Double Indemnity (novel)
Encyclopedia
Double Indemnity is a highly influential 1943 crime novel
, written by American
journalist
-turned-novelist James M. Cain
. The book was first published in serial form for Liberty magazine
in 1936. Following that, Double Indemnity appeared as a one of "three long short tales" in the collection Three of a Kind. The novel later served as the basis for the classic film of the same name in 1944, adapted for the screen by fellow hardboiled novelist Raymond Chandler
and the director Billy Wilder
.
, who consults him about accident insurance for her husband. In spite of his basic, instinctual decency, Walter allows himself to be seduced into helping the femme fatale
kill her husband for the insurance money.
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, written by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
-turned-novelist James M. Cain
James M. Cain
James Mallahan Cain was an American author and journalist. Although Cain himself vehemently opposed labeling, he is usually associated with the hardboiled school of American crime fiction and seen as one of the creators of the roman noir...
. The book was first published in serial form for Liberty magazine
Liberty (1924-1950)
Liberty was a weekly, general-interest magazine, originally priced at five cents and subtitled, "A Weekly for Everybody." It was launched in 1924 by McCormick-Patterson, the publisher until 1931, when it was taken over by Bernarr Macfadden until 1942. At one time it was said to be "the second...
in 1936. Following that, Double Indemnity appeared as a one of "three long short tales" in the collection Three of a Kind. The novel later served as the basis for the classic film of the same name in 1944, adapted for the screen by fellow hardboiled novelist Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
and the director Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
.
Plot summary
Insurance agent Walter Huff falls for the married Phyllis NirdlingerPhyllis Dietrichson
Phyllis Dietrichson is a fictional character in the two film adaptations of James M. Cain's novella Double Indemnity. In the 1944 production, she was played by Barbara Stanwyck; in the 1973 made-for-TV remake, by Samantha Eggar....
, who consults him about accident insurance for her husband. In spite of his basic, instinctual decency, Walter allows himself to be seduced into helping the femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
kill her husband for the insurance money.