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Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9781558807785 Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC ISBN: 1558807780 Label: MCA/Universal Home Video Languages: Manufacturer: MCA/Universal Home Video Number Of Items: 1 Publication Date: September 06, 1944 Publisher: MCA/Universal Home Video Release Date: March 01, 1992 Running Time: 107 minutes Studio: MCA/Universal Home Video Theatrical Release Date: September 06, 1944 Editorial Review: Amazon.com essential video: Director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) and writer Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) adapted James M. Cain's hard-boiled novel into this wildly thrilling story of insurance man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who schemes the perfect murder with the beautiful dame Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck): kill Dietrichson's husband and make off with the insurance money. But, of course, in these plots things never quite go as planned, and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) is the wily insurance investigator who must sort things out. From the opening scene you know Neff is doomed, as the story is told in flashback; yet, to the film's credit, this doesn't diminish any of the tension of the movie. This early film noir flick is wonderfully campy by today's standards, and the dialogue is snappy ("I thought you were smarter than the rest, Walter. But I was wrong. You're not smarter, just a little taller"), filled with lots of "dame"s and "baby"s. Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale, and MacMurray, despite a career largely defined by roles as a softy (notably in the TV series My Three Sons and the movie The Shaggy Dog), is convincingly cast against type as the hapless, love-struck sap. --Jenny Brown Average Rating:
 Rating:  - The bestGreat movie. Excellent value. Arrived quickly. No problems. Have ordered many items and have never been disappointed. Thank you. Rating: - One of the bestUnderstandably many noir fans feel this movie is the best of its genre. It is definitely in my top 10, maybe top 5. No matter though, because it is a great movie, although I would have liked to see Dick Powell in this role instead of Fred McMurray. It's a can't miss movie ! Rating: - One of the best film noir movies ever madeThis is tense, gritty film noir at it's best, what more is there to say? A superb plot, directing, screenplay and a sterling cast.. Rating: - Back when substance was more important than special effects...So I've decided that the film noir has just been disrespected by the so called `noirs' of today, especially when you compare them to the greats of yesteryear. Having recently watched (and balked) films like `Devil in a Blue Dress' and `The Usual Suspects', supposed film noirs of today, I have been aching to convince myself yet again that the genre is not a total lost cause. Sure, we have the recent (ten years old now) `L.A. Confidential' to bolster our confidence that the genre isn't always handled ... Read More Rating:  - Great Performances by Stanwyck and RobinsonThis is an excellent film. Stanwyck is an extraordinary actress who has the ability to convey the sex appeal, power, and vulnerability of the femme fatale who sets this murder plot in motion. Robinson is also truly great at making the honest claims adjuster utterly convincing. His relationship with MacMurray is, ironically enough, the real love story of the movie. Without these two great performances, this is simply a standard Grade B movie. Fred MacMurray does a good job, but unlike ... Read More |
