James M. Cain's novel Double Indemnity was serialized in Liberty magazine. Although Joseph Sistrom is listed as producer in various contemporary sources, the SAB at the AMPAS Library recorded that no producer was to be listed. Contemporary reviews suggested that author James M. Cain was inspired to write this story after the 1927 murder of Albert Snyder, who was murdered by his wife, Ruth Brown, a flapper, and her boyfriend, Henry Judd Gray, a married corset salesman. Mrs. Snyder took out a $100,000 life insurance policy on her husband in 1926, and after several failed attempts at killing him herself, she enlisted the assistance of Gray. A jury found Mrs. Snyder and Gray guilty of murder, and they were executed for their crimes in 1928 at Sing Sing Prison.
       Information in the MPAA/PCA Files at the AMPAS Library reveals the following about the production: Although it was not published until 1943, Cain's novel was first submitted to the PCA as a basis for a film production in 1935 by L. B. Mayer. In Oct 1935, PCA director Joseph I. Breen responded that "the story is in violation of the provisions of the Production Code" and was "almost certain to result in a picture which we would be compelled to reject." Among the story violations he cited were that "the leading characters are murderers who cheat the law and die at their own hands; the story deals improperly with an illicit and adulterous sex relationship; [and] the details of the vicious and cold-blooded murder are clearly shown." A copy of this letter was subsequently sent to Jack L. Warner at Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures Corp. in 1935, and Paramount in Mar 1943. In Sep 1943, Breen wrote to Paramount that he had "read the part script, part outline treatment" and that it appeared to be acceptable. Among other things, Breen noted that in the opening sequences, the "bath towel must properly cover Phyllis, and should certainly go below her knees. There must be no unacceptable exposure," and that the "whole sequence of the detailed disposition of the corpse is unacceptable...as a too detailed exposition of crime...We strongly urge, therefore, that you fade out after they take the body from the car...."
       Scripts in the Paramount Script Collection at the AMPAS Library show that in Sep 1943, director Billy Wilder was considering using either the ending that is now seen in the final released print, or an ending in which "Walter Neff" is arrested and executed in a gas chamber. In a Dec 1943 letter to Paramount, Breen noted the following: "We have read the balance of the script...As we advised you before, this whole sequence in the death chamber seems very questionable in its present form. Specifically, the details of the execution...seem unduly gruesome from the standpoint of the Code, and also will certainly be deleted by censor boards...." Although the execution sequence was shot, it was cut after previews. According to modern sources, Billy Wilder chose to cut the execution scene over Raymond Chandler's protests as it did not conform with his vision of the film. The CBCS lists the following seven actors who appeared in the execution scene: Alan Bridge (Execution chamber guard,) Edward Hearn (Warden's secretary,) George Anderson (Warden,) Boyd Irwin (1st doctor,) Lee Shumway (Door guard,) George Melford (2d doctor,) William O'Leary (Chaplain.)
       According to HR news items, Brian Donlevy was considered for the cast, and Susan Hayward and Mona Freeman were initially cast as "Lola." This film marked Byron Barr's feature film debut. (Barr should not be confused with actor Gig Young, who performed under his given name, Byron Barr, until 1942.) According to information in the Paramount Collection, this film was shot at the following locations in Los Angeles: 1825 North Kingsley Dr. for the exterior of "Walter Neff's" apartment; La Golondrina Café on Olvera Street; the basement garage of the El Royale apartment building on Rossmore Avenue; Jerry's Market at 5330 Melrose Ave., the intersections of Sunset Boulevard and Western Avenue, and Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue. A Sep 1943 HR news item noted that some night scenes were shot on location in Phoenix, AZ, due to dim-out regulations in Los Angeles. The film received the following Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography (black & white), Best Sound Recording and Best Music (scoring of a dramatic picture).
       Modern sources add the following about the production: Billy Wilder's longtime writing partner Charles Brackett refused to work on the screenplay for Double Indemnity due to the story's amoral content. Raymond Chandler was selected because his writing style had similarities to James M. Cain's writing. Wilder and Chandler's six-month partnership while working on the screenplay was turbulent. A Cain biography questions the extent of Wilder's contribution to the screenplay, and in a 1950 letter, Chandler acknowledged that "working with Billy Wilder...was an agonizing experience and has probably shortened my life, but I learned from it about as much about screen writing as I am capable of learning, which is not very much." A biography on Wilder quoted his response to Chandler's statement, in which he noted that "[Chandler] gave me more aggravation than any writer I ever worked with."
       Wilder also had difficulty getting an actor to play "Neff," as even Alan Ladd and George Raft, who regularly portrayed criminals, found the role too unsavory. Fred MacMurray initially resisted Wilder's attempts at casting him as "Neff," as his previous roles focused on romantic and comedic characters. MacMurray stated in later interviews that Wilder personally convinced him to play "Neff," just as he convinced him to play the adulterous cad "Sheldrake" in Wilder's 1960 film The Apartment.
       Stanwyck and MacMurray reprised their roles in the Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of Double Indemnity on 30 Oct 1950. Other films based on the same source are a 1954 NBC teleplay of the same title, and ABC-TV's 1973's made-for-television film. Although not based on the same source, the 1981 film Body Heat, directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring Kathleen Turner and William Hurt, loosely resembles the storyline of Double Indemnity. A parody of Double Indemnity titled Big Trouble was released in 1985, and was directed by John Cassavetes and starred Peter Falk. Double Indemnity was ranked 29th on AFI's 2007 100 Years…100 Movies--10th Anniversary Edition list of the greatest American films, moving up from the 38th position it held on AFI's 1997 list.