English 9-12: Society & Self October 9, 2017 Planning Ahead: Double Indemnity Dr. Seth Hurwitz

Our next text, after Kindred, will be Double Indemnity, a 1944 film directed by Billy Wilder (and starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson). We will begin our discussions of that movie on Monday, October 30 (the Monday after interim week).

Before that date, you will be asked to watch Double Indemnity twice, carefully. The second time you watch it, you will be asked to fill out a relatively extensive summary sheet--a sheet you will hand in on the day our discussions begin. (You’ll be given the blank summary sheet sometime before interim.)

Before you do that, though, I need to know that all students can gain access to the film. To help facilitate this, please complete the following homework by Wednesday, October 18. This exercise will be worth three points.

Find a full version of the film. You may use a streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc.), though it may not be available everywhere. Alternatively, you may buy a DVD version. (There are a number of DVDs of the film available on Amazon.) You may also find copies to borrow at your local library. You might be able to find the full film on YouTube as well, though you should make sure that whatever copy you’re watching is clearly a clean, full copy of the original movie. (For one thing, it should last one hour and forty-seven minutes, and its sound and image quality should be crisp.)

On Wednesday, October 18, hand in this sheet with the requested information, including your name (and please write legibly):

I, ______, having investigated several options, have decided to gain access to the 1944 Billy Wilder production of Double Indemnity through the following source: ______. Furthermore, I attest here that I have watched portions of the film (if I have found it on a streaming service or on a website such as YouTube) or I have seen that it is available at my local library to borrow, or at some other source to buy, and I know it to be a full, clean copy of this film. Finally, I recognize that I will need access to this film for several days before October 30, and then from October 30 to November 17 (and will likely want to review it for the semester exam in mid-December).

______Signature