Double Indemnity/Trivia

• Creator-Preferred Adaptation: James M. Cain himself loved the changes in the film—specifically the framing story of Neff recounting the events for a recording, and the ending.
• Playing Against Type: Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck were both reluctant to accept the roles of Neff and Phyllis respectively: MacMurray was principally a comedic actor, while Stanwyck was worried about what playing such a singularly nasty character would do to her career. Edward G. Robinson was also reluctant to accept a supporting role, until he saw the paycheck.
• Throw It In: The incredibly suspenseful scene in which Phyllis can't get her car to start after dumping Dietrichson's body was a happy accident.
• What Could Have Been: The original script had two possible endings -- the one that ended up in the film, and an alternate ending which continued after that scene to show Neff's execution in the gas chamber. This gas chamber scene was actually filmed, but Wilder ultimately decided not to use it. The Media Watchdogs had objected to the scene as "unduly gruesome"; however, Wilder claimed that his reasons for cutting it were entirely artistic: it was already clear from the preceding scene that Neff was doomed, and actually seeing him die didn't tell the audience anything they didn't already know. The footage of this scene has unfortunately been lost, but some production stills remain.
  • Also, George Raft was an early choice to play Neff.