Detour (1945)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Edgar G. Ulmer

Writers:

Martin Goldsmith (screenplay)
Martin Goldsmith (original story)
(more)

Release Date:

30 November 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Pianist | Hitchhiking | Murder | Pick Up

Awards:

1 win

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don Brodie	...	Used Car Salesman (uncredited)
Roger Clark	...	Cop (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Tony, Used-Car Lot mechanic inspecting Car (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	California Border Patrolman (uncredited)

Directed by
Edgar G. Ulmer

Writing credits
Martin Goldsmith		(screenplay)
Martin Goldsmith		(original story)
Martin Mooney		uncredited

Produced by
Leon Fromkess	....	producer
Martin Mooney	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Leo Erdody		(as Erdody)

Cinematography by
Benjamin H. Kline		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George McGuire

Art Direction by
Edward C. Jewell

Set Decoration by
Glenn P. Thompson

Costume Design by
Mona Barry

Makeup Department
Bud Westmore	....	director of makeup

Production Management
Raoul Pagel	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William A. Calihan Jr.	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Max M. Hutchinson	....	sound engineer (as Max Hutchinson)

Music Department
Joseph McCarthy	....	composer: song "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (uncredited)

Other crew
Ben Coleman	....	dialogue director
Eddie Hall	....	stand-in: Tom Neal (uncredited)
Shirley Ulmer	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Producers Releasing Corporation (as PRC Pictures, Inc.)

Distributors

• Producers Releasing Corporation (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• Madison Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Timeless Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Questar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• St. Clair Vision (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport International Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• St. Clair Entertainment Group (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Admit One Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Englewood Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Manta Film Distribution and Video Production (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Payless Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• RBC Entertainment (????) (Australia) (DVD)
• Scorched Earth Productions (????) (USA) (VHS)
• St. Clair Entertainment Group (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Dimensions (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Western Electric  sound system

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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

Company:

Producers Releasing Corporation

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.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Al strangles Vera, a shot of Vera hanging off the bed clearly shows her long eye lashes fluttering.

Quotes:

Vera: Boy-o boy! Sure feels good to be clean again!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Harry Monument (2004)

Soundtrack:

I'M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS

No budget masterpiece

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.