I just watched the Robert Mitchum classic for the first time and was amazed that a lot of his activities in San Francisco were copied in In a Lonely Place. Perhaps people had shorter memories back then (and no TCM) so movie makers could get away with it.
If anyone hasn't seen the Mitchum film I highly suggest it. It gets a little to complicated for its own good, but it is film noir at its best.
I'm also a big fan of Out of the Past, but I don't recall a lot of similarity in the action of In a Lonely Place. Examples, please.
Otherwise the two films are quite different.
There is no Jane Greer bringing Humphrey Bogart low here, nor any Kirk Douglas providing a sullied side of the coin.
Dix Steele is no murderer, but he's a lot more messed up than Mitchum's Jeff. In fact it's Steele's failure to 'get out of his past' patterns of behavior that destroys what very likely is his last chance for personal happiness at the end of In a Lonely Place. The Mitchum character, in true noir fashion, resigns himself to his intertwined fate with Kathy at the end of Out of the Past. His efforts involve squaring scores and protecting his smalltown friends before he finally cashes it all in on the highway.
I agree with the Coach here, both films are classics, but stand on their own merits; I don't see many similarities between the two, other than their obvious adherence to classic noir tenents. Dix's demons are of his own making. We never really know what the source of them are, other than his frustration and dissapointment with himself as both a self-proclaimed and industry-recognized hollywood hack and his attempts at redemption by writing the adaptation of the novel, that, ironically, he relies upon the re-hash of by the murdered Mildred, as opposed to reading it himself. His hubris lies in the fact that even as his conditions improve towards the end of the film, the damage done by his rage-a-holism is already complete. In classic noir stlye, no redemption is found, his future is suspect, and he is, at last, his own worst enemy, left to deal with his demons and the resulting consequences, adrift and alone. Good stuff!
shareThis movie is genius, it is painful to watch after the highway scene. One thinks this is gone too far, and we know that someone like that could never be with someone without being dangerous or miserable, yet the act plays out, brilliantly, and Bogie seems to not even give it a second thought. Then the "it will never happen again, even as it happens again" ... this movie had some history behind it and I would love to know what it was, it was really good, and I just feel for Gloria Grahame .. she was fantastic.
shareI agree with the Coach here, both films are classics, but stand on their own merits; I don't see many similarities between the two, other than their obvious adherence to classic noir tenents. Dix's demons are of his own making. We never really know what the source of them are, other than his frustration and dissapointment with himself as both a self-proclaimed and industry-recognized hollywood hack and his attempts at redemption by writing the adaptation of the novel, that, ironically, he relies upon the re-hash of by the murdered Mildred, as opposed to reading it himself. His hubris lies in the fact that even as his conditions improve towards the end of the film, the damage done by his rage-a-holism is already complete. In classic noir stlye, no redemption is found, his future is suspect, and he is, at last, his own worst enemy, left to deal with his demons and the resulting consequences, adrift and alone. Good stuff!
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I'm just this on on the NetFlix queue. I'm interested in how it compares.
shareInteresting. Aside from the visual stylization, and perhaps a few locations in CA, I really didn't notice anything--especially in the narrative, that was comparable.
Bogart played a man who was unlikeable, severely unlikeable, and yet innocent of a crime. He behaved as though he were guilty and this kicked up a great deal of suspicion.
In Out of the Past, Mitchum played a character who HAD BEEN bad, but now was attempting a more simple life, but ultimately drawn back in with the nest of vipers.
Were there specific scenes that come to mind?
I pretty much know In a Lonely Place by heart, and I just saw Out of the Past a week ago. The only similiar scene I could recall by watching the Mitchum movie was the opening credits: both feature a man driving to the destination of the first scene, with very similiar camera angles. Other than that, I see no resemblance whatsoever.
Did he train you? Did he rehearse you? Did he tell you exactly what to do, what to say?!
Yeah, pals, these are both favorite films of mine and I am quite familiar with each. I fail to see any overt similarity of any kind between the two, except for the touches of noir that are common to all films so labelled.
I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me.
There is only one more connection I never noticed: both have Hadda Brooks in them, in cameos as singers.
Did he train you? Did he rehearse you? Did he tell you exactly what to do, what to say?!
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