Summary Module 2

 

RECAP

In this module you've learned about the rare "A" list noir and Billy Wilder's mark on the rising popularity of the form with Double Indemnity. 

To demonstrate your learning, you completed the following activities and assessments: 

1.Read Naremore Chapter 2 and all module page content

2.Watched all Module clips and Double Indemnity

3.Participated in Introduction and Peak Noir Discussion, which is open through next Monday.

Link to Noir Alley - Outro - Here

Noir Alley: Double Indemnity (1944) outro by Eddie Muller shown on Dec 30, 2018

From TCM's Noir Alley (Saturdays at Midnight ET and Sunday 10am ET) hosted by the Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller.

The Success of DI proved that American audiences didn't need to be patronized with moral uplift and happily ever-after endings. They could take the 100 proof stuff and not choke on it.

Billy Wilder proved that human beings giving into their worst impulses can be very entertaining if the tawdry tale is brilliantly told. 

It's ridiculous that Edward G. Robinson who gives one of the best supporting role performances ever,  wasn't nominated for an award (out of 7 nominations)

Didn't win an oscar - but Wilder settled for a consolation prize, changing the course of movie history. 

Billie Wilder is in my estimation, the finest writer/director EVER, but I will never describe this
as a Billie Wilder picture - there are too many essential collaborator -- actors. 

James Kane's source novel not as good as postman rings twice - but deserves full marks for the foundation upon which all Dark City was built, but 

consider Kane's version first of Walter laying eyes on Phyllis, 

"A woman was standing there, I'd never seen her before she was maybe 31 -2 with a sweet 
face, light blue eyes and dusty blonde hair. 

She was small and had on a suit of blue house pajamas, she had a washed-out look. 
There's no wrought iron staircase,
No terry cloth towel,

no anklet. 

Kane's strategy was to make his murders utterly ordinary. That wasn't going to wash in
Hollywood. Especially not in the hands of a director determined to be on par with hitch and
lubitch. 

Reworked by Wilder and Chandler, Walter and Phyllis shimmer with fatal allure from the minute they appear on screen. 

Everything you love about DI is in this script. A masterful example of the screenwriter's art. At least up until sequence D. 

An alternate ending never shot. Which Walter Neff actually professes his for Barton Keyes. 

Better, but only slightly is another alternate ending sequence E which was shot in which Keyes watches as Walter is executed in the gas chamber. 

Now for decades there's been speculation that the death house ending might be recovered. It's become a Holy Grail for many noir fanatics. 

Well, here's the good news, sequence E is still missing. 

If it is discovered and reinserted, Billy Wilder will come back from the grave to haunt everyone involved. He always maintained 

the scene was cut because the narrative ends emotionally with Walter bleeding out beside the surrogate father he's betrayed - end of story. 

My theory is that the gas chamber scene was included solely to appease the brain office which would have rejected the script if Walter wasn't explicitly punished for his crimes. 

According to former Paramount archivist Barry Allen, the gas chamber scene will never be found. It may by some fluke be discovered, in a place where it ended up by mistake. but we've looked for it for years and we have to assume it was destroyed.

God forbid Wilder kept Kane's original ending: 
Walter and Phyllis escaped justice, but on a steam ship headed to Mexico, they throw themselves overboard in a suicide pact to be devoured by a marauding shark. 

For the record, Kane loved the changes make by Wilder and Chandler esp the dictaphone setting up the flash backs and the stronger bond between Neff and Keyes. 

Kane conceded the film was better than his book. 

Over the years, the only consistent complaint I've heard about this picture and it comes from many self-professed noiraholics, involves Barbara Stanwycks wig. It's cheap, obvious and poorly.

styled.

Well yeah, It's Phyllis personified. 

Now don't believe the tale that Wilder regretted the wig, halfway through filming but couldn't start over.  He knew what he was doing. The falseness of the hair and Walter's willingness to look right past it explains both characters perfectly. 

More annoying are guys that knock Stanwyck's lack of sex appeal. Generally these arrested adolescents say stupid things like, I want to like this film, but I can't believe a guy would kill for that chick. She's not even a little bit hot. This isn't even worthy of comment since Stanwyck could break these boys like matchsticks, but 

it does point out a common misconception, That DI is about a femme fatale coercing a man into commiting murder.

 Let's get it straight -- that's not what this film is about...Walter Neff's real motive isn't a dalliance with Mrs. D. It's proving that he can beat the house. That Barton Keyes infallible actuarial tables do not apply to him. 

The affair between Phyllis and Walter is less about sexual attraction than it is a pair of schemers coldly manipulating each other. 

The real love story and the genuine heartbreak is between Neff and Keyes. 

RESOURCES

1. ‘Double Indemnity’: A Mesmerizing Film Noir Conceived Out of a Troubled Relationship of Two Greats - Link here one hour video of Schlöndorff and Wilder's conversations. 

Internal link here 

Some Notes I took: 

130 pages is an ideal screenplay, 

and the story should be told according to Billy Wilder 

in Classical Shots of the silent movies

You use a Wide shot when you need it, 

You use a close-up when you need it. 

But you don't go through an inflationary between

all these different sizes. 

Names great films:

Battleship Potemkin, the scene where the sailors rebel. 

The meat is rotten, inedible. 

The doctor - folds his glasses - there is a close-up of

under his eye glasses 100s of maggots. He says, no maggots.

Just one close-up Wilder says. 

Hitchcock's film 39 steps:

Searching for a man with only 4 fingers.

Yes, you see a close-up of his hand. 

and you know instantly that is the murderer. 

Frank Capra's - it happened one night:

Clarke Gable and Claudette Colbert

Hitchhiking - 

Gable tries - no luck

I'll show you. 

She steps up and hitches up her skirt

An old man approaches in a car. 

Close-up 

All you see are the wheels. 

Again just one close-up

In Your films?

In Lost Weekend: 

The Man needs a drink, to help him through the night. 

He has hidden a bottle, so he looks and looks, but can't find it. 

He lies on the couch desperate, and then...lays down and sees it.

Wilder: what I meant to say is, the pictorial art, was in a way

facilitated by great cutting. 

Next talks about Lost Weekend/ how NY reminds him of Berlin, 

especially old Berlin. 

Did a holocaust film - almost everyone walked out of the preview. 

Knew Marlene Dietrich. Great friends. 

2. Noir 101 - Noir Alley - Host - Eddie Muller's  - Film Noir Overview - Link
He is also the Founder and President of the Film Noir Foundation - link

NOIR CITY Returns to Bay Area!

Let's try this again! The NOIR CITY film festival returns from COVID hiatus for an incisive and inspiring four-day festival at a new venue, Oakland's historic Grand Lake Theatre, March 24-27. Produced, programmed and hosted by Film Noir Foundation president Eddie Muller, 2022's edition, subtitled "They Tried to Warn Us!", showcases 12 movies from mid-20th century Hollywood sure to resonate with contemporary viewers. Included are shockingly prescient films focusing on megalomaniacal politicians, corrupt businessmen, neo-Nazis, racism, anti-Semitism, sexual predators, serial killers, police brutality — even a viral epidemic! This NOIR CITY program could not be more timely or topical.

3. Double Indemnity Costume Notes, designed by Edith Head - Link Here
Stanwyck recalls that: ‘From then on I had Edith Head’s name written into every contract, no matter what studio I was working for’. But it wasn’t just industry acclaim: the public approved of the Spanish motifs Head used, and a wave of Latin American fashions swept across Europe.

Aside from knowing how to dress Stanwyck, Head’s Indemnity costumes work because they say so much about the character. Apparently, the flamboyant and brassy blonde wig was Wilder’s idea. He wanted to make Dietrichson look as sleazy as possible. But Head understood that full-on sleaze wouldn’t get Dietrichson what she wanted – the route out of an unhappy marriage came by ensnaring new prey. Men can’t be seduced or infatuated by looks alone – the femme fatale needs to come with elements of mystery and intrigue too. Head balanced the blondeness, exaggerated make-up and heavy jewelery with classic, ladylike garments that attempt to conceal Dietrichson’s deceit. This contrast is at the heart of the character – she’s a woman who never quite says what she means or means what she says. Everything is an act – but look carefully enough and you can see the discrepancies.

Money is Dietrichson’s main motivator, but she needs to look the part to be the part. The only thing she does enjoy about marriage is spending her husband’s money. Essentially she traps him in a web that he has paid for… although it doesn’t result in the happy ending she desired. Whilst her clothes are seductive, they do not obviously denote a ‘badness’. Phyllis needs to get away with it – low-cut dresses, excessive furs, evening gowns all attract too much attention. Her fatality isn’t only skin deep – it goes straight to the core, and to get away with it, she needs to detract attention. It would’ve been easy for Wilder, Head and Stanwyck to create an off-the-shelf femme fatale, but Double Indemnity is a smarter film than that. Part of the attraction is that it always keeps the watcher guessing; it’s possible to read into the characters and storyline in multiple ways. But lets take a look at how costume plays a role in developing – and maintaining – intrigue…

Fascinating article - hopefully come back and copy photos:

Look one: the come-hither bath-towel First impressions are everything – this is a lady of leisure who can sunbathe during the day. Sexually aware and alluring, she’s happy to reveal (parts of) her body to strangers. Some might think she’s always on the lookout for prey. By placing her at the top of the stairs, Wilder introduces a physical distance between Dietrichson and the audience, and one that’s never really surmounted, as it’s impossible to know her true intentions.

Look two: this old thing? An anklet, and Stanwyck’s shapely legs, are the focus as she descends the staircase. The simple trinket is loaded with meaning, and speaks volumes about Dietrichson’s exoticism and cavalier sensuality. Neff can’t get it out of his head. But the alluring anklet (and the heavy cuff and oversize cocktail ring) are at odds with the ruffle-front shirtdress Dietrichson has changed into. Feminine, fragile and romantic… surely no one devious could wear something so innocent? The audience begins to suspect otherwise. In film noir, white is never all it seems – see Lana Turner’s all-white ensembles in The Postman Always Rings Twice. Also note the way she examines her nails – she asks her probing questions too casually for them to be meaningless.

Look three: deceptively feminine florals When Neff returns to the house, Dietrichson is clad in a floral print day dress. It’s a bit more lavish than you might expect for an afternoon indoors, but Phyllis is no housewife – she’s a woman with a plan, as her talk of murder reveals. Again, the contrast between appearance and agenda, and the importance of creating an image that’s at odds with the real intentions.

Look four: sweater girl A classic belted coat over a simple sweater and pencil skirt. This is ‘respectable’ and ‘innocent’ Phyllis, the needy woman who can’t escape her husband without a man’s help. Neff doesn’t realise that he should approach with caution – Dietrichson might be wearing classic separates, but they’ve been chosen carefully. Form-fitting and subtly sexy, sweater girls (as popularised by Lara Turner in They Won’t Forget, 1937) usually have one thing on their mind, and it’s not small talk. The sexiness doesn’t come from the garment, rather what it promises.

Look five: LBD Dietrichson accessorises her ladylike v-neck LBD with an obvious brooch. As her husband signs the insurance policy under her watchful and concerned eye, it glitters in the evening light. Remember: Phyllis likes jewels but she likes the money you can buy them with more, and she’ll stop and nothing to get it.

Look six: supermarket sweep Dowdy, masculine, smart. Not the aesthetic qualities usually associated with a female villainess – which is probably why this tweed waistcoat and white shirt combo work so well. It’s so out of character – an everyday look for an everyday (murder planning) encounter. Ironically, the more Dietrichson tries to fit in, the more she stands out. It’s not just the blonde hair and the perfectly rolled fringes – there’s something about the pristine lipstick that screams ‘disguise!’.

Look seven: ‘ring-ring’, ‘ring-ring’ A quick scene in a phone booth. Note the central positioning of the ring – another opportunity for Head and Wilder to remind the audience exactly why Phyllis is going through with this. Hint: it’s not because she’s genuinely unhappy.

Look eight: weeping widow On the surface, Dietrichson is the perfect widow. She looks the part (pillar box hat with face-covering veil, a sober grey skirt suit, black gloves and clutch bag), says the right lines and cries on cue – the crocodile tears are convincing because she knows they have to be, there’s now too much at stake. But she’s too good. She can’t quite fool Neff’s colleague Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), he continues to question the case and the pay-out (Also, note the anklet, visible in the seated still)

Look nine: suited and booted Another smart suit (similar to the widow scene), another example of Phyllis not playing to expected femme fatale type. But in spite of all her attempts to be – or look – masculine, she’s not in control. Keyes is on the verge of discovering the insurance scam, and the world is rocking beneath her feet. It’s this reliance on traditional attire that conveys Dietrichson’s desire to treat the entire scheme as a business venture with clear goals and outcomes for both players. The heavy wool twill used here (and in the supermarket tweed) conveys an androgyny that’s at odds with the conventional representation of femininity and the expected image of a ‘bad’ girl.

Look ten: shady lady Another ‘incognito’ supermarket meet-up. This time Phyllis comes in a white silk blouse that’s decidedly more feminine than the last – this one has delicate pin-tucks running across the front – and loose fit, tailored trousers with a high, belted waist. A great masculine/feminine combination that represents the contrasts within her character. She’s also wearing sunglasses – unable to fully read her expression it’s impossible to discern her true meaning and motive. She’s concerned that the plan will fail, but is the concern motivated by love or self-advancement? It’s these ambiguities that make Phyllis a more complex character to read. This look is distinctively less showy than many of the previous costumes – perhaps this is her at her most vulnerable.

Look eleven: rotten to the heart Probably the most glamorous look Phyllis wears during the entire film. An all-white silk jumpsuit that flatters her figure and recalls the ruffle front dress from look two (incidentally, the action takes place in the same room). One difference? This time, it’s fatal. The understated and elegant jumpsuit emphasizes Phyllis languid style, but it’s a studied cool, the costume is a prop to attain something she doesn’t feel. The trousers are subtly masculine but the overall look is feminine – she’s no match for Neff. For the first time perhaps, her garments seem to match her sentiments (maybe she does care for him after all?) but his dismissal of her puts doubt into the audience’s mind. Just who is Phyllis Dietrichson? Even her costumes don’t tell the full story.

Two Videos

1)Billy Wilder: Alternate Ending For DOUBLE INDEMNITY - Link
Billy Wilder talks about shooting multiple endings for films at the AFI Harold Lloyd Master Seminar in 1976.
notes:

Wilder Didn't use Gas Chamber - can't light the match, hear the siren of the police - you know the outcome. 
he confessed, you know how the men felt about each other. 

I shoot little celluloid. 

2)"Double Indemnity as Film Noir" - Alain Silver - Link 
Writer, director, and producer Billy Wilder (1906-2002), an Austrian-born immigrant to America, won seven Academy Awards and was nominated eight times for best director. This fourth and final CCA of the 2017-2018 academic year explored Wilder’s life, genius, and legacy

Alan Silver - is the speaker of the one hour video!! 
Come back for it! ******

LOOKING AHEAD