The Murder of Albert Snyder

The Snyder-Gray case has inspired much in the way of art, both literary and theatrical. In 1928, Sophie Treadwell wrote Machinal, a play loosely based on the case. Its title comes from the French word for mechanical or automatic. It was listed in The Best Plays of 1928-29 and The New York Times predicted that in a hundred years, the play would still be vital and vivid. Their prophecy came true for Machinal has recently been revived.

Two of the greatest classics of film noir, Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice, were inspired by the murder of Albert Snyder. In both, the killers carry out the murder of the womans husband in a manner quite a bit smarter than Snyder and Gray did but they dont escape their comeuppance. In both the wifes lover is depicted as bachelor. Perhaps this was to simplify the narrative and focus attention on the triangle involving the murder victim. However, in every scene in Double Indemnity where Fred MacMurrays supposed bachelor appears, he is wearing a wedding ring. Of course, it was only a movie. Actor MacMurray simply did not feel comfortable taking his wedding ring off.

Double Indemnity was released in 1944. It was based on the novel by James M. Cain, scripted by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder, and directed by Billy Wilder. Barbara Stanwyck starred as Phyllis Dietrichson, Tom Powers played her husband and Fred MacMurray played her lover Walter Neff. Edward G. Robinson was Barton Keyes, Neffs superior in the insurance company in which both worked. The story is told in flashback as a sweating and wounded Neff tells Keyes and the audience that he murdered for money and a woman -- and did not get either. Stanwyck plays Phyllis Dietrichson as passionate and ruthless, greedy and pathetically trapped in a bad marriage. Her husband is shown as an insensitive lout. 

Walter Neff is meeting with the Dietrichsons to convince them of their need for insurance. Mr. Dietrichson remarks skeptically, The next thing youll tell me is that I need earthquake insurance, and lighting insurance, and hail insurance.

His wife supports his position by saying, If we bought all the insurance they could think of, wed stay broke paying for it, wouldnt we, honey?

He reacts to this by cutting her down in front of company. What keeps us broke, he snaps, is you going out and buying five hats at a crack.

When Neff talks about his feelings immediately after the murder, he says, I couldnt hear my footsteps. It was the walk of a dead man. This is almost a direct quote from Judd Gray who, when he confessed, told police that, after killing Albert Snyder, When I walked I listened for my step -- no sound seemed to follow.

Lana Turner and John Garfield
in the Postman Always Rings
Twice (CORBIS)

The Postman Always Rings Twice came out just two years later, in 1946, and was directed by Tay Garnett. It was also based on a novel by James M. Cain. Cecil Kellaway plays Nick Smith, proprietor of a roadside diner while Lana Turner gives a sultry performance as his much younger, dissatisfied wife Cora. There is a sign in front of the diner -- Man Wanted -- that appears to speak for Cora and indeed draws Frank Chambers (John Garfield) to work there and fall passionately in love with Cora. Kellaways Nick has an element of sadism in his make-up. Her husband tells Cora, who is imbued with a strong American entrepreneurial spirit, that they must sell the restaurant because his ill sister needs care. Cora is terribly disappointed but her feelings are of no concern to her husband who, secure in his position as head of the family seems to get a kick out of her distress.

Both films have been remade. Double Indemnity was changed to Body Heat in the 1981 movie starring Kathleen Turner and William Hurt. A second The Postman Always Rings Twice was released that same year starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. Neither movie packed the power of the original.

Why does the sad story of Judd Gray and Ruth and Albert Snyder evoke such interest? People in general may identify with -- more than they would like to believe -- the victim and the killers. Some men may recognize themselves in the offhand, belittling cruelty of Albert Snyder. Other men may recall regret for mistreating a woman they loved. Some women know what its like to be married to uncommunicative men and identify with Ruth Snyder on that level. Some of them react to her with fierce condemnation but that too may be the result of uneasily seeing some small part of their own lives in hers. Perhaps the case holds interest because of the way in which so many perennial human faults, including insensitivity, greed, lust, heartlessness, and finally plain stupidity came together to create tragedy.