ring. The tactic inevitably failed, Lawrence continued, because if the postman's first ring was not noticed, his second one, even from the backyard, would be. As a result of the conversation, Cain decided upon that phrase as a title for his novel. Upon discussing it further, the two men agreed such a phrase was metaphorically suited to Frank's situation at the end of the novel. With the "postman" being God or fate, the "delivery" meant for Frank was his own death as just retribution for murdering Nick. Frank had missed the first "ring" when he initially got away with that killing. However, the postman rang again and this time the ring was heard; Frank is wrongly convicted of having murdered Cora and then sentenced to die. The theme of an inescapable fate is further underscored by the Greek's escape from death in the lovers' first murder attempt, only to be done in by their second one. Adaptations The Postman Always Rings Twice has been adapted many times, as a film (seven times), as an opera, as a radio drama, and as a play (twice). Le Dernier Tournant (The Last Turn In The Road), a 1939 French film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Michel Simon as Nick Ossessione (Obsession), a 1943 Italian film directed by Luchino Visconti and starring Clara Calamai and Massimo Girotti The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), an American film starring Lana Turner and John Garfield, probably the best known of the film adaptations Porto das Caixas (Port of Boxes), a 1962 Brazilian film directed by Paulo César Saraceni starring Irma Alvarez. Free, unaccredited version. Chair de Poule (Goosebumps), a 1963 French film directed by Julien Duvivier, based on the 1960 novel Come Easy—Go Easy by James Hadley Chase, the key plot elements of which were drawn without acknowledgement from The Postman Always Rings Twice The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), an American film from a screenplay by David Mamet, directed by Bob Rafelson, and featuring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange The Postman Always Rings Twice, a 1982 opera with a libretto adapted from the novel by Colin Graham and music by Stephen Paulus The Postman Always Rings Twice, adapted as a BBC radio drama in 1993 by Shaun McKenna and in 2013 by Charlotte Greig The Postman Always Rings Twice, a play adapted by Andrew Rattenbury, directed by Lucy Bailey and starring Val Kilmer Szenvedély ("Passion"),