A well regarded “medium-grade thriller “ at the time of its release in 1947, Out of the Past has since gained a reputation as one of the great 1940’s film noirs. Starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas, in 1991, Out of the Past was selected for preservation to the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”
Writing under the pen name Geoffrey Homes, Daniel Mainwaring adapted his own 1946 novel, Build My Gallows High. While riding in a car, small town gas station operator Jeff Bailey (Mitchum) reveals to his girlfriend Ann Miller (Virginia Huston) that his real name is Jeff Markum, and he and his partner Jack Fisher (Steve Brodie) used to work as private detectives for corrupt gambler Whit Sterling (Douglas). Explaining his past, Jeff reveals that Whit sent him to Mexico to track down Whit’s mistress Kathie Moffat (Greer) because she shot him and purportedly stole $40,000.
When Jeff locates Kathie, she protests her innocence, and the two fall in love almost immediately, and decide to run off together. However, Whit isn’t one to let things go very easily, putting them both in danger. Their romance ends abruptly when Kathie kills Jack Fisher, who discovered them. Kathie flees, and Jeff learns that she did steal the money. in a series of double crosses, Jeff attempts to stay one step ahead of Kathie and Whit, who have now teamed up against him.
Much like Hitchcock (but not quite as well), director Jacques Tourneur finds terror in the everyday, with Lake Tahoe and Puerto Vallarta as a backdrop. Unlike the darkness and close quarters of many noirs, much of Out of the Past takes place in bright daylight, as in a fishing trip that ends in murder. Beautifully lensed by cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca (who shot many of Val Lewton’s horror films) the visuals are elegant and controlled yet reveal fear when appropriate.
Robert Mitchum moves away from his usual tough guy persona, in favor of a softer edge. Still, he brings gravitas to a role that could be to sentimental in the hands of a lesser actor. For me, his portrayal of Jeff Markum is among his best performances, along with Night of the Hunter, and the original Cape Fear. Watching Jane Greer here, her portrayal of Kathie Moffat is pitch perfect, mixing the right amount of steam heat and conniving, resulting in the perfect femme fatale. Each time I watch Out of the Past, I wonder how she didn’t become a bigger star. Kirk Douglas is excellent too, delivering the perfect mix of charisma and immorality he would revisit throughout his long career.
In one of the included extras, film historian Eddie Muller makes the claim that Out of the Past and Double Indemnity are the greatest films of the noir genre. I couldn’t agree more, they make for the perfect double bill.
Presented in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Warner Archive has delivered a wonderful Dolby Vision transfer. The image is sharp throughout, with no blurriness or edge enhancement in evidence. There’s a nice level of film grain, giving the proceedings a filmic appearance. Blacks appear inky and dense throughout. shadow delineation is nice, apart from a couple of day-for-night shots. HDR gives both whites and contrast a pleasing booth. The print is free of scratches or other flaws.
While nothing special, the DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack suits this film well. Dialogue is clean, clear, and concise. Music and atmospherics come across well, offering a nicely rendered experience.
English SDH subtitles are available.
The following extras are included:
- Introduction from Film Historian Eddie Mueller (5:24)
- Audio Commentary Featuring Film Critic James Ursini: Originally recorded for the DVD release.
- The disc includes four radio shows featuring Robert Mitchum or Kirk Douglas. They are as follows: “We Were Expecting You At Dakar” (Mitchum, Hallmark Playhouse, 2/27/1947, 30:07), “Death at Live Oak” (Mitchum, Suspense, 5/16/1947, 29:59), “The Story of Markham’s Death” (Douglas, Suspense, 10/2/1947, 29:54), and “Community Property” (Douglas, Suspense, 4/10/1947, 29:32).
- A Blu-ray copy of the film.
