

An insurance representative is seduced by a dissatisfied housewife into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, a claims investigator.
Writing
Wit so dry it could start a fire—Wilder and Chandler at peak venom.
Acting
Stanwyck's anklet enters the room five seconds before she does.
Cinematography
Venetian blinds: now a character in their own right.

Director
Billy Wilder
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The original ending had Walter dying in the gas chamber; Wilder filmed it then threw it out because it was 'too grim even for us.'
This basically created the femme fatale archetype that dominated noir—and arguably ruined how Hollywood wrote women for decades. Thanks, Billy.