Editing Double Indemnity (section)

==Release==
''Double Indemnity''{{'}}s first theatrical engagement was at the Keith's in Baltimore on July 3, 1944;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ia601307.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/1/items/variety155-1944-07/variety155-1944-07_jp2.zip&file=variety155-1944-07_jp2/variety155-1944-07_0016.jp2&scale=4&rotate=0|title=''Variety'', July 5, 1944|website=archive.org}}</ref> the film opened nationwide three days later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ia601004.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/14/items/motionpicturedai56unse/motionpicturedai56unse_jp2.zip&file=motionpicturedai56unse_jp2/motionpicturedai56unse_0020.jp2&scale=4&rotate=0|title=''Motion Picture Daily'' July 5, 1944|website=archive.org}}</ref> It was an immediate hit with audiences despite a campaign against the film by singer [[Kate Smith]].<ref name="sikmain"/>{{rp|213}} James M. Cain recalled that "there was a little trouble caused by this fat girl, Kate Smith, who carried on a propaganda asking people to stay away from the picture. Her advertisement probably put a million dollars on its gross."<ref name="mcgmain"/>

When ''Double Indemnity'' was released, [[David O. Selznick]] was promoting ''[[Since You Went Away]]'' with [[trade magazine]] ads that claimed its title had become "the four most important words uttered in motion picture history since ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]''." Wilder riposted with an ad of his own claiming that "Double Indemnity" were the two most important words uttered in motion picture history since ''[[Broken Blossoms]]''. Selznick was not amused, and threatened to stop advertising in any of the trades if they continued to run Wilder's ads.<ref name="sikmain"/>{{rp|212–3}}