Double Indemnity (1944)

This is a classic film noir that begins with a murder confession. Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff, and he’s come to his office to record what he’s done and how he’s done it. Even though we know up front what’s happened, we don’t know everything, and there are a lot of twists along the way. We learn in flashback and voiceover that Walter is an insurance salesman who helped Phyllis Dietrichson, brilliantly played by Barbara Stanwyck, knock off her wealthy husband, who had taken out—unbeknownst to him—a double indemnity insurance policy…meaning that an insurance company will pay double on some policies for certain accidents. Edward G. Robinson is Byron Keyes, an insurance claims manager that works with Walter and knows that something is not right with the "accident" the husband had, and begins an investigation. Will the lovers get away with the perfect crime? Will they live happily ever after? And will you ever look at the dad from MY THREE SONGS the same way ever again? Voiceover actor Susan Eisenberg is our Audience of One and talks with us about the brilliance of Stanny...and THAT ending. In fact, we come back after the ending of the show to talk about the ending and what the ending ALMOST was. DOUBLE INDEMNITY is one of those must-see movies that is one of our all-time favorites.