IMDb > Detour (1945)
Detour
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Detour (1945) -- Chance events trap hitch-hiker Al Roberts in a tightening net of film noir trouble.
Detour (1945) -- Chance events trap hitch-hiker Al Roberts in a tightening net of film noir trouble.

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   3,628 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Edgar G. Ulmer
Writers:
Martin Goldsmith (screenplay)
Martin Goldsmith (original story)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Detour on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 November 1945 (USA) more
Tagline:
He went searching for love... but Fate forced a DETOUR to Revelry... Violence... Mystery!
Plot:
Chance events trap hitch-hiker Al Roberts in a tightening net of film noir trouble. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Vacillating Voiceovers: A History of Unreliable Narrators
 (From IFC. 16 July 2009, 8:39 AM, PDT)

More Noir! "I Wake Up Dreaming" Stays Extra 6 Days!
 (From JustPressPlay. 27 May 2009, 4:06 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
No budget masterpiece more (96 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Tom Neal ... Al Roberts
Ann Savage ... Vera
Claudia Drake ... Sue Harvey
Edmund MacDonald ... Charles Haskell Jr
Tim Ryan ... Nevada Diner Proprietor
Esther Howard ... Holly, Diner Waitress
Pat Gleason ... Joe, Trucker at Diner
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Additional Details

Runtime:
67 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:M (DVD rating) | UK:A (1946) | UK:U (1992) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #11048) | Australia:G

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The budget PRC gave director Edgar G. Ulmer for this film was so small that the 1941 Lincoln Continental V-12 convertible driven by Charles Haskell was actually Ulmer's personal car. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Al is playing the piano he is clearly not pressing any of the keys, just moving his fingers across the tops of them. more
Quotes:
Al Roberts: That's life. Whichever way you turn, Fate sticks out a foot to trip you. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003) more
Soundtrack:
I'M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
35 out of 42 people found the following comment useful.
No budget masterpiece, 18 July 2004
10/10
Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States

Al Roberts (Tom Neal) is a depressed NYC piano player whose girlfriend leaves him to try her luck in CA. He follows her by hitchhiking his way. He's picked up by a man who (inexplicably) dies while Al is driving. Naturally Al does everything wrong...like dumping the body and then picking up Vera (Ann Savage) a totally amoral woman. Then things barrel horribly out of control.

You can quibble about plot points (a certain death is highly implausible) but this IS a masterpiece of the genre. It's one of the grimmest film noirs of its time. It was made by a poverty row studio (PRC) on no budget. Actually the lack of budget helps the story--everything appears dark and grim fitting the tone of the story. Also they had an excellent director (Edgar G. Ulmer) and a great script by Martin Goldsmith. Also Neal was very good as Roberts and Savage is exceptional as Vera (there's a scene where she explodes at Roberts in a car which is truly scary). It's also all wrapped up in a tight economical 69 minutes. This has deservedly been a cult movie for many years.

Good luck finding a clear print with good sound.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Detour (1945)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
My theory on Detour Paolo-15
What was Haskell eating out of the glove compartment? Ham_and_Egger
Incredibly funny pyjamas on Tom Neal rowmorg
dvd quality aweber-3
'Gimme change for a dime!' mozartmessiah
STEERING WHEEL ON CARS jrogers33
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