Thoughts on Out of the Past
Sep 18th, 2008 | By Rick | Category: Classic Cinema, Reviews
What is it about gas stations in 1940s films noir? In Robert Siodmak’s The Killers, the Swede (Burt Lancaster) is working at a gas station in a bucolic little town when his past catches up with him, and in Jacques Tourneur’s Out of the Past its the same thing. Former P.I. Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) is at his gas station in a bucolic little town when his past catches up with him. Is it that jaded, cynical, big-city authors can’t think of anything more demeaning, more small-time than pumping gas?
Whatever it is, I’ve seen two whole Mitchum films in the past week. While that might not seem like a lot, it’s two more than I’ve seen for probably 30 years or so. It was my newly awakened interest in films noir — thanks, Evan! — that caused me to see the both of them, even though Night of the Hunter is anything but a noir.
Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum
But I digress . . . Out of the Past most certainly is a noir. And it’s a fine one. Mitchum is at his sleepy, heavy-lidded best; he’s been called the perect noir hero, and he comes close, but I still have to go with Bogie. Still, Mitchum’s nonchalant exterior hides a violent subtext just below the surface that serves the picture well.
Jane Greer
Though Mitchum is fine, I like the wire-taut performance of Kirk Douglas as shady gambler Whit Sterling the best. He’s like a coiled spring, all practiced, grinning bon homie that barely hides the menace beneath. Top that off with Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), one of the best femme fatales of all time, and you’re in business.
Not that I could follow the plot all the way, mind you. In the last act, it becomes increasingly spatially disorienting, we’re never quite sure exactly where we are in San Francisco Bailie has gone to — supposedly — do one last job for Sterling. It is actually a set-up, of course, but its staging is such that we never know quite what is happening, mirroring Bailey’s own confusion.
My favorite scene is right at the beginning of the third act. We’ve just seen — in flashback — all that’s happened, how Moffat has murdered Bailey’s ex-partner and lied about taking Sterling’s money, and Bailey has driven to Sterling’s Lake Tahoe house. He’s standing at Sterling’s dining-room table when we see, over his shoulder, Moffat emerge out of the shadows behind him. It is a telling image of the past catching up with him; at the same time, it’s dreamlike in its effect. Powerful, powerful stuff.
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Thanks for the shout-out, Rick.
Greer is simply amazing here. My wife kept wanting to leap into the television and rip her face off as the movie progressed. She reminded me of Mary Astor’s character in The Maltese Falcon - lying, lying, lying, every step of the way - except with much more bite. Whereas Astor’s character is ultimately defanged by the immovable Sam Spade, Greer is all fangs and claws and knives in the back. She is one twisted creation.
She is amazingly vicious, and amazingly gorgeous as well. You can sure see why any man would be tempted, especially one with the tragic noir flaw.
There’s an interesting thing to her character — or it may be the actress herself — that I didn’t work into the piece: she has a place where she goes where she seems alien, like a blank-faced doll, that is truly unsettling. It’s like she’s suddenly studying Mitchum like a specimen, like a bug in a jar, then suddenly she’s all loving again. Truly remarkable.
You’re 100% right about Douglas’ performance.
The last twenty minutes of OotP (wow, that’s a terrible abbreviation) rock my world.
“Out of the Past most certainly is a noir.(Thank-you!) And it’s a fine one. Mitchum is at his sleepy, heavy-lidded best; he’s been called the perfect noir hero, and he comes close, but I still have to go with Bogie. Still, Mitchum’s nonchalant exterior hides a violent subtext just below the surface that serves the picture well (I agree with you 100%here so sorry! Bogie)….”
Ah! Bogie, (Btw, one of my favorite actor in the world of noir!)
A bit of trivia about the film “Out of the Past” and actor Humphrey Bogart for you Rick…
Did you know?…The Producer of the film “Out of the Past”
Warren Duff and the writer Daniel Mainwaring (aka Geoffrey Holmes) hoped to entice actor Humphrey Bogart then one of Warner Bros.’ biggest contract stars, to come to RKO and make “Build My Gallows High” Mainwaring, who had partly modelled his novel on “The Maltese Falcon” (Wow!) and always envisaged Bogart playing the lead role, made the approach personally. “When I finished the script I took it down to Newport where Bogart was living. He was going to do it, but Warners wouldn’t let him so then we took Mitchum.” (Hey! what was Mitchum “chomped liver?”)
Rick, I know that you are just “dying” to ask me…
now how do dcd, know this? (Well…I just checked out author Eddie Robson, book “Film Noir” and turned to page 102)
I really “hate” to admit this, but I am so glad that Bogie, turned this role down and that “Big” Bob Mitchum stepped into the role. Because I think this was the role that Mitch, was “born” to play and believe me, I also feel the same way about Bogart, when it comes to his portrayal of Sam Spade, in Huston’s 1941 “classic” film…The Maltese Falcon.
Btw, Great! review Rick, you seem to have covered all the details that let the reader(s) know why Director Jacques Tourneur’s 1947 film “Out of the Past” “qualify” (or at least, fit into the genre/style called noir) as a film noir.
tks,
dcd
Scott — Douglas is the guy in the background, the driving force of the film, even if he’s not onscreen that much. Everybody’s reacting to him. When he is onscreen, he steps up and fulfills our expectations. Remarkable
dcd –
I didn’t know that about Bogie, and the fact he was offered the film. I can’t think of anyone playing Jim Bailey other than Mitchum, though.
“I really “hate” to admit this, but I am so glad that Bogie, turned this role down and that “Big” Bob Mitchum stepped into the role.”
Correction Alert!…actor Humphrey Bogart, didn’t “turn down” the role of Jim Bailey in the 1947 film “Out of the Past” (the power-that-be) did!…The Warner Bros.
I am so sorry!…
“I can’t think of anyone playing Jim Bailey other than Mitchum, though.”
Rick, I agree with you… “Because I think this was the role that Robert Mitchum, was “born” to play.
dcd
dcd, no problem. In the studio system, Warners’ turning the role down was the same thing as Bogie doing it.
Mitchum is great in the role.
That third act scene you point out is indeed one of the film’s best, Rick; Greer is surely one of noir’s most definitive “femme fatales” and Mitchum is extraordinary. It all adds up to one of the quintessential noirs. Your essay is terrific. Alexander Coleman gave quite a treatment at MZ, one of the series very best contributions.
Thanks Sam … I read Alexander’s, and thought it was great. I just wanted to get down a few thoughts down. It would be hard to top his.