Double Indemnity (1944) Movie vs. Novel

 

Double Indemnity – The Film	The Novel  by James Cain
We see Walter Neff arrive at the Pacific Risk Insurance Company. Sitting down in his office chair, he takes off his coat, reveling a bloody chest wound, and starts dictating. “I killed a man for money and a woman. But I didn’t get the money and I didn’t get the woman…”	Not in the novel, which starts with Huff (aka Neff) arriving at Phyllis’ house to renew the Husband’s auto policy.  The flashback narrative allows the film to compress the novel’s plot into 100 minutes.
The narration continues. We flashback to Neff arriving at an expensive LA Home. He meets Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck). They talk about auto insurance. Attracted - he hits on her. They engage in some witty by-play (“There’s a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff.”)  He leaves, but remembers the smell of honeysuckle as he drives away.	Similar. But in the book, Phyllis mentions accident insurance right off the bat. She gives Huff a “sidelong glance” then asks if could talk to her husband.  There is no memorable dialogue.
Neff goes back to the office and meets Keyes, the Claims investigator and his best friend at the office. Keyes brow-beats a Truck driver into admitting his claim is a phony. Afterwards, they engage in some banter about Keyes’ past loves.	Similar. Huff goes back to the office and Keyes “Beefs” to him about the Phony Truck claim.   We never meet the truck driver.  Wilder wanted to expand EG Robinson’s Role
Phyllis leaves a message for Neff to call on her again.  He arrives, and she brings up accident insurance. He gets upset, accuses her of wanting to kill her husband for insurance money, and leaves. Later that night, at his Apartment, Phyllis calls on him. She tells Neff she loves him and that her husband is a mean drunk who slaps her around.  They agree to murder the husband.	Different in the book.  Huff and Phyllis discuss accident insurance and have sex. Later that night, she shows up at his house. Huff accuses her wanting to kill her husband.  She walks out.  The following night, she shows up again. They have sex, she says she loves Neff, and he suggests they kill her husband for money.  She agrees. There is no suggestion the husband mistreats her.
Neff shows up at Phyllis’ House and gets the Husband to sign the accident policy without suspecting. He meets Lola, the step-daughter, and drives her to a secret meeting with her boyfriend Nino Zachetti.	The same. Except Huff has to be tricked into writing another check for a policy that includes accident insurance.  Huff meets the husband several times to accomplish this.
Neff goes back to the office, where Keyes offers him a Job. Neff declines. Time passes. Phyllis and Neff plan to kill the husband when he goes by Train to Palo Alto.	The Keyes-Neff meeting/job offer is not in the Novel.  Otherwise, the same.  Again, this added to expand EG Robinson’s role
Neff Hides in the back Seat and kills the Husband before they get to the train station. Neff boards the train disguised as the husband and then drops off the train at the designated spot. Phyllis and Neff then drag the corpse to the RR tracks and leave. But when they try to drive away, the car won’t start. After several tries, the car ignition finally works and they drive away.	Directly from the novel. Except, there is no problem starting the car.
Time passes. Neff and Keyes meet with the President. He doesn’t want to pay the claim and Phyllis is brought in.  The President says it was suicide and suggests they settle the claim for less than $50,000. Phyllis cries and storms out. Keyes details all the reasons it couldn’t be suicide and says they’ll have to pay through the nose.	Different in the novel. There’s no Phyllis – just the 3 men. The president suggests suicide to Neff and Keyes, who shoots it down. The dialogue about “a million cases of suicide and not one from jumping off a train going 15 MPH” is directly from the book. Keyes then says it was murder but has no proof. He suggests they deny her claim. But the President decides they’ll pay up.
Phyllis goes to Neff’s apartment, and is about to enter when Keyes shows up.  She ducks in a hallway and Keyes misses her. Keyes then tells Neff it was murder not suicide. The Husband was never on the train. After Keyes leaves, Neff and Phyllis agree to not see each other for a while.	In the book there is no Huff Apartment meeting with Phyllis or Keyes, just another office meeting with the 3 men.  Keyes says its murder & that the Husband was never on the train. He says the company will force Phyllis to sue, and meanwhile shadow her and identify the accomplice.
Lola shows up at Neff’s office. She suspects Phyllis of killing her father, and tells to story of Phyllis killing her mother. She wants to tell everything at the trial. Neff take her out in order to keep tabs on her.	As in the novel, but this occurs later.
Keyes invites Neff to the office to see the Man on the Train from Medford Oregon, Neff is petrified the man will recognize him – but he doesn’t. However,  the Medford man confirms the Husband was NOT the man on the train.  Keyes declares this proves Phyllis had someone kill the husband and he’ll “throw the claim right in their face” The two killers are stuck with each other. They’re both on a trolley-ride & the end of the line is the Cemetery	This is not in the novel. Instead, Neff reads a Keyes memo stating a witness will testify that the man on the train was not the Husband, The movie scene is much better: Suspenseful and full of Chandler-like Dialogue
Neff and Phyllis meet at a drugstore. She tells him not to get soft, Keyes has nothing and she will file the claim. This makes Neff decide to kill Phyllis, Time passes. He talks to Lola again. He learns Zachetti  is seeing Phyllis now.  Later, he talks to Keyes who tells him they’ve found the “other someone” who helped Phyllis. Neff goes to Keyes’ office and finds Zachetti is the “other someone”.  Neff calls Phyllis and says he’ll be at her house around 11 PM.	Different in the book. Phyllis calls Huff. He tells her to submit the claim but warns her Pacific Risk won’t pay.  Time passes. Lola comes to the office and tells Huff, she thinks Phyllis killed her father, and also her mother. Huff goes out with Lola and finds out that Sachetti is romancing Phyllis. Huff discovers he’s in love with Lola  More time passes. Phyllis files the claim and the company denies it.  She gets advice from Huff via the Telephone. Neff goes out with Lola, who declares she’ll tell all she knows in court. Huff decides he’s been played for a sucker and has to kill Phyllis and frame Sachetti.
Neff shows up at the House. All the lights are off. Neff tells Phyllis he’s getting off the trolley - he’s going to kill her.  Phyllis tells Neff she’s been making Zachetti jealous so he’ll kill Lola.  Phyllis then shoots Neff but can’t fire a 2nd shot.  She realizes she loves him. Neff takes the gun and kills her.  Later, Neff tells Zachetti to beat it before the cops come.	Not in the novel.  Instead, Huff plans to lure Phyllis to Griffith park, put her in Sachetti’s car, & push it over a cliff.  Arriving at the park around Midnight, Huff is shot in the back. Waking up in the Hospital, he finds Sachetti and Lola have been arrested for his shooting. Also, that Keyes wants to charge Sachetti with the Husband’s murder. To save Lola, Huff confesses.
We flash-forward to a wounded Neff finishing his dictation. Keyes is peering over his shoulder, he’s heard everything.  Neff asks for a 3 hour head start to get to Mexico, but Keyes says he’ll never make the elevator.  Neff walks out to the hallway and collapses.  Keyes calls for an ambulance and the police.  The two men exchange words of friendship.  But Neff is “all washed up”.  The END.	Not in the Novel. Here, Keyes convinces the police to set Lola and Sachetti free. Then, Keyes and Huff make a deal. In order to avoid bad publicity, Huff will provide a written confession. In exchange, Huff will be allowed to board a ship bound for Mexico.  Later, at sea, Huff meets Phyllis. They commit suicide by jumping off the ship into a pack of circling sharks.