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Out of the Past (1947)
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Writer: Daniel Mainwaring (screen play)
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas,Rhonda Fleming Genre/Style: Film Noir
Premise (spoiler free): Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) has a mysterious past that he would like to keep secret from his girlfriend and from the folks of the small town where he runs his gas station. Then 'out of the past' comes a former associate of Mitchums.
Review: Out of the Past is the quintessential film noir. It oozes noir style with it's voice over first person narrative and it's catchy fast paced lingo. Robert Mitchum is cool as ice and so is the femme fatale on the lam (Jane Greer). Jane has a face of an angel but behind those doe eyes lurks a steely mind.
Kirk Douglas is on the money, as a man wronged and looking for revenge. His part is a small one but his time on screen is memorable. Out of the Past is full of twist and turns, frame ups and shakedowns. The fun of the movie is trying to following along as Mitchum, Greer and Kirk Douglas through curve balls at each other trying to gain the upper hand.
The film is intelligently written by Daniel Mainwaring and is based on his novel Build My Gallows High. The story is convoluted with more twist than a one lane country road. Be sharp, if you blink you might miss something.
Out of the Past (1947)
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Writer: Daniel Mainwaring (screen play)
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas,Rhonda Fleming Genre/Style: Film Noir
Premise (spoiler free): Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) has a mysterious past that he would like to keep secret from his girlfriend and from the folks of the small town where he runs his gas station. Then 'out of the past' comes a former associate of Mitchums.
Review: Out of the Past is the quintessential film noir. It oozes noir style with it's voice over first person narrative and it's catchy fast paced lingo. Robert Mitchum is cool as ice and so is the femme fatale on the lam (Jane Greer). Jane has a face of an angel but behind those doe eyes lurks a steely mind.
Kirk Douglas is on the money, as a man wronged and looking for revenge. His part is a small one but his time on screen is memorable. Out of the Past is full of twist and turns, frame ups and shakedowns. The fun of the movie is trying to following along as Mitchum, Greer and Kirk Douglas through curve balls at each other trying to gain the upper hand.
The film is intelligently written by Daniel Mainwaring and is based on his novel Build My Gallows High. The story is convoluted with more twist than a one lane country road. Be sharp, if you blink you might miss something.