Out of the Past (1947)
I’ve set out to learn more about film noir, so I watched Out of the Past, with Robert Mitchum as smart detective with flexible morals who gets stupid around Judy Greer’s femme fatale. Kirk Douglas shines as an oily criminal.
Time Out Film Guide says it’s “once seen, never forgotten.” It’s beautiful and haunting. I hoped for Mitchum’s escape, even while knowing, as his character did, that he was doomed.
My husband and I were surprised to see the original of a scene we’d just watched in episode 2, Gnothi Seauton, of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. In Out of the Past, Mitchum fights with his former partner, then Judy Greer shoots him. Mitchum asks why she did, and she replies, “Because you wouldn’t.” This scene appears almost verbatim in the Terminator episode, between Sarah Connor, who had been threatening an old acquaintance, and Summer Glau’s Cameron, who shoots him. I’ve submitted this trivia to IMDB, and will wait to see if it’s accepted.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
That’s interesting about The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I actually caught a bit of it last night, but I’ve got to confess that I’m finding it hard to get into the characters. My biggest motivation to watch it is actually Summer Glau - she was absolutely awesome in Firefly!
Wish I’d caught that seen - I love those kind of movie connections. Thanks for pointing it out!
January 31st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I love Robert Mitchum — although I’m ashamed to say I’ve never seen this film. He’s so good at being menacing (e.g. the original Cape Fear, and — one of my favorite films — Night of the Hunter). Yet he could also be a great leading man — as in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison with Deborah Kerr, whom I also love. Man, if I had half the elegance and dignity of Deborah Kerr…then I’d, um, have half her dignity. And elegance.
Favorite Robert Mitchum quote, spoken to his wife upon their engagement: Stick with me and you’ll be farting through silk.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I’ve not yet seen him as a leading, non-menacing man, and I’ve only seen Kerr in Affair to Remember so I’ve got lots more to check out, now. Sigh. So many movies and books.