Some novels in the history of literature surprise us with the interest they arouse, whether from the reader or from the recipient when they are quoted in cinematic or theatrical works. No one knows the secret of the great success that such works may have, even if they have not received significant critical attention. We can classify the novel “The Postman Knocks at the Door Twice” by the American writer James Keane among these works.
The novel was published by Alfred A. Knouf in 1934, and was classified as a crime novel based on a psychological plot, or within a type of novels known as dark novels (Roman Noir), which is characterized by a depressing atmosphere accompanied by a focus on the magical mixture between sex and violence that drives the dramatic plot and controls most of the details of the novel. Arabic translation of the novel by the Egyptian Cultural Palaces Authority, translated by translator Ahmed Omar Shaheen in 1997.
Literary critics refer to this type of novel by saying: The detective plot present in such works does not represent the main concern as much as the philosophical dimension of the works of dark novels, as the fictional work revolves around a type of hero who is victims, suspects, or perpetrators who seek, in a fatalistic manner, to destroy themselves. However, such a thesis often includes a criticism of society. Or the corrupt political system that pushes the problematic hero into this horrific future. Otto Benzler, the American editor of many distinguished novels, points out that the typical protagonist of the dark novel is forced to deal with a corrupt legal or political system, through which the protagonist is either a victim or… Or he has to conquer others, which leads to losing situations in the end. It is also worth noting that the traditional detective novel and the dark novel are completely opposite, with conflicting philosophical principles, as the hero of the traditional detective work may break or violate the law, but this usually happens within the framework of the pursuit of justice, and the ending is usually happy when justice triumphs. The hero of the melancholic novel is quite the opposite.
The plot of the novel “The Postman Knocks on the Door Twice” is based on the well-known traditional trilogy: the deceived husband, the unfaithful wife, and the lover who tries to take advantage of the young wife’s complaints about her boring life with her old drunk husband. The hero is an adventurous young man who lives his life on the margins of life and does not hesitate to commit anything to win the battle. The end, but fate is watching over him, as he may succeed once, but he will not succeed in his adventures every time. The novel achieved remarkable success when it was published, but on the other hand it faced accusations of promoting shameful behavior in the conservative American society of the 1930s as a result of it containing scenes of sex and violence. As a result, the novel was subject to confiscation and banning in some American states such as Boston, but after that it achieved widespread fame. It was selected on the Modern Library’s list of the 100 best novels.
The title of the novel also raised many question marks, as there is no reference or role to a postman in the story, so there are many speculations in this regard. For example, William Marling believes that James Keane may have taken the title from a case that became famous at the end of the twenties, which is the case of Mrs. Ruth Snyder, published in 1927, whose character is similar to Cora in the novel, as she conspired with her lover to kill her husband. During the investigation, Snyder stated that she prevented her husband from discovering the changes she had made to the life insurance policy by telling the mailman to deliver payment notices for the policy. Only her and him agreed to ring the doorbell twice as an agreed-upon signal between them, and this is what happened.
But James Kane, in a press statement, wrote: The title of the novel came from a discussion he had with screenwriter Vincent Lawrence. According to Ken, Lawrence spoke of the anxiety he felt when waiting for the postman to bring him news of a manuscript submitted for publication, noting that he would know when the postman finally arrived because he always rang twice.
The novel was adapted and transformed into several dramatic and cinematic works. It was turned into films nine times and in different countries. Some of the makers of these films indicated that they relied on the text of the novel, while others did not indicate that, but the consistency of the plot and atmosphere of the work makes us refer it to… Adaptation of Kane’s novel. It was also presented as a radio drama twice, and it was turned into a theatrical work twice. It was turned into an opera once.
The first cinematic adaptations of the novel were with the French film “The Last Turn of the Road,” produced in 1939, directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Fernand Gravy, Michel Simon, and Marcel Vallee. The second adaptation was in the Italian film “Obsession”, produced in 1943, directed by Luchino Visconti and starring Clara Calamai and Massimo Girotti.
Then the first adaptation of the novel was in Hollywood in 1946 in a film bearing the same name as the novel, “The Postman Knocks at the Door Twice,” a film directed by Ty Grant and starring Lana Turner and John Garfield. This film remained the most famous among the works adapted from the novel until the novel was adapted into… A later American film in 1981, Ty Grant’s film was more honest in its handling of the details of the novel’s events until the end of the work, while this did not happen in the second American version, as we will see.
The novel was also adapted into a French film entitled “Goosebumps”, which was produced in 1963 and directed by Julien Duvivier, but the film’s information indicates that it was adapted from the novel “It Goes as It Came” by James Hadley Chase, published in 1960, but we can point out that the drawing of the plot elements The title has been adapted almost identically from James Caine’s novel without acknowledgment. Egyptian cinema also adapted James Caine’s novel in 1980 and presented it in an Egyptian film entitled “Hell,” directed by Mohamed Rady, and starring Adel Imam and Madiha Kamel. Likewise, no reference was made to the film’s reliance on James Caine’s novel. Rather, the film’s trailer indicated that the story, scenario, and dialogue By Saif al-Din Shawkat.
Perhaps the most famous cinematic adaptation was represented by the American film bearing the same name as the novel, which was produced in 1981, directed by Bob Rafelson, and the screenplay and dialogue were written by David Mamet based on Kane’s novel, and it starred Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. The film was committed to the dramatic line of the novel, as well as the construction of the characters. Bob Rafelson tried to depart from the framework of the crime film or the police film, to arrive at a film based on the psychological construction of the characters through the use of close-up shots focused on reading facial expressions, and the focus was high on managing the actors to direct The best possible disorder is the characters who suffer from an existential conflict between the impulses of good and evil. But Bob Rafelson left the ending of his film open, contrary to what James Caine proposed in his novel, as the film did not end by putting the hero, Frank Chambers, on trial on charges of killing his wife, Cora, out of greed for her inheritance, and accusing him of orchestrating the car accident that led to her death.
The Postman Always Knocks Twice (1981 film)
Film produced in 1981
The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1981 American neo-noir dark cinema thriller film directed by Bob Rafelson and written by David Mamet (in his debut as a screenwriter). Starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange, it is the fourth adaptation of James M. Caine’s 1934 novel of the same title. The film was filmed in Santa Barbara, California.
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