Movie #61- "Double Indemnity" (1944)

I took a class in college that centered on the film noir genre.  Our professor took us on a journey of the detective films from the 1940s and 1950s, investigating the seedy side of crime.  Several of the required viewing movies were based on the work of Cornell Woolrich.  During that course, I developed an appreciation for that film style.  The dark settings, the femme fatales, and the stories of doomed men.  While "Double Indemnity" isn't from the work of Woolrich, it is definitely influential in the world of film noir.
Unlike the mystery movies of today, where everything has to contain a "surprising" twist, the basic ending is given to you in the first few minutes.  Fred McMurray has been shot.  The love of a woman and greed are to blame.  From there, we take the roller coaster ride of how McMurray's life turned upside down.
The movie is great as is the story behind it.  The novella from which the film is taken is based on a true story.  The Hays Code slowed not only the bids on the script, but shaped some of the story.  The director and writer did not get along yet were able to produce a fruitful collaboration.  A gas chamber sequence was shot for the film, then never used (and apparently lost).  Classic Hollywood stories from behind the scenes.
It's also strange seeing McMurray in a role like this, given that I was only familiar with his Disney work as well as "My Three Sons."  A strong starting point a study of film noir.

Rating: 9/10
Movies I've previously seen: 5
First time viewings: 56