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Out of the Past (1947)

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Producer:

Warren Duff

Writer:

Daniel Mainwaring, James M. Cain, Frank Fenton

Release Date:

Nov 13, 1947

Runtime:

1hr 37m

Synopsis

A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.

Cast

  • Robert Mitchum
  • Jane Greer
  • Kirk Douglas
  • Rhonda Fleming
  • Richard Webb
  • Steve Brodie
  • Virginia Huston
  • Paul Valentine
  • Dickie Moore
  • Ken Niles

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.1
90.6K
53.6K
29.3K
RATINGS 562 FANS
4.1
  • Mar 14, 2021

    The first thing that happens in this movie is a guy throws a cigarette at a deaf kid. About a minute later Robert Mitchum throws a cigarette at that guy. That’s just what it’s like in the economy of cigarettes. Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down.

    2.0K Likes
    Branson Reese
    Branson Reese
    Oct 12, 2019

    the hays code cut from the kiss on the shoulder to the door swinging open in the wind to the rain outside is one of the most sensational things I've ever seen.

    1.5K Likes
    theshrillest
    theshrillest
    Jul 3, 2020

    I was supposed to watch this for Cinema 101 in my first semester of college and for some reason skipped the screening. I was an idiot.

    808 Likes
    Patrick Willems
    Patrick Willems
  •
    Apr 7, 2017

    81/100 Fascinated by the way Tourneur consistently chooses to visually de-emphasize dramatic moments. When Kathie unexpectedly shoots Fisher (off-camera; we just hear the shot), there's no cut to an insert of the gun, as would have been commonplace at the time. Kathie…

    734 Likes
    Mike D'Angelo
    Mike D'Angelo
    Mar 22, 2020

    "Which place was your favorite?" "This one right here." "I bet you say that to all the places."

    616 Likes
    ScreeningNotes
    ScreeningNotes
    Apr 28, 2025

    A tough detective, a perfect femme fatale, a fatalistic atmosphere, flashbacks, and cynical dialogue, maybe the most classic of all classic noirs.

    537 Likes
    noen
    noen
  •
    Oct 18, 2013

    true or false: this film is better than a woman's touch?

    466 Likes
    davidehrlich
    davidehrlich

    OUT OF THE PAST (1947) by French-American film director Jacques Tourneur is a masterpiece of the film noir genre, with an extraordinary Robert Mitchum in the lead, Jane Greer as the Femme Fatale and a very young Kirk Douglas in a supporting part. It’s shot in breathtaking…

    455 Likes
    Wim Wenders
    Wim Wenders
    Jul 9, 2015

    89/100 For a film so indelibly involved in the lost rivers of memory, Out of the Past confounds because of its ever-present feeling within the now. Every frame feels like the mistakes and the pain of the past will reach out and strangle our main characters, but that…

    383 Likes
    SilentDawn
    SilentDawn
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

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Top Reviews
  • CvptvinHowdy
    CvptvinHowdy liked
    Out of the Past

    20% of the film was dedicated to flicking a cigarette in any location lol. You got everything you need in a great noir. Great cast, dames, atmosphere, and witty dialogue. I won't spoil it, but the scene with the fishing hook being used as a weapon was hilarious.

    7M
    Nothuman
    Nothuman watched_neutrald
    Out of the Past

    Main performances are very good and a great mystery throughout makes it’s a great classic noir

    6M
    hanne
    hanne liked
    Out of the Past

    rating: 🥃🥃🥃.5 absolutely zero loyalty or consistency from this guy, incredible

    1Y
View More Popular Out of the Past Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

85
metacritic
Based on 19 Critics
7.4

USER SCORE (7)

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Reviews
90

The most delicate and nuanced of film noirs, graced with a reflective lyricism that almost lifts it out of the genre.

View full review
Metacritic review by Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
100

Out of the Past is one of the greatest of all film noirs, the story of a man who tries to break with his past and his weakness and start over again in a town, with a new job and a new girl.

View full review
Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
100

Out Of The Past is undeniably a film noir, and rightly regarded as one of the genre’s best.

View full review
Metacritic review by Keith Phipps
Keith Phipps
The Dissolve
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Out of the Past (1947) (1947)?
The movie is 1hr 37min long.
What's Out of the Past (1947) (1947) about?
A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.
Who's the cast of Out of the Past (1947) (1947)?
  • Robert Mitchum as Jeff
  • Jane Greer as Kathie
  • Kirk Douglas as Whit
  • Rhonda Fleming as Meta Carson
  • Richard Webb as Jim
  • Steve Brodie as Fisher
  • Virginia Huston as Ann
  • Paul Valentine as Joe
  • Dickie Moore as The Kid
  • Ken Niles as Eels
Who's the director behind Out of the Past (1947) (1947)?
Jacques Tourneur directed Out of the Past (1947) (1947).
Who produced Out of the Past (1947) (1947)?
Warren Duff produced Out of the Past (1947) (1947).