Double Indemnity • The Next Reel

Nobody knew they were making films noir when the genre started in the 40s — it wasn’t until much later when the French dubbed this new run of American films that had a darker bent with snappy dialogue, lots of shadows and femme fatales film noir. Billy Wilder was setting out to make a crime thriller; he didn’t realize at the time that his film “Double Indemnity” would be considered the first real film noir. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin our Film Noir series with Wilder’s brilliant film from 1944. We talk about the genre and what it means to be called a ‘film noir,’ particularly in relationship to the Hays Code. We chat about the brilliant trio of actors who bring this film to life — Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. We look at the brilliant directing by Wilder and his co-writing with none other than Raymond Chandler. We investigate the dark and shadowy lighting by cinematographer John F. Seitz as well as the moody, driving score by Miklos Rozsa. And we touch on the real life crime that inspired James M. Cain to write the novella upon which this was based. It’s one of our favorite films and certainly the perfect way to kick off this series. Tune in! Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! The Next Reel on iTunesThe Next Reel on FacebookThe Next Reel on TwitterThe Next Reel on FlickchartThe Next Reel on LetterboxdGuess the Movie with The Next Reel on InstagramCheck out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: Follow Andy Nelson on TwitterFollow Pete Wright on TwitterFollow Steve Sarmento on TwitterCheck out Tom Metz on IMDBFollow Mike Evans on TwitterFollow Chadd Stoops on TwitterFollow Steven Smart on LetterboxdSupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible