Out of the Past with Robert Mitchum: DVD Cover
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Out of the Past
a.k.a. Build My Gallows High Director: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming

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  • DVD Release Date: 07/06/2004
  • Original Release: 1947
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Sales Rank: 29,721

Viewer Rating: (3 ratings)

Detailed Rating: "Sexy" See All

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  • Overview
  • Editorial Reviews
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  • Customer Reviews
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Features

Closed Caption; Commentary by author/film noir specialist James Ursini; Subtitles: English, Français, & Español

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Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Credits [1:29]
2. About Jeff Bailey [3:20]
3. Mystery Man [2:26]
4. Summoned [2:27]
5. Whit's Woman [5:16]
6. South to Acapulco [3:32]
7. Where We're Going [3:44]
8. Living By Night [6:12]
9. Missing the Lady [5:02]
10. Fisher's Finale [6:00]
11. Back in the Fold [5:45]
12. She Couldn't Help It [1:48]
13. Fingerprints on Meta [2:44]
14. Meta and the Idiots [4:25]
15. Bad Timing [3:52]
16. Gonna Die Last [5:57]
17. Case of the Case [3:54]
18. Sensitive Bargaining [2:43]
19. The Look of Trouble [1:58]
20. News in Bridgeport [2:56]
21. Hooking Stepnanos [3:03]
22. The Way it Is [3:49]
23. It Won't Be Pretty [2:09]
24. Meetings in the Woods [3:54]
25. Build My Gallows High [2:51]
26. Double-Cross [3:37]
27. Going Away: Cast List [1:34]

Scene Index

Editorial Reviews

Out of the Past is so perfect a film noir that it is considered practically a textbook example of the genre. In his first starring role (it had previously been offered to John Garfield and Dick Powell), Robert Mitchum plays Jeff Bailey, the friendly but secretive proprietor of a mountain-village gas station. As Jeff's worshipful deaf-mute attendant (Dick Moore) looks on in curious fascination, an unsavory character named Joe (Paul Valentine) pulls up to the station, obviously looking for the owner. Jeff is all too aware of Joe's identity; he's been dreading this moment for quite some time, knowing full well that it will mean the end of his semi-idyllic existence, not to mention his engagement to local girl Ann (Virginia Huston). In a lengthy flashback, the audience is apprised of the reasons behind Jeff's discomfort. Several years earlier, he'd been a private detective, hired by gangster Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas) to find his mistress Kathie Moffett (Jane Greer), who shot him and ran off with $40,000. Jeff traces Kathie to Mexico, but when he meets her he falls in love and willingly becomes involved in an increasingly complicated web of double-crosses, blackmail, and murder. The flashback over, Jeff agrees to meet Whit face to face in Lake Tahoe. Surprisingly, Whit apparently bears no malice, and even offers Jeff an opportunity to square himself by retrieving Whit's tax records from mob attorney Eels (Ken Niles). Even more surprisingly, Kathie has returned to Whit on her own volition. When Jeff is taken to Eels' apartment by the beautiful Meta Carson (Rhonda Fleming), he quickly figures out that he has been set up and tries to clue Eels into the plot, but Eels is later found murdered, and Jeff is accused of the crime. Worse yet, Whit has forced Kathie to sign an affadavit that also pins another murder on him. Crosses, double-crosses and triple-crosses abound for the next few reels, culminating in disaster for the oh-so-clever Whit, who has fatally underestimated the deceitful (and icewater-veined) Kathie. And in the end, it is Jeff who must resort to drastic measures to force Kathie to pay the price for her cold-hearted treachery. Out of the Past was remade in 1984 as Against All Odds, with Jane Greer cast as the mother of her original character. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

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Finally 'Out' On DVD!by Anonymous

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July 24, 2004: Jacque Tourneur?s ?Out of the Past? is one of the quintessential film noirs. Everything, from Robert Mitchum?s musings ? ?Build my gallows high, baby? to the darkly mysterious environment is fraught with subtle entendre and troubling meaning. yet so fascinating that you can't turn away. Robert Mitchum is at his sleepy-eyed, dry and brooding best as Jeff Bailey, the ultra-cool, ultra savvy former P.I. hiding out from his former life as a gas station owner in a little alcove of existence that itself is absent from the mainstream world. But the past catches up with Bailey in the embodiment of callous, calculating career criminal, Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas). Whit and Jeff had some spurious goings on once upon a time, an old score that Whit isn?t willing to overlook or concede once he finds Jeff. If that was not bad enough, Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer) enters the picture as the atypical femme fatale, whose bite is more venomous than the poisonous web of destruction and deceit that she manages to ensnare everyone in. This is a palpable taut thriller with few equals, an intellectual crime drama that puts its remake ?Against All Odds? to shame. As is to be expected, the plot is anything but straight forward, leading to twists of convention that the first time viewer will be hard pressed to figure out or see coming. In keeping with Warner?s current trend to not really do all that is required to completely remaster classic movies for DVD, the transfer of ?Out of the Past? is just a bit above average. The gray scale is nicely balanced with deep solid blacks and whites that are relatively clean. There?s a considerable amount of film grain and age related artifacts for a visual presentation that, while a considerable improvement over previously issued VHS tapes, is still below par. The audio is mono but nicely balanced. The more intent listener will notice some hiss. There?s a very thorough audio commentary by James Ursini to round out your appreciation of the film. A good disc to add to your library.