--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Saboteur, The…" description: "\"“Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Saboteur, The Big Clock . . . We lived in monochrome those nights. For me, it was a chance to revisit old friends; for Ed,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/a-j-finn-37213_hitchcock_double-indemnity-gaslight-saboteur-the-b_2887900.jpg" --- # Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Saboteur, The Big Clock… ![“Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Saboteur, The Big Clock . . . We lived in monochrome those nights. For me, it was a chance to revisit old friends; for Ed, it was an opportunity to make new ones. And we’d make lists. The Thin Man franchise, ranked from best (the original) to worst (Song of the Thin…” quote by A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/a-j-finn-37213_hitchcock_double-indemnity-gaslight-saboteur-the-b_2887900.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/a-j-finn-37213_hitchcock_double-indemnity-gaslight-saboteur-the-b_2887900.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/a-j-finn-37213_hitchcock_double-indemnity-gaslight-saboteur-the-b_2887900.jpg) > ““Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Saboteur, The Big Clock . . . We lived in monochrome those nights. For me, it was a chance to revisit old friends; for Ed, it was an opportunity to make new ones. And we’d make lists. The Thin Man franchise, ranked from best (the original) to worst (Song of the Thin Man). Top movies from the bumper crop of 1944. Joseph Cotten’s finest moments. I can do lists on my own, of course. For instance: best Hitchcock films not made by Hitchcock. Here we go: Le Boucher, the early Claude Chabrol that Hitch, according to lore, wished he’d directed. Dark Passage, with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall—a San Francisco valentine, all velveteen with fog, and antecedent to any movie in which a character goes under the knife to disguise himself. Niagara, starring Marilyn Monroe; Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn; Sudden Fear!, starring Joan Crawford’s eyebrows. Wait Until Dark: Hepburn again, a blind woman stranded in her basement apartment. I’d go berserk in a basement apartment.”” [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer reflects on classic 1940s films, noting their black‑and‑white aesthetic and personal nostalgia while also creating a playful ranking of movies and actors. **In simple terms:** Reminiscing about old movies and making personal rankings. Key Takeaway Enjoy classic films and create your own watchlist. Themes nostalgia film appreciation personal ranking Mood reflective playful Type analytical personal When to use this quote - movie night - film club discussion - personal blog writing Key Concepts cinema history genre analysis cultural memory Questions to Reflect On - Which classic film most influences your taste? - How does ranking change your viewing experience? A Different Perspective The focus on nostalgia may overlook the films’ broader cultural contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitchcock/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Old friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-friends/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) ## Related quotes > [“best Hitchcock films not made by Hitchcock. Here we go: Le Boucher, the early Claude Chabrol that Hitch, according to lore, wished he’d directed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/best-hitchcock-films-not-made-by-hitchcock-here-we-go-le-boucher-the/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [Working with Chaplin was very amusing and strange. His films are so funny, but working with him, I found him to be a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tippi-hedren/working-with-chaplin-was-very-amusing-and-strange-his-films-are-so/) [Tippi Hedren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tippi-hedren/) > [I see that they put every black man in the movies in a dress at some point in his career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/i-see-that-they-put-every-black-man-in-the-movies-in-a-dress-at-some/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) > [I'm just a handsome guy. Kinda like a ladies' man, like 'Ladies Man,' the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-young/i-m-just-a-handsome-guy-kinda-like-a-ladies-man-like-ladies-man-the/) [Nick Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-young/) > [I love Hitchcock's films because even though you knew who did it right at the beginning, he still kept the audience engaged till the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-love-hitchcock-s-films-because-even-though-you-knew-who-did-it/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [I'm a filmmaker, and I was most influenced by Hitchcock's films. How he could plant such deep enriched characters and then make us care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-m-a-filmmaker-and-i-was-most-influenced-by-hitchcock-s-films-how-he/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [My favorite types of movies definitely aren't thrillers, but at the same time you can't deny the genius of Hitchcock's films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-yoo/my-favorite-types-of-movies-definitely-aren-t-thrillers-but-at-the/) [Aaron Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-yoo/) > [When I started watching movies, I saw a lot of Hitchcock films. When I was 10, I saw 'North by Northwest' and movies like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sriram-raghavan/when-i-started-watching-movies-i-saw-a-lot-of-hitchcock-films-when-i/) [Sriram Raghavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sriram-raghavan/) > [Double Indemnity is one of my all time favorites. Thats my favorite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaina-huffman/double-indemnity-is-one-of-my-all-time-favorites-thats-my-favorite/) [Alaina Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaina-huffman/) > [“Gary Cooper called to invite me to a dinner party he was giving for Clark Gable at his house. When I accepted and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farley-granger/gary-cooper-called-to-invite-me-to-a-dinner-party-he-was-giving-for/) [Farley Granger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farley-granger/) > [“As Titanic began production, there was an immediate chemistry between Barbara and myself—a lot of looks across the room. At this point Barbara Stanwyck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wagner/as-titanic-began-production-there-was-an-immediate-chemistry-between/) [Robert Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wagner/) > ['Double Indemnity' is one of my all time favorites. That's my favorite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaina-huffman/double-indemnity-is-one-of-my-all-time-favorites-that-s-my-favorite/) [Alaina Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaina-huffman/) > [“Goodbye, Baby. Walter Neff (Fred McMurray) Double Indemnity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/goodbye-baby-walter-neff-fred-mcmurray-double-indemnity/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [Barbara Stanwyck movies drove me nuts, like 'Ball of Fire' and 'Double Indemnity.' I used to go cuckoo when I would see those films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lagravenese/barbara-stanwyck-movies-drove-me-nuts-like-ball-of-fire-and-double/) [Richard LaGravenese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lagravenese/) ## More by A.J. Finn > [“Shaw also said, alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/shaw-also-said-alcohol-is-the-anesthesia-by-which-we-endure-the/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“Kind of guy who steps out of the shower to piss,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/kind-of-guy-who-steps-out-of-the-shower-to-piss/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“My head was once a filing cabinet. Now it’s a flurry of papers, floating on a draft.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/my-head-was-once-a-filing-cabinet-now-it-s-a-flurry-of-papers/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“Streaks of rainwater like varicose veins slide down the umbrella.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/streaks-of-rainwater-like-varicose-veins-slide-down-the-umbrella/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“I have a feeling that inside you somewhere, there’s something nobody knows about. —Shadow of a Doubt (1943)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/i-have-a-feeling-that-inside-you-somewhere-there-s-something-nobody/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“best Hitchcock films not made by Hitchcock. Here we go: Le Boucher, the early Claude Chabrol that Hitch, according to lore, wished he’d directed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/best-hitchcock-films-not-made-by-hitchcock-here-we-go-le-boucher-the/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“The definition of insanity, Fox, Wesley used to remind me, paraphrasing Einstein, is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different result.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/the-definition-of-insanity-fox-wesley-used-to-remind-me-paraphrasing/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“Now, movies that postdate Hitch: The Vanishing, with its sucker-punch finale. Frantic, Polanski’s ode to the master. Side Effects, which begins as a Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/now-movies-that-postdate-hitch-the-vanishing-with-its-sucker-punch/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“Hey, when’s your birthday?” “You going to buy me something?” “Easy there.” “Coming up, actually,” I say. “So’s mine.” “November eleventh.” She gawks. “That’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/hey-when-s-your-birthday-you-going-to-buy-me-something-easy-there/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“Night Must Fall,” he reads. “It’s a good one to start with. Suspenseful but not scary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/night-must-fall-he-reads-it-s-a-good-one-to-start-with-suspenseful/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) > [“I think of Dr. Brulov in Spellbound: “My dear girl, you cannot keep bumping your head against reality and saying it is not there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-finn/i-think-of-dr-brulov-in-spellbound-my-dear-girl-you-cannot-keep/) [A.J. Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) [Explore all 12 A.J. Finn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-finn/) ## More Hitchcock quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [I still don't feel I know Hitchcock at all. I find that the more one looks, the more elusive he becomes. But my admiration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/i-still-don-t-feel-i-know-hitchcock-at-all-i-find-that-the-more-one/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [My thinking was that today's spectator is so well-versed in film language that all theories about suspense, as argued by Dreyer and Hitchcock, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/my-thinking-was-that-today-s-spectator-is-so-well-versed-in-film/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [I didn't hang around films. I don't know if I'd ever seen Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-didn-t-hang-around-films-i-don-t-know-if-i-d-ever-seen-hitchcock-s/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [I liked Stanley Kubrick from the start. He had a warm, benign nature and offered himself to you as a friend and ally. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-berkoff/i-liked-stanley-kubrick-from-the-start-he-had-a-warm-benign-nature/) [Steven Berkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-berkoff/) > [I generally like very visually striking films. I love a lot of Stanley Kubrick's films. I would have to say 'Dr. Strangelove', which of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-generally-like-very-visually-striking-films-i-love-a-lot-of-stanley/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [I've always wanted to do blow with Genghis Khan, 'bet that guy knows how to party. I also think a bottle of wine with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mendez/i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-blow-with-genghis-khan-bet-that-guy-knows/) [Mike Mendez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mendez/) > [Hitchcock said he viewed actors as cattle.. but some were free range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crier/hitchcock-said-he-viewed-actors-as-cattle-but-some-were-free-range/) [Catherine Crier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crier/) > [For every answer, I like to bring up a question. Maybe I'm related to Alfred Hitchcock or maybe I got to know him too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-novak/for-every-answer-i-like-to-bring-up-a-question-maybe-i-m-related-to/) [Kim Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-novak/) > [I love Hitchcock's films because even though you knew who did it right at the beginning, he still kept the audience engaged till the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-love-hitchcock-s-films-because-even-though-you-knew-who-did-it/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [Hitchcock denigrated American films, saying they were all 'pictures of people talking' - as, indeed, most of them are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/hitchcock-denigrated-american-films-saying-they-were-all-pictures-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [I think all of the directors I've worked with are mostly curious about the time I had on 'Eyes Wide Shut.' They really just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinessa-shaw/i-think-all-of-the-directors-i-ve-worked-with-are-mostly-curious/) [Vinessa Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinessa-shaw/) > [When accepting the American Film Institute Life Achievement award: I beg permission to mention by name only four people who have given me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hitchcock/when-accepting-the-american-film-institute-life-achievement-award-i/) [Alfred Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hitchcock/) > [Stanley Kubrick, I had been told, hates interviews. It's hard to know what to expect of the man if you've only seen his films.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/stanley-kubrick-i-had-been-told-hates-interviews-it-s-hard-to-know/) [Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/) > [I like films that just put you in someone's world. It can be very subversive. Hitchcock would put you in the mind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-like-films-that-just-put-you-in-someone-s-world-it-can-be-very/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) [Browse all 243 Hitchcock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitchcock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Saboteur, The Big Clock . . . We lived in monochrome those nights. For me, it was a chance to revisit old friends; for Ed, it was an opportunity to make new ones. And we’d make lists. The Thin Man franchise, ranked from best (the original) to worst (Song of the Thin Man). Top movies from the bumper crop of 1944. Joseph Cotten’s finest moments. I can do lists on my own, of course. For instance: best Hitchcock films not made by Hitchcock. Here we go: Le Boucher, the early Claude Chabrol that Hitch, according to lore, wished he’d directed. Dark Passage, with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall—a San Francisco valentine, all velveteen with fog, and antecedent to any movie in which a character goes under the knife to disguise himself. Niagara, starring Marilyn Monroe; Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn; Sudden Fear!, starring Joan Crawford’s eyebrows. Wait Until Dark: Hepburn again, a blind woman stranded in her basement apartment. I’d go berserk in a basement apartment.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.J. 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