Here we are at the Letter D, So check out the A to Z to fine out what everyone else is writing about.
DOUBLE INDEMNITY-1944
DIRECTOR:Billy Wilder
STARS: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson
OSCAR NOMS; Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best original Screenplay, Cinematography( Black & White), Best Sound, Best Score (For a drama or Comedy)
OSCAR WINS: Nil!
PLOT: Dumb insurance salesman falls for a duplicitous Viper in a bad blond wig. They plot to kill her husband and collect the insurance money.
LOVE: Barbara's introduction-No one made an anklet look so seductive.
TRIVIA: Billy Wilder once said that he would love to be greeted at the door, by Barbara, with a pie, wearing an apron, high heels...and nothing else...not Billy but Barbara:). The writer, Raymond Chandler, and Billy Wilder disliked each other intensely. At the Oscars, Going My Way was sweeping the Awards so when Leo McCarey won for best director and was walking down the aisle, Billy Wilder stuck his foot out and tripped Leo.
DAVID S. HALL-July 23, 1905-July 23, 1964
I could not find a picture of this man!
OCCUPATION: Art Director, Assistant Director
OSCAR NOMS: Greatest Story Ever Told, Wee Willie Winkie (There a joke there somewhere)
OSCAR WINS: My Fair Lady (shared with George Cukor)
ANECDOTE: Yup...Got nuttin honey! The Art Director and Assistant director had to communicate the mood of the film and enhance what the film is trying to say all through the visual style. This is conveyed from the sets to what is actually on the set.
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI tend to like duplicitous vipers. :) I see that you are spotlighting another Billy Wilder film and another one with Fred MacMurray. Barbara Stanwyck was one of my favorite actresses. I watched Double I in the mid 2000s when I went on a year-long vintage film binge trying to fill in the gaps of my knowledge of the early 20th century B&W genre. Regarding Wilder's fantasy about Barbara, I wouldn't call her a raving beauty, but she was a smart woman with a certain spark that men picked up on, and it was more than enough to make her a sex symbol of the period.
Thank you, dear friend BB!
Yes, Wilder appears here again...I think:) Stanwyck is a great dame and appealed to men because I think she thought like one.
DeleteI didn't realize Raymond Chandler wrote this, but I'm not surprised.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for Billy Wilder, directors sure are a spiteful, childish bunch, aren't they?
Chandler even appears in this movie! It's actually rare so pretty cool I think. Yup, they get their gander up.
DeleteYesterday another blogger talked about Stanwyck and I said that I never watched The Big Valley because I did not like her. I think this movie is the reason why. I just wanted to smack MacMurray upside the head. Good movie though.
ReplyDeleteI think of her as mannish actually but she did appeal to most men but I think in talking, playing cards etc...except for Wilder:)
DeleteBirgit, I love the trivia bit! When I read that I thought, that's something DH would say. :) In fact, he's often told me he wouldn't mind being greeted that way...high heels and nothing else and I say, "Oh, yeah but can you imagine the look if I go to the door and find the mailman standing there instead of you?" lol Be sure to drop by for a look at the letter “D” (dogs)in my A2Z series, Art Sketching through the Alphabet! Happy a2zing, my friend!
ReplyDeleteYes, most men love this type of fantasy....food, serving and so.
DeleteI mean sex
DeleteI love the trivia in these posts, Birgit. Funny story!
ReplyDeleteFilm noir is a favourite genre and I have this movie in my collection. Barbara Stanwyck was one of the original "great broads"!
That sounds like a great book and she was a great dame for this genre
DeleteThat wasn't nice for Billy to trip Leo. Sore loser for sure.
ReplyDeleteBetty
I so agree
DeleteLOL! He actually tripped him? That's crazy. Never heard of that movie before. Going to have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great film and hope you like it
DeleteBIRGIT ~
ReplyDelete'Double Indemnity' is definitely one of the all-time greatest examples of Film Noir. In fact, it made my (Link:] FILM NOIR: My Top Ten + 2 list.
What I find strange is that this Film Noir blog bit list has received more hits -- by far -- than any other post on any of my blogs in my blogging history. I don't understand that. I guess most people who are into Film Noir are REALLY INTO IT and will read what even a nobody like me has to say about it.
~ D-FensDogG
'loyal American Underground'
Film noir is such a great genre and I loved reading your post
DeleteYour trivia is so fun. I especially loved the tripping tidbit. Seriously???
ReplyDeleteI saw this movie years ago and loved Barbara Stanwyck so much. She was fantastic.
Yup...he tripped him...makes me laugh and shake my head all at once.
DeleteWilder sure sounds like a class umm ass haha
ReplyDeleteEgo took a foothold for sure
DeleteNo picture? How odd!
ReplyDeleteI know! I tried in vain
DeleteI've never seen those
ReplyDeleteIt's a great film.
DeleteI've never seen this film either!
ReplyDeleteCait @ Click's Clan
Hope you do one day
DeleteNot seen the movie, but I could never stand Barbar Stanwyck.
ReplyDeleteYup....then you won't like this movie
DeleteGood inside trivia on Billy tripping Leo. Some people never grow up!
ReplyDelete"Female Scientists Before Our Time"
Shells–Tales–Sails
Nope, his ego took centre stage
DeleteI didn't know Chandler wrote this either. The Long Goodbye is a classic.
ReplyDeleteThere's a pic of Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) doing the apron / pie thing.
Yup and Chandler can be seen in the movie also. That's funny about Paeker
DeleteGreat entry... and as you'll imagine, I was particularly interested in it ;-)
ReplyDelete@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter - 1940s Film Noir
Yes...I figured you would be
DeleteWow, A-Z has started!
ReplyDeleteDouble Indemnity--good choice.
Thanks!
DeleteI didn't realize Hollywood stars disliked each other so much until I started watching The Feud, Betty and Joan. Wow!
ReplyDeleteOmg! There are some classic feuds....Olivia De Havilland and her sister, Joan Fontaine had a major feud. John Huston and Errol Flynn had a huge fight..over De Havilland. There are quite a few actually
DeleteBarbara Stanwyck aged beautifully, didn't she? I have a great deal of admiration for actors who can do comedy as well as drama.
ReplyDeleteJohn Holton
A to Z Challenge Co-Host
I think she did and I think she was one classy dame
DeleteWell I always loved Barbara Stanwyck - She was so beautiful even into her elder years. Good post.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance, stop by my blog. Thanks.
Why are so many people checking into their DNA ethnicity?
GENEALOGY - Why are so many people checking into their DNA ethnicity?
Thanks and she was a great actress
DeleteWhat a cad, tripped the guy. That's some resentment right there. I wonder why they disliked each other so much.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they really knew each other but since McCarey was winning so much for his film, Going My Way and Wilder thought that film was, quite rightly, inferior to his own film, he said he couldn't help himself. I do love Going My Ay as well though.
DeleteDouble Indemnity is a definite classic.
ReplyDeleteLove this film
DeleteI think this was on TCM the other day. I was getting ready to watch something off my DVR, so I didn't see more than a couple minutes. I should make time to watch it sometime.
ReplyDeleteYou did post your link 4 times to the A to Z blog. (I was wading through the comment thread to make sure my comment posted and saw it. Just FYI.)
Ong! Hahahaaaaa talk about overkill...thanks for letting me know so I won't make the same error
DeleteWhen I was really young, Barbara Stanwyck was "just" that old lady on The Big Valley on TV. Only later did I familiarize myself with her films, where I discovered that she was often quite a sexy character.
ReplyDeleteI imagine Terry Thomas as Billy Wilder tripping James Cagney as the other director in my head. lol
ReplyDeleteI feel like a fool, because I've never seen this film, nor heard of David S. Hall, either. I'm hopeless, but I've learned a lot through all your reviews.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I watched this just last weekend. Great film!
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Double Indemnity; classic film noir! So glad I found your blog! I'm a movie buff too. Here's my blog: A Movie for Every Mood
ReplyDeleteDouble Indemnity is considered (and rightfully so, I think) the quintessential film noir. I suppose this is due mostly to DAvid Hall stunning visuals.
ReplyDelete@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter - 1940s Film Noir