Classic Film Guide

Out of the Past (1947)

One of those gems that you may have never heard about because it was ignored by the Academy. A terrific film noir starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, and Rhonda Fleming; director Jacques Tourneur's best film? Written by Geoffrey Homes aka Daniel Mainwaring, it was added to the National Film Registry in 1991.

Former private eye Jeff (Mitchum) has "retired", changed his name, and is now living the simple life in a remote town, working at a gas station with a deaf boy (Dickie Moore), and dating a nice local girl (Virginia Huston). However, his past catches up with him. In flashback it is learned that Whit Sterling (Douglas) had hired Jeff to find his girl (Greer), who had shot Whit and skipped town with $40,000 of his money. However, when Jeff found her in Mexico, she seduced him and the two of them tried to run away and forget about Sterling. But, when one of Sterling's men, Jack (Steve Brodie), caught up with them, she killed Jack and left Jeff "holding the bag". Years later, present time now, another of Sterling's men (Paul Valentine) has found Jeff "hiding" in his ideallic setting. Jeff decides to "come clean" to his girl before he has to meet Sterling again. When he does, he finds that "Greer" has returned to Sterling and that he wants to hire Jeff again! The "rest of the story" is when Ms. Fleming's character is introduced, and hopefully you've read enough already to want to see this film noir classic.

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