MovieChat Forums > Double Indemnity (1944) Discussion > Keys is "all washed up" as well

Keys is "all washed up" as well

posted 9 years ago by wrfarley
2 replies | jump to latest

Once Mr. Norton gets to work and learns of this corporate and public relations catastrophe, I doubt he will allow his adjuster, Mr. Barton Keys, to continue working at the company. Don't forget, Mr. Norton actually suspected Walter Neff had something to do with the Diekrenson case. It was Keys who put that hunch to rest by checking Neff's alibi the night of the murder and personally vouching for Neff.

No, I can't see Norton allowing Keys to continue in his capacity as insurance claims adjuster. Not to mention how the man, himself, must have lost all of his confidence. Maybe Keys just handed in his papers and went looking for Margie.

[–] CrashRiley 9 years ago

Why would Keyes be washed-up? Their insurance company hadn't paid out a dime on the policy claim yet, and Keyes was refusing to do so, in an attempt to force Dietrichson to sue them and get the facts into open court, where Keyes felt his company would win.

Keyes had Neff investigated and was fooled, and the revelation about Nino threw him even further off of Neff, because Nino seemingly had motive, whereas Neff didn't appear to have any motive at all.

Keyes did his job, the company didn't pay out any money, so I don't think he'd be washed-up.

[–] yunie1281 9 years ago

Besides, it makes perfect sense that he'd be blinded by loyalty to a friend of eleven years. It's not like his instincts failed him when he just met him or anything. And Keyes is really good at his job. The boss hadn't wanted to pay and had a half-baked suicide story while Keyes actually found out what happened and found a witness to save them having to pay out anything. Keyes is just too good at his job and his non-public faith in his friend is such a minor and understandable lapse that he's not going anywhere unless he wants to.