| Double Indemnity | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Billy Wilder |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Double Indemnity by James M. Cain |
| Produced by | Joseph Sistrom [uncredited] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | John Seitz |
| Edited by | Doane Harrison |
| Music by | Miklós Rózsa |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $980,000 |
Double Indemnity is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. Wilder and Raymond Chandler adapted the screenplay from James M. Cain's novel of the same name, which ran as an eight-part serial in Liberty magazine in 1936.
The film stars Fred MacMurray as insurance salesman Walter Neff, who plots with a woman (Barbara Stanwyck) to kill her husband in order to claim a life insurance payment, arousing the suspicion of claims manager Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson). The title refers to a "double indemnity" clause which doubles life insurance payouts when death occurs in a statistically rare manner.
The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Widely regarded as a classic, it is often cited as having set the standard for film noir and as one of the greatest films of all time.