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The Postman Rings Yet Again

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Adaptation and Visual Culture ((PSADVC))

Abstract

Few authors have had such a strong and enduring influence on film noir as James M. Cain. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1936) is probably one of the most frequently adapted novels, with French, Italian, and American versions as the most prominent. Lesser known is the Norwegian reworking of Cain, with the film Døden er et kjærtegn/Death is a Caress, made by Edith Carlmar (director) and Otto Carlmar (producer) in 1949. This article will demonstrate the close resemblance between Death is a Caress and Tay Garnet’s adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). In doing so, the article will provide an understanding of how a genre like film noir might travel from one continent to another, and the remolding that takes place in that process.

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Correspondence to Audun Engelstad .

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Engelstad, A. (2020). The Postman Rings Yet Again. In: Badley, L., Nestingen, A., Seppälä, J. (eds) Nordic Noir, Adaptation, Appropriation. Palgrave Studies in Adaptation and Visual Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38658-0_8

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