How many descriptions can you get into just one poster.
Well, this one for Double Indemnity goes into overdrive.
Why not remind folk of other Paramount titles like “Lady In The Dark”, “Going My Way”, “And The Angels Sing”.
“Thrills” “ and “ Novelty”, fair enough, but “Laughs”? Don’t think so!
”An Unholy Love!” “An Almost Perfect Crime!”
And why not give away part of the plot – and ending ! – – –
“He got them both when they murdered her husband for “Double Indemnity!”
And why not show the actual murder!
But don’t try to explain what ‘double indemnity’ means.
Great poster!!
Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson.
- For once, the directors get a shout-out, Paramount’s Cecil B. DeMille, Frank Capra, William Wyler, Leo McCarey, Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder.
Frank Capra is said to be preparing a film to be called THE TRIAL.. According to IMDB, Capra’s next film after “Here Comes The Groom” was a short called “The Fallbrook Story” (1953) about a dispute over water rights in California.
Billy Wilder was preparing an Untitled Musical. ( Wilder’s next film after “Ace in the Hole” was “Roman Holiday”).
Not sure which year this is, but assuming it’s the 1940s, Rosalind Russell will make two pictures a year for Columbia over the next three years.
Well, not quite six movies but Rosalind made at least four for Columbia up to 1950.
Hal Wallis advertises the stars under personal contract.
Who is Derek Cooper? I could only find that he was signed by Wallis in 1946 and was to appear in LOVE LETTERS(1945), but there is no indication he was in the film.
Derek Cooper
Better than THE MALTESE FALCON? Don’t think so.
”Great books make great pictures!”
Cinema owners outdo themselves to attract audiences.
“The Plainsman” is playing in Baltimore and a four-goat team is pulling a mini- covered wagon!
The onlookers look a little puzzled ! The goats don’t look too happy either.
This is described as ‘street bally’ (short for ballyhoo I guess.)
Vienna's Classic Hollywood
That Double Indemnity poster truly is the ultimate example of trying to become all things to all people.
Well put, Colin!
If Morgan’s Creek and Standing Room Only have as many laughs as Double Indemnity I definitely want to see them.
“Better than THE MALTESE FALCON? Don’t think so.”
Bogart is Star of the Month on TCM which has been featuring his films on Thursdays in September.
When Ben Mankiewicz introduced “Across the Pacific”, he said that Warner Bros originally wanted to do a sequel to the very successful “Maltese Falcon”.
“The Further Adventures of the Maltese Falcon” never started production because the studio could not agree on a salary for author Dashiell Hammett to write the screenplay.
In hindsight, they should have paid what Hammett was asking.
The studio was able to agree on terms with Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Mary Astor in hopes that the three could recreate the chemistry of “The Maltese Falcon”.
Creatively, “Across the Pacific” may not have hit the mark, but financially it was a good decision. The film actually earned more at the box office than “The Maltese Falcon” — perhaps due to the fact that moviegoers wanted to see the starring actors on-screen together again.
Maybe just as well there wasn’t a sequel.
Thanks for information about Ben Mankiewicz’s intro to “Across the Pacific”.
Tonight, TCM is closing out their September salute to Bogart with a series of gangster films from the 30’s and 40’s.
1. They Drive by Night (1940)
2. Conflict (1945)*
3. Kid Galahad (1937)
4. Bullets or Ballots (1936)
5. The Great O’Malley (1937)*
6. Invisible Stripes (1940)*
7. Racket Busters (1938)*
8. You Can’t Get Away with Murder (1939)*
9. King of the Underworld (1939)
10. The Petrified Forest (1936)
11. San Quentin (1937)*
* Movies I’ve never seen
Jack Warner thought Bogart was a type cast actor so when he was cast to play Richard Blaine in Casablanca, Warner told director Michael Curtiz, “I hope you can get him to play more than Duke Mantee.”
Of course, Bogart played the character Duke Mantee in the stage version of The Petrified Forest. Mantee was loosely based on real-life gangster John Dillinger. Bogart was chosen for the role because of his resemblance to Dillinger.
In the motion picture adaptation, the studio wanted to upgrade the cast by having Edward G. Robinson play Mantee. However, Leslie Howard (who also appeared in the stage production) had final say on casting. He told Warner Bros that he would not reprise his role onscreen unless Bogart was hired to co-star.
Bogart and Bacall had a strong affection for Howard, and named their daughter, Leslie Howard Bogart, after him.
(Howard was killed when his plane was shot down by the German air force in WW2.)
The Petrified Forest established Bogart in Hollywood, and Casablanca solidified his status as a leading actor.
He was forever grateful to Leslie Howard.
Yes, I’m sure Bogie was forever grateful to Leslie Howard.
Great TCM lineup.
Earlier this month, TCM screened movies that were produced by Bogart’s Santana Productions.
The second of which, “In a Lonely Place”, is on every Top-100 list of classic Hollywood films.
It is considered to be one of Bogart’s finest performances.
What I found interesting is that he wanted to cast his wife Lauren Bacall who was still under contract at Warner Bros.
Of course, the studio was not happy that Bogart left so they refused to “loan” out their star actress.
Ginger Rogers had been considered, but Director Nicholas Ray recommended his wife Gloria Grahame be cast in the role of Laurel Gray.
Critics raved about Grahame’s performance, but when I watch the film, I can’t help but imagine Bacall in that role.
John Derek (who would later marry Bo Derek) was originally considered for the leading role of Dixon Steele because the character in the novel was a younger man. When production began, Bogart was 50 and Derek was 24.
(Derek co-starred opposite Bogart in Santana’s first production, “Knock on Any Door”, also directed by Ray.)
As an independent studio, Santana Productions did not have distribution rights so Columbia agreed to distribute “In a Lonely Place” for a 25% cut of box office receipts.
Slant Magazine ranks the movie number one on its ‘100 Best Film Noirs of All Time’.
It’s also included on these lists:
Slant Magazine’s ‘100 Essential Films’
Time Magazine’s ‘All-Time 100 Movies’
BBC’s ‘100 Greatest American Films of All Time’
Roger Ebert’s ‘Greatest Movies of All Time’
Intimate friends noted that the complex character of Dixon Steele very closely reflected Bogart’s off-screen persona.
It was the only film where Bogart essentially played himself.
I think that you have the wrong director for “Roman Holiday.” I believe that was Wyler rather than Wilder.
Oops! Thanks Steve. Of course it’s Wyler who did Roman Holiday. Wilder’s next after Ace in the Hole was Stalag 17.
Ah yes – Billy Wilder’s unnamed musical “Stalag 17”, with it’s famous number “Puttin’ on the Blitz” (sorry!)
Sounds a hit!
This is fabulous advertising material, especially the “Manpower at Work for You at Paramount”.
The studio publicity departments certainly knew how to market their movies.
What fascinating ephemera you’ve collected here! I love that Double Indemnity poster — what a scream. And I before I saw your close-up of Derek Cooper, I was thinking it was Robert Wagner and that he’d changed his name! I also noticed that Wendell Corey’s last name was misspelled — I wonder if that was a mistake or if that was the way he originally spelled it. Hmm . . .
I hadn’t noticed the spelling of ‘Cory’. Well spotted.
And, yes, I can see the Robert Wagner resemblance.
Thanks for alerting me to Mary Ryan Detective a good little thriller. As in all undercover stories someone always turns up near the end who recognises them. June Vincent was under contract to Columbia at this time where she played mostly second leads.