The Film
"You bet I'll get out of here, baby. I'll get out of here but quick."
Long before Fred MacMurray was the patriarch of My Three Sons, he had an insanely lengthy film career. Even with entries like The Shaggy Dog, The Apartment and The Absent-Minded Professor on his resume, one of his most famous roles was in Double Indemnity.
MacMurray plays the ultimate cad, but he's also a dope. That's because he's completely mesmerized by Barbara Stanwyck. And frankly, who wouldn't be?
On a routine house call, insurance man Walter Neff (MacMurray) meets hot housewife Phyllis Dietrichson (Stanwyck). However, Phyllis is looking for more than the policy renewal that Walter is pushing. Instead, she's looking to take out more coverage on her husband (Tom Powers), who she claims to be abusive. Not only does Walter fall for her and her story, but he also cooks up a plan to help bump off the husband and make the whole thing look like an accident to trigger the policy's "double indemnity" clause. The plan all sounds great, but the two don't count on claims adjuster Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) sniffing around the case.
Double Indemnity was based on an actual 1927 murder case, which also spawned popular films such as The Postman Always Rings Twice and Body Heat. However, with Billy Wilder behind the camera, the suspense and a stellar cast, Double Indemnity is the real deal, baby. It's not to be missed.
The Picture
Like Touch of Evil, Double Indemnity was released on Blu-ray in England back in 2012 as one of Eureka Entertainment's "Masters of Cinema" releases. Since I've never seen that version, I'm not sure if this "digitally remastered and fully restored" Blu-ray is better or different in any way. According to Universal, the film was restored from 35mm original film elements, but they don't say when or by whom. That said, it is certainly better than the 2011 DVD release, which left a lot of fans seething -- and squinting. To put it kindly, that image left a lot to be desired.
That's not the case here. Overall, it's hard to imagine this film looking any better than it does on this Blu-ray, especially considering its age. This is a "70th anniversary" edition and both the film and its imagery are incredibly gripping. It doesn't have the same pop as Touch of Evil, but a lot of that could be attributed to the tone of the film. This 1.33:1 image is a dark one, with tons of shadows and very little contrast. For the most part, everything is nice and clear though, but noise is definitely evident in a few spots.
The Sound
Similar to Touch of Evil, Universal has given Double Indemnity a two-channel DTS-HD Master Audio track. The dialogue is stellar and definitely a highlight of the track. However, there are plenty of sound effects present, most notably at the train station and in crowd scenes. It definitely complements the image included with this release.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Double Indemnity is classic film noir at its finest. If you haven't seen it, it's an absolute must-see. Given its place in Hollywood history, it's sort of funny that we're just seeing it on Blu-ray now. That's what you get for your 70th anniversary, apparently. However, what you don't get is any new special features. Despite that small disappointment, the film and the image boost absolutely make this one worth picking up.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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