Out of the Past

Out of the Past is a gripping and atmospheric film noir with Robert Mitchum as the former detective Jeff Bailey, who is caught up by his past.

Bailey, whose real name is Markham, takes on the job of bringing gangster boss Whit Sterling's girl Kathie home again. Even though she has shot Whit and run off with 40,000 dollars, he is prepared to take her back. Markham quickly picks up Kathie's trail. He meets her, falls head over heels in love with her and therefore cannot possibly keep his deal with Whit. He runs off with Kathie, but he will come to regret it bitterly!

Now Markham is living under a false identity in a small provincial town, where he is close to finding happiness with a local girl, but he cannot escape his past. Whit's henchmen find him, and Markham has no choice but to pay off his debt to Whit. Markham has no doubt, though, that he is being lured into a trap. Even so, his room for manoeuvre is limited.

Robert Mitchum's charisma is impossible to overlook in the role of ex-detective Jeff Markham, who may not be entirely clean around the edges but is nevertheless far more honourable than all the cynical swindlers and calculating women he is up against.

An intense drama with excellent dialogue, stylish cinematography and high entertainment value, even for demanding viewers in the 21st century.