In 1947 RKO studios made a surprise classic with OUT OF THE PAST, directed by journeyman Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas and Jane Greer near the start of their careers.  For film noir fans, this movie’s reputation has never stopped growing since.  Combining snappy dialogue, a double-crossing femme fatale and an unusual flashback structure, this sexy and suspenseful movie heats up fast and never takes its foot off the gas.

But does this film still burn as hot for young audiences, with actors they may have never heard of and a censorship code that, no matter how far the filmmakers pushed it, leaves a lot more to the imagination than we’re used to today?  

Find out on this episode of Film Generations.

An ElectraCast Production.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Past

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039689/

BFI / Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time (#157): https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time

Roger Ebert “Great Movies” Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-out-of-the-past-1947

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