“Out of The Past” is my favorite Film Noir. The story is incredible, and not predictable. The cast is among the best ever put together. Jane Greer is absolutely perfect. It is not surprising why this movie was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
Mitchum's look of recognition after Kathy shoots Fisher is the movie's key moment. He sees her for what she is and so do we. Besides murderer, Kathy is a siren out of The Odyssey, just as disturbing and dangerous, but also knowing and unsmiling and that great French word "impassive" which in English means "impassable" or "impenetrable" (rather than inexpressive or inscrutable). She is impassable to men and their doom is never far off because her whole act is an improvisation, as you deduced. They can't head her off at the . . . Well, you get the idea. Thanks also for noticing Theresa Harris, always so good in the few minutes she was allowed. -- Been waiting for this, one of your best.
Maybe my favorite noir of them all. Everything about it works. A great screenplay. Incredible performances in roles big and small. Beautiful direction from Tourneur and photography from Musuraca. There are no perfect films. But this may come as close to one as there is.
(Thick French accent) “ First half good girl. Second half bad girl.” Kathy plays the men like a jazz musician improvising and manipulating the situation as it arises, making up the notes as she feels them to create the composition she desires.
You cut off one of my favorite lines in the film. When Jeff's girlfriend says to him she (Kathie) can't be all bad nobody is. He responds she comes the closest.
Aka "Build My Gallows High", this is my favourite noir movie. Jane Greer and Robert Mitchum, unbeatable. I saw it in TV as a kid and it was the first time I realised I was interested in women - albeit the kind who will put four bullets in you. There's a part where Greer is earnestly protesting that she didn't kill anyone and Mitchum interrupts her with "Baby, I don't care", which says everything about noir and became the title of a great Mitchum biography. When Tourneur was cutting the movie he went through the whole thing to make sure that the audience never sees the same camera angle twice, which ensures that there is persistent feeling of movement and also uncertainty.
That last line was exactly what some woman told me a long time ago. I got a little too close to her flame and she set me straight. In other words, I had this fantasy about our relationship, and she certainly didn't. Kicked me to the curb. It's always that type of dame that starts the downward spiral. That's why I became a private eye...but that's a story for another time.
How nice to hear you praise Theresa Harris. It's always great to see her. She rates a whole video. I was quite shocked to be watching (I believe) Blossoms in the Dust, in gorgeous technicolor and see Theresa's lovely face painted darker than her natural skin tone. I hate to think of what other indignities she may have suffered. Another great profile candidate might be Bess Flowers. BTW, I love Jane Greer and think Out of the Past is her best picture.
Teresa Harris made the most out of every role she was given. Her career spanned from the 1930s into the mid-fifties, and most of her roles were "uncredited." However, when she was given a good role like Chico in Baby Face or Zette in Jezebel, she let us know how much potential was there if it were only given a chance.
I remember watching this movie a couple times in my life, but my ex-finance' watched it once with me for the first time, her jaw dropped. Her experience made me feel as if I was watching it for the first time all over again. Many leading ladies being angels who support the leading guy when in trouble were many. Rarely do you get to see one who is as dangerous/ or more than a man. To me she was explosively charming like dark clouds rolling in before a storm as lighting randomly strikes in flash speed. Then she smoothly calms down like a black widow spider, so you don't see her coming.
I remember the first time I saw Out of the Past, I had a similar reaction. I couldn't believe she was so awful! Kathie's treachery and lack of remorse is in a league of its own.
Why is Both the name, And the visual... Both incredibly Apt. a Woman... like a Black Widow Spider... in her moves... in her intent. My Ex Going to bed with one Sharp Broad... waking up, with a nagging pain like tiny Fang marks...miles below the surface of my upper left center Chest. Deep in my heart... i woke to find, Most of my Love poured out like Blood... on that Pillow... where her Scent, & her impression... were All she left. i was asked one time... Do you even Miss your wife? -That pretty wife they saw with me with All the time... then suddenly after years- Nothing. Thinking they could put me on the spot & get some 'funny stab at vitriol' & expletives', A small room of guys hanging with the Owner... in the All window single room of the 50 year old Shell gas station. Grinning & Obviously the product of Plenty of Greasy Chatter, The Owner - who knew Everyone - all their lives had piped up... i looked directly at him & spoke as i got out my wallet For about Two years i did, but i don't have that pain any More.. The room of guys were silent while i paid for my gas.
Another nice one, and a shout out to Teressa Harris as well! She would be another great mini-doc subject. She had a fascinating life., not just in film. I watched this film countless times and have always thought of Kathy Moffit as a caged animal. Many of her shots have a close contained feel. Jeff was just a key or tool to unlock the cage. Love possibly . Lust definitely, on both their parts. Keep up the awesome work!
Fell in love with this picture first time I saw it over 40 years ago, and Greer is fabulous, one of a handful of great screen performances. So much to talk about, but when I first saw it, Greer in the final scene, especially in her wardrobe, reminded me so much of María Casares‘s character in Orpheus, the Princess, aka Orpheus’ death, the only problem is the Cocteau film was made three years after Out of the Past. In my mind, only Vertigo and Kane stand as more complete American films, but the only one that could have been made here.
I think there was a certain kind of love and of course he saw Kathie as the way he imagined (wished) her to be but he eventually realized that some types of love can poison you.
I would suggest that there is an important difference between love and infatuation, which is being explored here. I would further suggest that it is also investigating the possible consequences of becoming entangled with a functioning sociopath.
I was just minding my own business ... not paying attention to the TV ... dusting something, maybe, I dunno. And then I turned and looked at the screen. And I saw her. I knew she was bad, but ... somehow, I was hooked.
Marvelous video, Cin Cities, as always, thank you! Part of Kathy's appeal is that when she's not killing or double-crossing or stealing, she's so exuberant. Her smile is dazzling in its warmth. There's nothing careful about the way she loves Jeff, she's free and spontaneous in her response to him. She's not nearly this memorable or prominent in the novel. The author give only glimpses of her allure, we're supposed to take it as a given. The film is much better, showcasing her beauty and mystery (and lethality, but why dwell on the negative?).
Greer plays her good girl side so well that every time I watch Out of the Past, I want Kathie to stay like she is in Acapulco or get back to that and never head to the dark side again.
What are the chances, earlier today I watch a YT about Against all odds, the remake of Out of the Past. This was one of the first films I watched when I got interested in Film Noir. A surprise to find out Jane Greer was only 22 when she made this. I often wish I could wear a suit as well as the men in these films. Thanks for this homage & the download link. Roll on Autumn, dark nights with the curtains closed to rewatch some of these classics. Oh and because I'm curious: $40,000 in 1947 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $548,324.66 today
The actors in the film had their suits tailored to fit perfectly so they had help making them look that good. That 40,000 would've taken her far. She should've kept moving and not gone back to Whit.
This is a remarkably modern move considering it's 1947, depicting the intersection of so many people capable of casually destroying lives without a second thought. We don't want Jeff to get caught up in it, but he does, and it dooms him. Kathy is the binder in this murky world, assuring Jeffs downfall. Two characters, Ann and the kid who can't speak, let us know there are better folks out there. The scene where the kid hooks Joe's coat and pulls him over the cliff is the hurrah moment and it lets us hope.
Thank you for making this review of Out of the Past. It is a masterpiece. I like to wonder about alternative castings for pictures. I can't imagine who but Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer could have played the leads.
Your poser is a toughie because Greer's & Mitchum's portrayals are iconic. But how about Mary Astor aka the Wonderly Dame in The Maltese Falcon as Kathie? She played a character who also was an inveterate liar, thief and murderer.
Hmmmm. Good choice and better than any I could have suggested. But Astor always seemed slightly frigid (?) to me. I'm not sure if that's exactly the adj. I want to employ to describe her in Falcon (thus the question mark above)but I can't come up with a better one. Greer had that attractive danger oxymoron down without even seeming to try. And that went perfectly with Mitchum's casual but weary shrug of the shoulders.
@@Robin35758 Thinking about Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon ... There is a brief close-up of Brigid Wonderly during the late night rogues' gallery in Sam Spade's apartment that's worth considering. As Sam disarms Wilmer, the gunsel's pistol skitters across the floor, and Brigid moves from the couch to snatch it up. There's a wild look in her eyes at that moment -- not the down-cast looks and affected school-girl manner that Sam calls our earlier in the film, or her veil of tears climax when Sam confesses that he can't take the fall at the end -- a startling reminder that she is a stone-cold killer (requiescat in pace Floyd Thursby and Miles Archer). A very Kathie-like moment. What's different though is that this is practically the first time that Brigid has real power since she pulled two $100 bills from her purse at the beginning of the film -- and you can see it in her eyes. Yet, as quickly as Brigid grasps power, it's gone when Sam pivots and casually takes the gun from her with a knowing look. By contrast, Kathie has power intermittently and uses it. And for what it's worth, Jeff says he doesn't care when Kathie lies to him, while Sam's antidote to Brigid's half-truths is another pot of coffee -- "and we'll try again."
That woman was a rattlesnake curled up in a small hot box, and I love her. The direction of this picture was a breath of fresh air to the genre in my humble opinion. That opening shot where you're in the back of the car driving into Bridgeport to start the events feels compelling and inevitable from the get go. The defining moment for Kathy is that fist fight scene in the cabin. Robert Mitchum's was earlier when he throws caution to the wind with "Baby I don't care" as he gives in to kiss her. I love a gal who's evil in mink.
I love that opening scene. It's the got a pulsing forward momentum that's very menacing. The moment in the cabin Kathie tells Jeff to "why don't you smash his head in. . ." you know a flip has been switched.
"Baby I Don't Care" became the title of Mitchum's biography (Lee Server , 2001). I normally don't go for celeb bios, preferring to read those of historical figures, but this one held my interest because Mitchum was such a badass.
YUP!....I agree totally with your assessment of Mitchum's defining moment of "Baby, I don't care." Lol...BIG mistake. In fact, when he said it, I just shook my and thought, "Us men can be such suckers and fools for a pretty face". As the saying goes, re men, "When the wrong head does the thinking, WATCH OUT!"
Your narration was spot on, it gave me better insight overall, I appreciate this movie that much more. 5 stars to Kathie Moffat her performance was first rate.
I think I believe Kathy was genuinely in love with Jeff because the Mexico section of the movie is so compelling, maybe the most romantic passage in any movie, noir or otherwise, that I can remember. But I always lose my way in the second half. The various setups and double crosses get me so confused that I can never remember who's playing who (and I'm someone who can actually follow the plot of The Big Sleep 😎). As a result, I don't judge Kathy as harshly, since I'm never sure just what she's really doing, or why.
I feel the exact same way. There's a marvelous freedom in her scenes with Jeff in Acapulco, she's not a woman who cares if she gets caught in the rain, who minds her hair being dripping wet. Later, it's all twists and turns and doubling back, nothing like the girl who let a man towel her hair dry. That first impression never quite leaves me, making it hard to judge her too harshly.
I agree the second half is very, very convoluted. But, at the end of the day, it’s not about the actual details of the plot and double crosses. The important thing is the dynamics between the characters and how they act and react to everything that’s happening.
Hey, CC, thanks for your interesting video essay and its many good points. There is something about the style of this Jacques Tourneur film that's special. It's packed full with compelling characters, action, sharp (not fake) dialogue, plot twists and turns -- and the requisite noir tropes. Time just flies by when I watch it. Maybe a curious comparison, but I like it in the same way that I like Jean Renoir's I Married A Witch.(I know -- completely opposite genres!) But there's an economy about both films: no plot holes; no superfluous characters; everything in each movie is in the right place and serves a purpose. They just flow. This is aside from their very good performances from top to bottom, their sets and design, camera-work and editing, and music. They both have a masterly movie "judo" that can lay you out ... seemingly with the deft flick of a Gallic wrist. Cheers.
That’s a great comparison w/ I Married a witch. I never would’ve made that connection but I see it. I love how neat and tight I Married a Witch is. It’s fantastical but also grounded. Plus, Veronica Lake gives a first rate performance.
Rene Clair was the director of I Married...etc (Wrong Director, right nationality). @@CinemaCities1978 And "time flies by" is not a positive sensation for everyone. For me, I want time to slow down when I watch a film. Behind The End there is a skull grinning horribly.
@@CinemaCities1978 Yes - "neat and tight" - absolutely. True to noir form, both OOTP's Jeff and IMAW's Jonathan Wooley are fated to be bewitched (!) by their respective femme fatales. In contrast to Kathie's Good Girl/Bad Girl transition, Jennifer makes an opposite Bad Witch/Good Witch transition. And in addition to their excellent performances, both Jane Greer and Veronica Lake are certainly very easy on the eyes. Cheers.
I’ve seen Out Of The Past, which always fascinated me as both leading men tell legendary stories about acting opposite each other and competing to, “under act,” each other. Douglas was not used to the laconic underplaying that came naturally to Mitchum, but he said he learned so much from him and was grateful for the free acting lessons. Yet, Kathie Moffat really does command the screen throughout and always managed to . . . “distract,” me, regardless of what’s going on. Odd that Jane Greer is more forgotten now, even though I believe she was a pretty big star in her day? Loved your analysis of the unreliable narrator aspect of the tale. I think I was too young to appreciate the deeper themes, hiding in those noir shadows, when I saw it. I’m much older now, and will probably watch it again, with your thoughts in mind. I do love this channel. Thank you.
"She's a liar, she's a thief, and she's a murderer." Well... no one's perfect. We've all got our issues. Sure, she's rotten, but only on the inside. But seriously, just as we never really know Kathy or what drives her, do we ever really know anyone else?
@@stuartwray6175However, there is a road to self knowledge within us all. We may never be able to totally know _others,_ but their is a way to be honest and get in touch with ourselves and who we really are and finally come to terms with whether or not we are a decent, mostly moral person or something else far scarier. The road to self knowledge and awareness is actually the scariest road we can ever traverse, scarier even than that of death itself. And that's because once we reach death's door and it opens for us, oblivion will shut down all human sensation. Walking thru the door of self-awareness however, may reveal a mansion full or rooms one far scarier than the other --- and you may suddenly find yourself lost in a house of horrors. Very few people are brave enough (perhaps foolish enough?) to be that honest with themselves, to travel down that road and open that door.
The ultimate femme fatale. So underrated and unrecognized. Everyone knows Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity", but few know Jane Greer in "Out of the Past". I love Stanwyck, but Kathie "out-bads" her. Kathleen Turner in "Body Heat" comes the closest to being as bad as Kathie. She doesn't have as many opportunities to put her skills to work in the movie. The slap Kirk Douglas gives her is real and unexpected, and Greer just rolls with it, continuing to play the scene.
I saw and loved a ton of old noirs on tv growing up near Chicago but this one, arguably the best ever, was somehow NEVER on tv.Perhaps because it did not do well at the box office when it was first released? I don't think I saw it until the late 80s or early 90s when I found it on VCR. And then even later TCM began showing it once a year or so. I was so used to seeing Mitchum playing the villain (e.g. in Night Of The Hunter and Cape Fear) that I was taken aback by his role and performance in this. But he was, as usual, effortlessly perfect in it.
My favourite femme fatale is Linda Fiorentino in ‚the last seduction‘ who gets away with her scheming. If Kathie also does bad things as unscrupulous as men would go about, then I’m certainly giv that movie a try.
I first heard of it while watching a documentary about "Body Heat", and Lawrence Kasdan said he'd always liked the film noirs, like "Out of the Past". So I found a copy and I'm so glad I did. I wonder what the true story of Jane Greer disappearing from movies was. Lots of rumors, and Howard Hughes' name pops up often, but nothing certain that I've read.@@roberthill799
Every time I see this, I have amnesia about her motivation, because like Jeff, I WANT to believe she actually loves him. She lies from beginning to end, and if you wonder why any man believes her, they just have to look at her. I compare her to Stanwyck in Double Indemnity; she is lying to him UNTIL she shoots him! (If she were still lying, she'd have shot him again.) Excellent observations, as usual. Jane Greer has a tiny role in THE OUTFIT with Robert Duvall, and you can believe she's an ex-moll who's just trying to live out her later years in obscurity.
I just love how messy Kathie is. The good girl Kathie is set up so well in the beginning that her memory lingers even as bad girl Kathie is raising all sorts of hell. Jane Greer does a masterful job showing the two sides of the character.
One of the great ones perhaps the perfect film noir. Kathy Moffet one of the great femme fatales although i still love Gene Tierney s character in leave her to heaven
Joe Stefanos is a very well written and intelligent character as "2nd tier" hoods go. Generally that character would be all muscle and no brains. But he is much smarter than that.
Great video, Sydney! Such an iconic character and Jane Greer is simply fantastic. It's a character that reminds me a lot of Ilsa in Casablanca and the way Ingrid Bergman played it, as the script was being developed and not knowing exactly who she would end up with. All that uncertainty favored the mystery and ambiguity. It would have been great to see Jane Greer in more roles like this one. Also, not sure if love if what goes on between these two or rather attraction and fascination. Maybe in their own way it is. In any case, I love her work!
Loved this video! Insightful, with just the right amount of punch and snark. I never knew how good Jane Greer was until I saw OOTP. What a role! The viewer can see why both men want her despite ... everything. And that's what the best of noir gives actresses: rich, multidimensional roles with strength, depth, power, and conflicted motivations somewhere between need and selfishness. Mainstream films rarely painted their female leads with anything but a single color. In noir women were allowed to be bad. I've avoided the word "agency," but that's what Kathy Moffat has in spades. Thanks for this.
Did you know...that there was a sketch on SNL called "Out of Gas" in S13E4? Mitchum was the host for that episode, and Jane Greer came on to help do the parody of "Out of the Past"?
I watched it recently because I heard of it while I was researching this video. Even 40+ years later Mitchum and Greer still had that magical chemistry!
Jane Greer, at 22, was absolutely fantastic in this role. 'Out of the Past' is a classic - Robert Mitchum is always watchable - but, Ms. Greer takes the prize, and shines as 'Kathie Moffat'. Thanks for reminding those of us who haven't watched this wonderful movie in awhile, of how good a performance she gives. :)
"Out of The Past" is my favorite post-WWII film noir -- for all the right reasons. "The Maltese Falcon" has Brigid O'Shaughnessy. This film has Kathie Moffat.
"I never told you I was anything but what I am. You just wanted to imagine I was. That's why I left you. Now we're back to stay." Kathie Moffat to Jeff. Even though Jeff knows she will lead him to his own destruction, he still continues to pursue her. The good guys don't always make it. Classic Film Noir. Only Linda Florentino surpassed Jane Greer, in the brilliant "The Last Seduction" for sheer gleeful evil.
Very informative video. Film noirs aren't a strong category for me but this was one at least I'd knew. After watching this I looked up Out of The Past and didn't realize that one of my favorite Jeff Bridges movie's was a remake. Rachel Ward played the femme fatales but not as good as Jane Greer imo in Against All Odds. She was involved with Howard Hughes and he kinda ruined her career. She had a small role as Rachel Ward's mother in AAO. This had to be one of Kirk Douglas's first roles as well. Going back and watching all your film noir content to broaden my knowledge.
I would also call Out of the Past my all-time favorite noir. I think Tourneur really nails the atmosphere beautifully, and the entire cast is terrific, even down to the bit players. Classic Hollywood cinema!
I always saw Kathy as having an unstable childhood and teens during the Depression. She couldn't rely on her parents' unconditional love. The family had to make quick moves ahead of the landlord or the law.
Kathie strikes me as someone who has had to live by her wits, on both sides of the law, for a so long that she is always operating on the assumption that the rug is going to get pulled out from under her. She's all about self preservation, and only knows how to react in the moment, and she reacts fast.. . .too fast
Have to disagree with you on one point. We don't know what Kathie wants? Why it's simply "to be rich and live in an exotic land". (Hard not to see Mattie Walker as a direct descendant of Kathie Moffat and "Body Heat" as a kind of "corrected" version of "Out of the Past" where the femme fatale is clearly the main protagonist who outwits everyone right to the end.)
When I see Teresa Harris on the screen in these films, I often think, she should be playing Stanwyck’s part, she should be the femme fatale. She had the goods. Such a shame she didn’t get these roles.
Great video! I enjoyed revisiting Kathy Moffat with you, CC. She is definitely a prime candidate for ultimate femme fatale. I was shocked by the ending of Out of the Past, I didn't expect it!
She's so awful, I just love her. If she's not the worst, she comes pretty close. I actually wish she'd gotten away with all of it. But the rules of 1940s filmmaking dictate that a criminal, no matter how amazing, cannot get away with their crimes.
If the Oscar actually went to the most deserving film, actor, actress, etc. Out Of The Past,Jane Greer, Robert Mitchum, the director Jacques(not going to try to spell it), etc would've won. I would love a tie with Rita Hayworth for The Lady From Shanghai for Best Actress though. Kathie Moffat is the best/baddest of the femme fatales.
@xpindy Not selling him short. I believe 1947 was the year Kiss Of Death was released & I'll take Richard Widmark's performance in that over Douglas for Best Supporting Actor.
Jane Greer was so mis utilized in Hollywood. What a great performance and although she had a long career (nice she was in the remake, Against All Odds), her star didn't burn half as bright as her talents deserved. Your videos are always a welcome addition to my day.
My kind of lady. I actually married a Veronica Lake look a like in my 20’s, and she was a femme fatale if ever one existed. It was the high of my life and the crash of my life. She is on her third marriage, and me, still trying to mend the broken parts.
For me, it's a toss-up between Jane Greer's Kathie Moffat in "Out Of The Past" (1947), & Ann Savage's Vera in "Detour" (1945), for my fave film noir Femme Fatale!
Thank you so much for recommending this movie. Absolutely loved it, but I can’t help that every time I see Jane Greer, I’m looking at Jeanne Moreau. They look so similar in my opinion. Thanks again and look forward to your next posting. 🙏
“Baby I don’t care,” spoken by a young, handsome Mitchum has to be one of the sexiest lines ever in film. Kathy is devastatingly gorgeous. Eye candy for everyone!
Oooog🤩 (to quote my wonderful & silly late father). I recently viewed "Leave Her to Heaven" and so enjoyed hating* Gene Tierney's character Ellen Berent. I have now bookmarked "Out of the Past" for viewing and can hardly wait to hate* Jane Greer/Kathie Moffat!!!! [* I was going to use the words "despising/despise" but they sound like I should have my little finger genteelly crooked, and have decided I wanted to go with that visceral "hate" vibe.]
She does sultry eyes.. But, there is a evil behind that demur act. Just watched this movie. Have not seen it before. A very good film noir. Bob Mitchum is always good in these roles. Thanks for posting this video. I enjoy your channel very much.
And Out of the Past is one of the greatest ever film noirs. It is one of my 7 favorite noirs. Superb acting by the three leads and Nicholas Musuraca's cinematography is simply great. IMO Jacques Tourneur is second only to Sternberg in his use of light and shadow. He directed Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie and Night of the Demon too. Quite a talented director. I'm a filmmaker myself and of all the directors I feel closest in spirit to Sam Fuller and Tourneur.
WOW!!!! What a GREAT MOVIE!!! I hadn't seen it in over twenty years and forgot just how good it was. Your video served as a delicious appetizer in getting me to watch it again. I had forgotten so MUCH. The entire cast is great. It's probably the best performance Jane Greer gave in her career, not to mention the beautiful cinematography. It just frustrates the hell out of me that young people today, generally speaking, will not watch black and white films. I always tell them, "Give it a chance. You don't realize what you're missing." Once again, your sense of humor shines forth in the video. I love "LIES, LIES, LIES" flashing across the screen and the BEST is when, commenting on Jane Greer's wardrobe, you refer to her as "a holy sister in service of the dark arts." LOL. TOO funny but right on the mark. When that part came up in the film it made me chuckle. Once again, a GREAT recommendation and video.👍👍👍👍👍
I agree. Jane Greer really showed she had the goods with this film. It's a shame she was never able to capitalize on this role. But, the critics overall, were not really kind to Out of the Past when it was released. Also, because she wasn't willing to have a relationship with him, Howard Hughes personally stalled her career when he took over RKO
❤ Jane Greer her performance is Haunting as the epitome of the Ice Cold Femme fatal. After watching the movie I compared all actresses in the genre to her. As a teenager girl when I first watched on the late show this movie shocked my innocent self that women could be completely wicked and Narcissisticly deadly. Thanks for the review 👍
@@CinemaCities1978 Narcissists can Act empathetic but it's all a facade they cant feel. The character is believable to me because I have met people like that in real life.
Jane gave a great performance, and in a interview years later she credited the director for guiding her in the portrayal of Kathy. Brilliant collaboration and a Cinematic Masterpiece.
I love Ann’s character, but her intentionally one-dimensional nature just shows off how truly duplicitous Kathie was. And how Jeff was never going to have that happy life in the country for long. 😢
Great analysis of Kathy Moffat's complicated (albeit treacherous) character. Each time I've seen "Out of the Past," I'm always surprised by the twists and turns of her ruthlessness. I'd be reluctant to call any movie the "ultimate film noir," but with that cast and director, and with the darkness of the look, plot, and mood, "Out of the Past" comes pretty close. I also think that "Out of the Past" is the classic example of what Imogen Sara Smith wrote about in her book, "In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City": small town America might seem like an ideal place to escape the corruption of the big city, but the noir world has a tendency to find you anyway. Nice shout-out to Theresa Harris; she really was criminally under-rated. She always seemed to be able to bring a lot of personality to her characters, even given the limited dialogue or screen time she had.
@Ned_of_the_Hill I know what you mean because there are so many great noirs but I can't think of one that would sadden me more than this one if told I could never see it again. Its so strange how it nearly disappeared for about forty years. I never saw it on tv or advertised anywhere throughout the 60s and 70s. And I never saw it in any film rental catalogues despite having paged through descriptions of thousands of old movies when I was on my university's student film board. It's only when I read Mitchum's bio about twenty-five years ago that I first heard of it, followed shortly after by TCM's showing of it. Not sure that there is a better noir out there.
