis Dietrichson: I'd say around 90.
    • Walter Neff: Suppose you get down off your motorcycle and give me a ticket.
    • Phyllis Dietrichson: Suppose I let you off with a warning this time.
    • Walter Neff: Suppose it doesn't take.
    • Phyllis Dietrichson: Suppose I have to whack you over the knuckles.
    • Walter Neff: Suppose I bust out crying and put my head on your shoulder.
    • Phyllis Dietrichson: Suppose you try putting it on my husband's shoulder.
    • Walter Neff: That tears it...
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Double Indemnity Trivia

  • The classic film "Double Indemnity" directed by Billy Wilder was loosely remade in the 1980s, Name the film:  Answer »
  • What non-action star played an action hero in Double Indemnity  Answer »
  • Which actress starred in Double Indemnity?  Answer »
  • In the 1944 movie "Double Indemnity" Walter and Phyillis plot to murder her husband in order to recive what?  Answer »
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