The Bottom Line
Pros
- Great classic Hollywood film with moody atmosphere and sparkling dialogue
- Fine performances by Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson
- DVDs contain excellent bonus materials that enhance enjoyment and appreciation of feature film
Cons
- DVD extras are more entertaining than scholarly
- Shows little of Billy Wilder, and he's not heard from at all
- Could have done more with the lost alternate ending where Neff is executed
Description
- Two-disc DVD set containing great Hollywood classic movie Double Indemnity (1944)
- Film directed by Billy Wilder, screenplay written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler
- Movie stars Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson
- DVD provides feature-length audio commentary by film historian Richard Schickel
- DVD has feature-length audio commentary by screenwriter Lem Dobbs with film historian Nick Redman
- DVD contains 38-minute documentary about movie Double Indemnity
- DVD set also has 1973 made-for-TV version of Double Indemnity starring Richard Crenna
- MPAA rating: Not Rated
- Feature film run time: 1 hour 48 minutes
- DVD release date: August 22, 2006
Guide Review - Double Indemnity DVD
Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity is a great classic Hollywood movie and a seminal film noir. Insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) becomes obsessed with femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), and they hatch a plot to murder her husband and collect his life insurance. The outcome leaves Neff's friend, claims manager Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), feeling letdown and forlorn. The film is highly atmospheric and has sparkling dialogue, such as "How could I have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle?"
On the two-disc Special Edition DVD, the movie looks great, and there are some excellent bonus materials. There are two separate audio commentary tracks. One is by film historian Richard Schickel, who points out where the film differs from James M. Cain's novella. The other is by screenwriter Lem Dobbs, who knew Wilder personally. Dobbs is accompanied by film historian Nick Redman.
There's also a 38-minute documentary where talking heads discuss Double Indemnity from source material through Oscar night. They repeat every story, apocryphal or not, about the film. For example, the one where the studio head said about the leading lady's wig, "We hired Barbara Stanwyck, we got George Washington."
The DVD set also contains a 1973 made-for-TV version of Double Indemnity starring Richard Crenna, Samantha Eggar and Lee J. Cobb. This is serviceable TV fare, but I recommend it only as a curiosity.
