Plot: What’s it about?
Warner Bros. has built a pretty impressive reputation with its Archive Collection, bringing a wide range of classic and overlooked films to Blu-ray with generally excellent HD transfers. I’ve picked up quite a few of these releases over the past couple of years, and one title that somehow slipped completely under my radar was Out of the Past. I’m a big fan of film noir, so I’m still not sure how I managed to miss one of the genre’s most celebrated films. One night, after getting the kids to bed with enough time left to pour myself a small glass of whiskey, I finally sat down and gave it a chance. The film opens in a quiet California town, where Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) runs a modest garage and appears to have left his past behind. That illusion doesn’t last long. A gangster named Joe arrives looking for him and delivers a message from Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), an old associate who wants Jeff back in San Francisco to settle unfinished business. Realizing that the truth is finally catching up with him, Jeff tells his girlfriend Ann (Virginia Huston) who he really is. His name isn’t Jeff Bailey at all—it’s Jeff Markham, a former private investigator hired by Whit to track down Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), the woman who disappeared with $40,000 and left Whit with several bullets to spare. From there, the movie launches into an extended flashback that reveals how Jeff became entangled with Kathie and why he ultimately tried to disappear.
For anyone who loves film noir, Out of the Past is almost a checklist of everything that makes the genre so irresistible: cigarette smoke hanging in the air, sharp dialogue, morally compromised characters, betrayal, murder, double-crosses, frame-ups, and a femme fatale who can turn a man’s entire life upside down. Screenwriter Daniel Mainwaring, working under the name Geoffrey Homes, keeps the story lean and unpredictable, while director Jacques Tourneur gives the familiar noir formula an unusually fluid and modern feel. The story moves from small-town California to San Francisco, Mexico, and beyond, constantly shifting alliances and keeping you guessing about where it’s headed. Nicholas Musuraca’s cinematography is a huge part of the film’s appeal, filling the screen with striking shadows, expressive compositions, and camera movement that feels surprisingly contemporary for a movie from 1947. And then there are the cigarettes. Mitchum smokes with such effortless frequency that the movie could practically have been sponsored by a tobacco company, but the cigarettes are more than period detail. Tourneur and Mitchum use them as part of the character language—whether Jeff casually takes a cigarette from an unconscious man or deliberately tosses a lit cigarette onto a carpet as a show of dominance. Those small gestures tell you a tremendous amount about Jeff without requiring a word of dialogue. Mitchum is terrific here, projecting exactly the kind of weary, understated cool that made him such a natural fit for noir. Douglas is equally effective as the soft-spoken but dangerous Whit, while Jane Greer may be the most memorable of the three. She brings a mixture of vulnerability, intelligence, and menace to Kathie that makes it easy to understand why Jeff can’t escape her.
Out of the Past is one of those films that reminds you why the best examples of a genre continue to hold up decades later. It follows plenty of familiar noir conventions, but the direction, cinematography, performances, and genuinely nasty streak give it a personality all its own. It’s also considerably darker and more ruthless than the average crime thriller, which may explain why it won’t work for everyone. The original title, Build My Gallows High, gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of movie you’re getting. For me, though, that darkness is part of the appeal. The film is stylish without feeling overly polished, complicated without becoming impossible to follow, and unpredictable enough that I never felt completely sure where it was going. Fans of modern crime films like A History of Violence should find plenty to appreciate here, but Out of the Past also stands perfectly well on its own as a classic of the genre. If you like your noir bleak, atmospheric, morally murky, and just a little poisonous, this is about as good as it gets.
Video: How’s it look?
Warner Archive has given Out of the Past a gorgeous new 4K restoration, and the results are nothing short of spectacular. The film’s beautiful black-and-white photography looks better than ever, with exceptional clarity, fine detail, and a wonderfully natural filmic texture that preserves the character of Nicholas Musuraca’s cinematography. This is a transfer that really allows the visual design of the movie to shine. Musuraca uses the conventions of film noir—deep shadows, stark contrasts, and dramatic lighting—but combines them with camera movements and compositions that feel remarkably modern for a film made in 1947. Seeing all of that restored in such pristine detail makes the imagery even more striking. The contrast is beautifully rendered, shadow detail remains impressive, and the image has a level of depth and dimensionality that makes the film feel remarkably alive. Warner Archive has clearly put considerable care into this restoration, and fans of the film should be extremely pleased. It’s another terrific example of why Warner’s archival releases have become such a consistently reliable destination for classic-film enthusiasts.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Warner Archive has given Out of the Past a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that is remarkably clean and impressive for a film of this vintage. Presented in its original mono configuration, the mix is focused and appropriately front-heavy, with dialogue remaining crisp, intelligible, and consistently well-balanced. There is very little distracting background noise, and I didn’t notice any significant hiss, pops, crackle, or dropouts throughout the presentation. The real surprise is just how fresh the track sounds. The film’s dialogue has excellent presence, while the score comes through with considerably more clarity and definition than you might expect from a movie approaching 80 years old. Obviously, this isn’t a dynamic, modern surround mix—and it shouldn’t be—but Warner Archive has done an excellent job preserving and presenting the original soundtrack. For a classic noir, this is about as clean and natural as you could reasonably hope for, and the care put into this new 4K audio presentation is genuinely impressive.
Supplements: What are the extras?
We’re treated to a few new supplements, a step up from the previously-released Blu-ray.
- Audio Commentary – James Ursini delves into the film’s history and illuminates some interesting facts. I enjoyed this track. This was originally on the 2004 DVD release.
- Introduction – TCM personality Eddie Muller gives us a short introduction on the film. Some associated marketing materials are also included.
- Radio Shows – Also new are some radio broadcasts that feature stars from the film.
- We Were Expecting You at Dakar – Robert Mitchum
- The Story of Markham’s Death – Kirk Douglas
- Death at Live Oak – Robert Mitchum
- Community Property – Kirk Douglas
The Bottom Line
Out of the Past is a hard one to dislike. The term “hard boiled” certainly comes to mind when watching this and I’m often at a loss as to how great an actor Robert Mitchum was. Warner Archive’s new 4K offering gives us an enhanced picture and new supplements to boot. Fans will want to add this to their collection.
