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Out of the Past

Play trailer Poster for Out of the Past Released Nov 13, 1947 1h 37m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 41 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
The quiet life of small-town gas station owner Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) is interrupted when a figure from his shady past, small-time crook Joe Stephanos (Paul Valentine), recognizes him. Stephanos' boss, crooked gambler Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), had hired Jeff to track down Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), a girlfriend who shot Whit and made off with $40,000 of his. Jeff and Kathie fell in love, but she left him to go back to Sterling, who now wants Jeff to settle a few old scores.
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Critics Consensus

Anchored by a wistful Robert Mitchum, Out of the Past is an exemplary noir steeped in doom and sensuality.

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Critics Reviews

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Philip K. Scheuer Los Angeles Times The players acquit themselves histrionically if not morally. Mitchum, [Kirk] Douglas and the Misses [Jane] Greer and [Rhonda] Fleming are all commendable. Jun 28, 2019 Full Review James Agee TIME Magazine Fairly well played, and very well photographed (by Nicholas Musuraca), the action develops a routine kind of pseudo-tension. Jan 25, 2018 Full Review Keith Phipps The Dissolve Out Of The Past is undeniably a film noir, and rightly regarded as one of the genre's best. Rated: 5/5 Sep 17, 2014 Full Review Sean Burns WBUR’s Arts & Culture A melancholy dream of a movie with Mitchum at his most magnetic and insouciant, nearly every line a zinger and so many cigarettes smoked so seductively the film could cause cancer in casual viewers. Nov 5, 2022 Full Review Edwin F. Melvin Christian Science Monitor So much stress is placed on atmosphere and plot that the people involved never seem real or sufficiently attractive to awaken your sympathy. Aug 17, 2022 Full Review Taylor Baker Drink in the Movies Episode 6: Bourbon and Smoke Rated: 75/100 Aug 28, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Susan M How can this not be rated at 100%? It's the best film noir ever made. It's also Tourneur's best film. The casting is superlative. It keeps the viewer glued to the screen. I know what's going to happen and, even though I'd prefer a different ending, I watch this film every time it shows up on TCM which is fairly often. It beats out "Double Indemnity" by a single percentage point. Mitchum and Douglas were 29-years old and their talent explodes all over the screen. It was recognized and their careers reflect that. Jane Greer was 22. It's almost impossible to believe she's not just playing herself. She should have been a much bigger star. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Michael S I'm a Mitchum fan and I live not too far from the locations in the movie. That was my first surprise. The second surprise was the continuity of the story. Granted, it got a bit convoluted trying to figure out who was the screwer and who was the screwee... or was there more than one of each? A few of these gems turned me into a real Noir fan; even took my wife to see "The Maltese Falcon" on the big screen a few years back. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/30/24 Full Review Andrew L One of the greatest film noirs ever made. A former private eye, now gas station owner is discovered after years of avoiding a gangster. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/06/24 Full Review Alec C Your mistakes will come back to haunt you if you don't make them right! As a seemingly normal gas station owner receives a summons from a past associate who wants to settle an old score, he's thrust back into a life he didn't want to be a part of and must undo the mistakes before they get him killed. Robert Mitchum manages to make this noir a memorable walk down memory lane with a very catchy plot! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/24/24 Full Review Alec B Endlessly quotable and the chain-smoking only adds to the potent noir imagery. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/24 Full Review Steve D Frustrating and never especially clever. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Out of the Past

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Movie Info

Synopsis The quiet life of small-town gas station owner Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) is interrupted when a figure from his shady past, small-time crook Joe Stephanos (Paul Valentine), recognizes him. Stephanos' boss, crooked gambler Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), had hired Jeff to track down Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), a girlfriend who shot Whit and made off with $40,000 of his. Jeff and Kathie fell in love, but she left him to go back to Sterling, who now wants Jeff to settle a few old scores.
Director
Jacques Tourneur
Producer
Warren Duff
Screenwriter
Daniel Mainwaring
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Nostalgia Merchant, RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co
RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 13, 1947, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 37m
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