{"product_id":"double-indemnity-paperback","title":"Double Indemnity - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRichard Schickel\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRichard Schickel's study of Billy Wilder's 1944 noir classic \u003ci\u003eDouble Indemnity\u003c\/i\u003e traces in fascinating detail the genesis and realisation of the film: its literary origins in James M. Cain's hard-boiled crime novel, the difficult relations between Wilder and his scriptwriter Raymond Chandler, the casting of a reluctant Fred MacMurray, and the late decision to cut the expensively filmed execution sequence from the final release. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSchickel places\u003ci\u003e Double Indemnity\u003c\/i\u003e in the context of early 1940s Hollywood and the emergence of a new kind of crime thriller that later became known as film noir. The film was a cornerstone of the genre: its script creates two unforgettable criminal characters, the cynically manipulative femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) and the likeable but amoral Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray). Billy Wilder's direction enmeshes them in dramatic chiaroscuro, as bright California sunlight casts Venetian-blind shadows across dusty rooms and harsh lamplight slices through the night. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn his afterword to this new edition, James Naremore pays tribute to Schickel's analysis of Double Indemnity and its contexts, and considers debates surrounding the film's conclusion.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRichard Schickel\u003c\/b\u003e (1933 - 2017) was an American film historian, journalist, author, documentarian, and film and literary critic. He was a film critic for \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e from 1965-2010, and also wrote for \u003ci\u003eLife\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times Book Review.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Naremore\u003c\/b\u003e is Chancellors' Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, USA. Among his books are \u003ci\u003eThe Magic World of Orson Welles\u003c\/i\u003e (2015), \u003ci\u003e Acting in the Cinema\u003c\/i\u003e (1988), \u003ci\u003eMore Than Night: Film Noir in its Contexts \u003c\/i\u003e(2008), \u003ci\u003eOn Kubrick\u003c\/i\u003e (British Film Institute, Revised Edition, 2023) and \u003ci\u003eSweet Smell of Success\u003c\/i\u003e (2010) and \u003ci\u003eLetter from an Unknown Woman\u003c\/i\u003e (2021) in the BFI Film Classics series.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 88\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.24 x 7.2 x 5.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 05, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48290024685817,"sku":"9781805750215","price":19.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/5SXv3Zl4JD9781805750215.webp?v=1776276735","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/double-indemnity-paperback","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}