OUT OF THE PAST (1947)
Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 96 Minutes 43 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR10 2160p Ultra HD Fullscreen (1.37:1), 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming
The Jacques Turner (The Comedy of Terrors) directed noir Out of the Past (1947) is a fatalistic slice of labyrinthine intrigue, starring the laconic star Robert Mitchum (The Yakuza) as Bridgeport, California gas station owner Jeff Bailey with a shadowy past, a former private investigator now looking for small-town life
with his smalltown girlfriend Ann Miller (Virginia Huston, Flight To Mars), but when an old acquaintance from his past, Joe Stefanos (Paul Valentine, House of Strangers) his smalltown life is disrupted, pulled back into the orbit of kingpin Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas, The Fury) who had previously hired Jeff years earlier to track down Whit's girlfriend Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer, The Big Steal), who had shot him and left him for dead, taking off with forty grand in cash. Through flashback we see that story play out and how while tracking down Kathie in Mexico he fell hard for here, only to discover that she's a femme fatale, only to discover she's out for herself. In present day Kathie is back with Whit, but still full of secrets and deception, with Whit wanting Jeff to do another job for him, to track down San Francisco lawyer Leonard Eels (American radio announcer Ken Niles, The Abbot & Costello Show) has helped Whit dodge $1,000,000 in taxes, but who he says is now blackmailing him, sending him to San Francisco to meet with Eel's duplicitous secretary, Meta Carson (Rhonda Fleming, The Spiral Staircase), to steal back the incriminating tax records. Jeff is no dummy though he smells a frame job, and sure enough he finds himself accused of murdering two men, while Kathie professes to want to rekindle their flame, but this is noir, and dames, am I right?
The film is expertly crafted by director Jacques Turner with an assist from cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca (Curse of the Cat People) with terrific shot composition bathed in deep shadows and stark contrasting imagery, watching it now the framing and camera movement seems quite modern in it's technique and forward looking for a film from 1947, it's an enthralling watch. There's a terrific scene shot in the Sierra mountain in a gorge, where Jeff is hunted down by an assassin, only for the killer to be dragged to his death when Jeff's deaf-mute gas station attendant (Dickie Moore, Killer Shark) who is fishing nearby sees what's about to transpire and casts his fishing lure onto the killer's sleeve, pulling him off a cliff to his death, which I thought was a pretty cool little twist. The noir is a pretty nasty piece of work, it's so fatalistic, that finale, just wow. It really does hold up nearly 80 years later, and this new restoration from Warner Archive is a knock-out!
Audio/Video: Out of the Past (1947) looks fantastic on 4K Ultra HD from warner Archive, presented in 2160p Ultra HD with Dolby Vision HDR10 color-grade, presented in the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The black and white image looks stunning, the lensing from Nicholas Musuraca (Cat People) with it's deep shadows and stark noir lighting really shines with perfectly dialed-in contrast and excellent shadow detail throughout, it's really just a gorgeous restoration from the ground up here, with plenty of texture and fine detail. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. The track is clean and well balanced, dialogue is nicely prioritized, and the suspenseful Roy Webb (The Seventh Victim) score really shines. I am also pleased to report that unlike the Warner Archive 4K UHD release of Auntie Mame (1958) the accompanying Blu-ray is the new restoration in 1080p HD, not a recycled disc from the previous Blu-ray release, and it too looks wonderful as evidenced by the accompanying Blu-ray screenshots at the bottom of this review.
Extras include an Archival Audio Commentary with film critic James Ursini, a new Introduction (2022, 5:24) by TCM Noir Alley host and "Czar of Noir" Eddie Muller, and a selection of four vintage Radio Dramas featuring the films stars, all from 1947. We get Radio Reader’s Digest Episode #52: We Were Expecting You at Dakar (1947, 30:07) with Robert Mitchum, Suspense Episode #265: The Story of Markham's Death (1947, 29:54) with Kirk Douglas, Suspense Episode #245: Death at Live Oak (1947, 29:59) with Robert Mitchum,
Suspense Episode #240: Community Property (29:32) with Kirk Douglas. These have a bit of hiss and background noise to them but are terrific vintage radio dramas, and I'm happy to have them included.
The two-disc release arrives in a dual-hub black keepcase with a single-sided wrap featuring original poster artwork. The first-pressing also includes a Slipcover with a different original poster artwork, both are terrific examples of the moody noir style. The discs inside feature excerpts from both artworks.
Special Features:
- Archival Audio Commentary with film critic James Ursini.
- NEW! Introduction (2022, 5:24) by TCM Noir Alley host and "Czar of Noir" Eddie Muller
- NEW! Radio Shows: We Were Expecting You at Dakar (30:07) Robert Mitchum
- The Story of Markham's Death (29:54) with Kirk Douglas, Death at Live Oak (29:59) with Robert Mitchum, Community Property (29:32) with Kirk Douglas
Screenshots from the Warner Archive Blu-ray (2026):
Buy it!
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