Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity
Released Date: April 24, 1944
Director: Billy Wilder
Actors: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Byron Barr, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Bonanova, and John Philliber

     I have been watching a lot of newer movies, and when I say "new" I mean I just found them. I was watching this movie today and realized that because Barbara Stanwyck is in it, it must be great. And it is. This movie is very fast, but a thriller till the end. One thing that did bother me was Barbara Stanwyck's hair. So I was pleased to read that the director wasn't happy with it either. She wears a wig in this movie and it looks insane, but nobody can deny her great acting ability.

     Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) is married and unhappy. You can tell every time you see her around her husband. When Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) shows up to Mr. and Mrs. Dietrchson's house to sell Mr. Dietrichson a life insurance policy, Phyllis and Walter fall in love. Now what to do? Half of them is already married. Does this mean murder? It does!!! Walter and Phyllis plan out the perfect crime. But like real life, murder is never perfect, and the bad guys always get caught!!! This movie was number 29 of the greatest movies of all time, and you can see why. I have always enjoyed Miss Stanwyck and this is one of my favorites of her's now. 

The Apartment

The Apartment
Released Date: September 16, 1960
Director: Billy Wilder
Actors: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, David Lewis, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Naoimi Stevens, Johnny Seven, Joyce Jameson, Willard Waterman, David White, and Edie Adams

     Billy Wilder has directed such stars as Marilyn Monroe. He directed her in The Seven Year Itch, and Some Like It Hot. He was not a huge fan of directing the star because she had such a huge demand as far as treatment goes. But in this film, Wilder chose a Monroe like characters throughout this movie. You can spot them easily during your watch. You will also note that Billy Wilder's trademarks character name is Sheldrake, which he also uses in Sunset Blvd. and Kiss Me, Stupid. The person he chose for Sheldrake was Paul Douglas but he died of a heart attack before filming began. He died while eating breakfast before his flight to the Coast for this movie. He lived in New York at the time. Shirley MacLaine filmed her famous cameo in Ocean's Eleven while on break from this movie. You will also note that the Christmas scene was filmed on December 23, 1959, everyone was in the mood for the holiday and it made the Christmas feel more real. Which is pretty neat.

     We follow a young man, C. C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon). He's lonely as he works for an insurance company in New York City. He's a hard worker who happens to loan his apartment out to four of his executives for a little after date love in the sack. Baxter is unhappy about the way he is used but never confronts his coworkers as unhappy as he is. He is not always able to sleep well, and ends up with a cold. His neighbors believe it is him making all that noise. They also believe that his body is an iron to make all of that noise almost every night, and he also must be the person they hear drinking all the time too. His big boss calls him into his office to talk about his apartment loans. The boss is Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray). It is comical and it almost sounds like he is about to be fired. But all of his managers write great reports about how great Baxter is to Mr. Sheldrake. However he does realize what is going on. Sheldrake gives Baxter two tickets for The Music Man. When all of a sudden, Sheldrake asks for a chance at his apartment too. The elevator operator catches Baxter's eye and he wants to go on a date with her. She is Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine). She just recently cuts her hair short and Baxter notices and makes a comment on how cute the cut is. Hopefully they end up dating because they would sure be a cute couple. At the Christmas party, Baxter realizes that another man is after a relationship with Kubelik, the man is Sheldrake. What is Baxter going to do? He was sworn not to reveal that Sheldrake is also using his apartment but the girl he wants is going to end up to his apartment with his boss. Kubelik does realize that she is the mistress to Sheldrake. By the end of the movie we get to hear the famous final line "Shut up and deal." Who says it? Hopefully Baxter does to Kubelik. This is a very cute movie. And a funny one at that. Of course it is with Jack Lemmon leading the movie along. Shirley MacLaine is a great actress. I hope you enjoy this classic as much as I have.

The Spirit of St. Louis

The Spirit of St. Louis 
Released Date: April 20, 1957
Director: Billy Wilder
Actors: James Stewart, Murray Hamilton, Patricia Smith, Bartlett Robinson, Marc Connelly, Arthur Space, Richard Deacon, and Charles Watts

     James Stewart (47 years old) was cast as the young Charles Lindbergh (25 years old). It was said that James Stewart had pretty much begged to play Lindbergh, for Stewart was a huge fan of his. Although, it was said that Stewart was very difficult to work with during filming, which was unusual because almost everyone working with him loved it, but coworkers thought it might have been that he realized he was not right for the part. Lindbergh actually wanted Anthony Perkins to play him. I will have to say on record that James Stewart did a great job!

     Charles 'Slim' Lindbergh (James Stewart) wanted to be the first pilot to go from New York to Paris in a solo transatlantic flight. He needs first, to find sponsors, and then he needs to find the plane that will take him from point A to point B. Lindbergh finds his sponsors, and his sponsors find a plane owner that will sell him a good enough plane to take him across the Atlantic. However, the seller (Richard Deacon) wants to pick the pilot, which of course he wants someone other than Lindbergh. He then takes a train back home to St. Louis to give his sponsors their money back, but they have for him, a train ticket to New York. They also tell him that they do not want any other pilot. So he gets on the train for New York, and he is to see a man that can build a plane from scratch. The catch is that Lindbergh needs this plane to be built in 90 days or less. They are able to do this. The plane is plain, for it has no bathroom, no excess weight of any kind. Lindbergh even settles for not having a parachute along, which would have been a safe thing to have with him. He even has flash backs during his trip, of a time when one came in handy during a trip in his beginning plane rides. Will he make it across the Atlantic Ocean? Or will he and his Spirit of St. Louis plummet into the Ocean? The only way to find out is by watching this amazing movie. It is one that I have to say, kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I know you probably get tired of me saying a lot of the same things over, but I love James Stewart, and this movie, along with a great many others, is why I do. Charles Lindbergh is amazing, and is a great pilot.