One of the favorite debates among some film scholars is what exactly defines 'film noir'. Does "Casablanca" qualify? How about "The Third Man"? With "Out of the Past", there is no doubt. It has 'film noir' written all over it.
It was filmed in black & white during the 1940s, like such 'film noir' classics such as "Double Indemnity" and "The Maltese Falcon". Like "The Big Sleep", murders pile upon murders, and the plot becomes increasingly convoluted. The lead character is a private eye. There's not one, but two femme fatales.
"Out of the Past" has two future Hollywood legends, Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas. Mitchum had received the only Academy Award nomination he would ever have the year before (for Best Supporting Actor in "The Story of G.I. Joe") but only won the part after more celebrated actors had turned it down. It was the third film for Douglas, but the first of the many 'tough guy' characters that he would play during his long career.
"Out of the Past" was mostly ignored upon release. It has since risen in critical esteem. This is partly due to the presence of Mitchum, Douglas, and gorgeous Jane Greer. It is partly due to the reputation of director Jacques Tourneur, whose earlier films "Cat People" and "I Walked with a Zombie" deservedly became cult classics.
But the real reason why "Out of the Past" has become so admired is its genre. Those who love 'film noir' will love "Out of the Past", because of its adherence to that style. The script was written by Daniel Mainwaring, who adapted the screenplay from his novel "Build My Gallows High". The similarity to the style of detective novelist Dashiell Hammett ("Maltese Falcon", "Thin Man") was deliberate.
Mitchum is a private eye hired by Douglas to retrieve runaway girlfriend Greer. He tails her to Mexico, finds her, falls for her, and they hide out in San Francisco. Douglas then hires Mitchum's ex-partner (Steve Brodie) to find them both. When that fails, he sends his enforcer (Paul Valentine) to do the job. By the time Douglas and Mitchum reunite, Greer's double-crossing nature has been established. Mitchum must prove his loyalty to Douglas by committing a burglary against a tax attorney (Ken Niles) who has been set up by his own secretary (Rhonda Fleming). But Mitchum suspects a frame-up, and his worst instincts are soon confirmed.
The trouble with "Out of the Past" is that the characters and their actions, while admittedly entertaining, aren't fully convincing. Douglas wants Greer back, although she shot at him four times, but doesn't want the $40,000 that she stole. Greer blissfully stays with Mitchum for some time, but abandons him suddenly. Only then does he find her bank book, and she has yet to spend any of the money. One can go on and on, but it would further spoil the plot to do so. I can mention that a hood armed with a handgun is literally taken down by a man with a fishing rod and reel. The catch of the day!
"Out of the Past" was remade in 1984 as "Against All Odds". (53/100)
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