Double Indemnity May 26, 2007

DOUBLE INDEMNITY double feature with THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON
Saturday May 26 2007, 7:30PM

DOUBLE INDEMNITY
(1944, United States) Directed by Billy Wilder

Stanwyck brings one of the cinema’s most notorious femme fatales to (low) life as icy blonde Phyllis Dietrichson, who entices hard-boiled insurance agent MacMurray into conspiring to murder her wealthy husband. This Wilder-Chandler adaptation of James M. Cain’s novel produced a seminal film noir that introduced new levels of cynicism and dread to American screens. Stanwyck’s cool and calculating performance earned her a third Best Actress nomination.

Screenwriter: B. Wilder, Raymond Chandler. Cast: Fred MacMurray, B. Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson. Presented in English dialogue. 35mm, 107 min.

with:

THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON
(1950, United States) Directed by Robert Siodmak

In this beautifully shot and directed film by German émigré Robert Siodmak, Stanwyck stars as Thelma Jordan, an aging femme fatale who intrigues a young detective and makes him the scapegoat for the murder of her rich aunt. However, Thelma soon finds herself falling in love with the detective. Stanwyck’s soft-hearted femme fatale provides a stark contrast to her more famous turn as the cold, manipulative Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity.

Screenwriter: Ketti Frings. Camera: Wendell Corey. Cast: B. Stanwyck, Anthony Paul Kelly. Presented in English dialogue. 16mm, 100 min.

Official Website: http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/