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Out of the Past (1947)

97 min  -  Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller   -  13 November 1947 (USA)
8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 12,689 users  
Reviews: 118 user | 61 critic

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.

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay), Daniel Mainwaring (novel), and 2 more credits »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Mitchum ...
Jeff
Jane Greer ...
Kathie
Kirk Douglas ...
Whit
Rhonda Fleming ...
Meta Carson
Richard Webb Richard Webb ...
Jim
Steve Brodie Steve Brodie ...
Fisher
Virginia Huston Virginia Huston ...
Ann
Paul Valentine Paul Valentine ...
Joe
Dickie Moore Dickie Moore ...
The Kid
Ken Niles Ken Niles ...
Eels
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Storyline

Jeff Bailey, small-town gas pumper, has his mysterious past catch up with him one day when he's ordered to meet with gambler Whit Sterling. En route to the meeting, he tells girlfriend Ann his story. Flashback: Once, Jeff was a private eye hired by Sterling to find his mistress Kathie who shot Whit and absconded with $40,000. He traces her to Acapulco...where the delectable Kathie makes Jeff forget all about Sterling... Back in the present, Whit's new job for Jeff is clearly a trap, but Jeff's precautions only leave him more tightly enmeshed... Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Gas Station | Gangster | Partner | Flashback  | See more »

Taglines:

A guy without a fortune! A girl with too much past! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Build My Gallows High See more »

Filming Locations:

Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Re-released in France in 1967 as 'Pendez-moi haut et court'. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: When Jeff visits Leonard Eels' office building there are clearly five names on the directory under 'E' in the long shot, but just two in the POV shot that follows immediately. See more »

Quotes

Joe Stephanos: I often wondered what happened to him. Then one day I'm breezing through here, and there's his name up on a sign.
Marny, diner owner: It's a small world.
Joe Stephanos: Yeah. Or a big sign.
See more »


Soundtracks

"THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU"
(uncredited)
from The Toast of New York
Music by Nathaniel Shilkret
Used as main theme in score See more »
Learn more