The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity

Friday evening film noir at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Join me for The Maltese Falcon by John Huston (1941, 101 min.). John Huston's directorial debut opens with an unidentified shooter firing a gun at Sam Space's (Humphrey Bogart) partner, setting this murder mystery in motion. While Spade investigates the murder of his partner, he finds himself surrounded by a host of strange characters all after one thing--a statue of a falcon reputed to contain priceless jewels.

And/Or come for the double feature while chewing doublemint as you double your pleasure at 8:00 for

Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder (1944, 107 min.). Double Indemnity came as a shock in 1944 and was almost blocked by the combined efforts of Paramount, the Hays Office, and its star Fred MacMurray. It pushed the boundaries by depicting murder, deceit, and a sexual female lead, but its eventual release allowed film noir to flourish. In a legendary performance, Barbara Stanwyck plays Phyllis Dietrichson, a young woman who wants her husband's insurance money. Using her powerful sexuality and presence, she manipulates insurance agent Walter Neff (MacMurray) in order to get it. When their plan begins to unravel, so does Walter's conscience. Written by Raymond Chandler (based on a story by James M. Cain), Double Indemnity embodies the hard-boiled detective novel tradition with a hero that is narcissistic and defeatist, and it set the standard for film noir.

On June 12, Mike Civille, professor of film at Boston College, introduces the film. A discussion follows screening.

Look for me amongst the audience holding a Meetup sign. We'll try to sit together, and after the second film see if it is not too late for a night cap, a gin noir, as it were . . .