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IMDbPro

Out of the Past

  • 19471947
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
39K
YOUR RATING
Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer2:29
1 Video
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaFilm-Noir
A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and dup... Read allA private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
39K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jacques Tourneur
  • Writers
    • Daniel Mainwaring(screen play by)
    • James M. Cain(uncredited)
    • Frank Fenton(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Jane Greer
    • Kirk Douglas
  • Director
    • Jacques Tourneur
  • Writers
    • Daniel Mainwaring(screen play by)
    • James M. Cain(uncredited)
    • Frank Fenton(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Jane Greer
    • Kirk Douglas
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 277User reviews
    • 152Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:29
    Watch Trailer

    Photos112

    Robert Mitchum and Rhonda Fleming in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum, Steve Brodie, and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Kirk Douglas and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Kirk Douglas and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)
    Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in Out of the Past (1947)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Jeff
    Jane Greer
    Jane Greer
    • Kathie
    Kirk Douglas
    Kirk Douglas
    • Whit
    Rhonda Fleming
    Rhonda Fleming
    • Meta Carson
    Richard Webb
    Richard Webb
    • Jim
    Steve Brodie
    Steve Brodie
    • Fisher
    Virginia Huston
    Virginia Huston
    • Ann
    Paul Valentine
    Paul Valentine
    • Joe
    Dickie Moore
    Dickie Moore
    • The Kid
    Ken Niles
    • Eels
    Brooks Benedict
    Brooks Benedict
    • Kibitzer in Blue Sky Club
    • (uncredited)
    Oliver Blake
    Oliver Blake
    • Tillotson - Night Clerk
    • (uncredited)
    Eumenio Blanco
    Eumenio Blanco
    • Mexican Waiter
    • (uncredited)
    Wesley Bly
    • Harlem Club Headwaiter
    • (uncredited)
    Mildred Boyd
    • Woman at Harlem Club
    • (uncredited)
    Hubert Brill
    • Car Manipulator
    • (uncredited)
    James Bush
    James Bush
    • Doorman
    • (uncredited)
    Ted Collins
    • Man at Harlem Club
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Jacques Tourneur
    • Writers
      • Daniel Mainwaring(screen play by) (based on his novel "Build My Gallows High")
      • James M. Cain(uncredited)
      • Frank Fenton(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Robert Mitchum told Roger Ebert he smoked so much that when the camera was rolling and Kirk Douglas offered him a pack and asked, "Cigarette?" Mitchum, realizing he'd carried a cigarette into the scene, held up his fingers and replied, "Smoking." His improvisation saved the take and they kept it in the movie.
    • Goofs
      Leonard Eels' apartment at 114 Fulton Street would be part of the block then occupied by the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library (now the Asian Art Museum).
    • Quotes

      [Kathie is playing roulette]

      Jeff: That's not the way to win.

      Kathie: Is there a way to win?

      Jeff: There's a way to lose more slowly.

    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer colorized version.
    • Connections
      Edited into American Cinema: Film Noir (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      The First Time I Saw You
      (uncredited)

      Music by Nathaniel Shilkret

      From The Toast of New York (1937)

      Used as main theme in score

    User reviews277

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Scheming dame
    Jacques Tourneur will probably be remembered best for this film, even though he had an extensive career in Hollywood. Working with Daniel Mainwaring, the author of the novel in which this movie is based, he created one of the best pictures of this genre, one that will be a perennial favorite. Mr. Tourneur and his cinematographer, the brilliant Nicholas Musuraca, made a stunning looking film that looks as good today, as when it was originally released.

    If you haven't seen the film, please stop reading now.

    Jeff Bailey has reinvented himself as the owner of a gas station in California. His past comes to haunt him at the beginning of the movie. Jeff has found peace and love in the small town where he has taken refuge. He can change his identity, but he can't hide from the people that want to see him dead.

    We watch in the beginning how Jeff is sent away by Whit Sterling to look for the disappearing Kathie Moffat, who has stolen forty thousand dollars and gone hiding. Jeff finds her in Acapulco. Kathie gives a bad name to any other dames in the movies of this genre. She is totally ruthless; she will do anything to double cross Whit as well as have Jeff do whatever she wants.

    Comparisons have been made between "The Maltese Falcon" and "Out of the Past". Both have plots that are twisted; when we feel we know everything, there is a new twist to the story. We are constantly misled into thinking one way, when in reality, something else has happened.

    This is a film that combines all the elements of the classic film noir and juxtaposes it against the serene surroundings of where Jeff is now living. Black and white photography was used to great advantage in the movie. It has a style that makes it one of a kind. The music by Roy Webb plays neatly in the background without interrupting the action.

    The acting is first rate. Mr. Tourneur got a brilliant performance from Robert Mitchum. His Jeff, is the epitome of coolness. It's hard to understand the mentality of American cinema of the times not paying Mr. Mitchum his due. He was a much better actor than he was given credit for. His presence looms large in this movie and it's a tribute to him that he makes his character dominate the movie.

    Jane Greer was also excellent in her take of Kathie Moffat. She is pure evil, a sensuous woman who will do anything to get her own way. When we see her in Acapulco she is a seductress that no man can resist. She leads Jeff on by the sheer power of the desire he feels for her. Ms. Greer was not a beauty, by Hollywood standard, but yet, she makes an incredible contribution to the movie. Her textured performance is exquisite in its economy. We all see right through her, yet, she takes us for an incredible ride, up to the end of the picture.

    The others in the cast do an excellent job. A young and dashing Kirk Douglas is perfect as the dubious Whit. He shows such a magnetism, even then, at the start of his career in movies. Rhonda Fleming had a small role and she makes most of it. Also Virginia Huston, as Ann, makes a great contribution to the film.

    The film, ultimately, is a tribute to the talent of the director. This is Mr. Tourneur's best movie.
    helpful•115
    22
    • jotix100
    • Jan 20, 2005

    FAQ13

    • How did Jeff know Kathie is in San Francisco and her adress?
    • Is "Out of the Past" based on a book?
    • Who really wrote the screenplay?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1947 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • American Sign Language
    • Also known as
      • Build My Gallows High
    • Filming locations
      • Lake Tahoe, California, USA
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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