Detour

Rating:
Summary: Excellent example of a "b-movie" film noir!
Review: After reading all the great reviews on Amazon.com I decided to buy the Alpha dvd of Detour. I wasn't disappointed at all with the movie. As other reviewers have already said, the plot is simple but makes for a great rainy night movie! It seems that the low-budget "b-movies" of the film noir genre are often neglected & no studio attempts to properly restore the original copy of the movie. Sadly, such is the case with Detour. While it is now considered by many a cult classic it has yet to be properly restored. I try not to be too negative about Alpha dvds because they're so cheap but here I must. Detour's picture & sound quality is downright awful. There's plenty of "jumpy" scenes, tons of scratches & other flaws with the picture, & the sound is so bad you can't even tell what they're saying at times! It's really a shame, because this is truly a classic. My advice is to not buy the Alpha dvd of Detour but to wait until a restored version is available.

Rating:
Summary: Great Little Movie
Review: Again Edgar Ulmer hits a home run. For a PRC production this is one great little film noir. But we all know that. My 2-cents worth is that the cheap Alpha dvd is a decent transfer.... for Alpha, that is. There are three or four hiccups along the way but overall the dvd looked fine. Sharp print, good contrast, a little bit of sound fluctuation, but it's only a third of the cost of the Image release so if you are not too particular (and I AM most of the time) this is a very good buy for the price... especially if you find a used one in good condition. There are, of course, no extras but the cover art is pretty cool.

Rating:
Summary: Want a ride?
Review: An unshaven and weather-beaten young man sits brooding over a cup of coffee in an anonymous roadside café. A man of means by no means, as Roger Miller would put it. But Al Roberts (Tom Neal) is king of no road, and by the end of DETOUR we wonder whether he is even sovereign over his own soul.
A potential ride in the form of a friendly trucker strikes up a conversation. Where you coming from? West. Where you going to? East.
Roberts is wrong, though. He's coming from Hell and he's going to Nowhere, and the last thing he needs is a chatty trucker along for company.
DETOUR is told in a flashback from that lonely stool. Roberts and his girlfriend work as pianist/singer in a fleabag club out east. Comes a foggy night and she splits up with him to pursue fame out west. Weeks later he calls and they agree to get back together. He'll come out west and they can be married.
Being down at his heels Roberts is forced to hitchhike to California. All goes well until he reaches Arizona, where Fate deals Roberts one nasty hand after another. In short order the innocent Roberts finds and feels himself a hunted man.
DETOUR is a wonderful film. Neal is perfect as the moody young musician who finds himself trapped first by and accident and later by femme fatale Ann Savage, who know his terrible secret and has no scruples against using it against him for her own nefarious purposes. Veteran B-movie director Edgar Ulmer has enough tricks up his sleeves to surmount the Poverty Row studio conditions he was working under. If you're a fan of film noir, or enjoy hard-bitten stories, you'll enjoy DETOUR.

By the way, my thirty year old first edition copy of The Film Encyclopedia had an interesting entry on DETOUR'S star Tom Neal. He received a law degree from Harvard University in 1938. Throughout the forties he appeared in a number of B-movies, usually cast as a tough guy. In 1951 he found himself in the middle of a love triangle involving Franchot Tone and Barbara Payton. Neal "smashed" Tone's nose and a scandal ensued. Neal became poison and no studio would employ him, so he became a gardener and later established a landscaping business. In 1965 he was accused of murdering his wife. Able to prove that the gun went off accidentally, Neal had the charges reduced to manslaughter and served a six-year sentence. He died in 1971.

Rating:
Summary: Want a ride?
Review: An unshaven and weather-beaten young man sits brooding over a cup of coffee in an anonymous roadside café. A man of means by no means, as Roger Miller would put it. But Al Roberts (Tom Neal) is king of no road, and by the end of DETOUR we wonder whether he is even sovereign over his own soul.
A potential ride in the form of a friendly trucker strikes up a conversation. Where you coming from? West. Where you going to? East.
Roberts is wrong, though. He's coming from Hell and he's going to Nowhere, and the last thing he needs is a chatty trucker along for company.
DETOUR is told in a flashback from that lonely stool. Roberts and his girlfriend work as pianist/singer in a fleabag club out east. Comes a foggy night and she splits up with him to pursue fame out west. Weeks later he calls and they agree to get back together. He'll come out west and they can be married.
Being down at his heels Roberts is forced to hitchhike to California. All goes well until he reaches Arizona, where Fate deals Roberts one nasty hand after another. In short order the innocent Roberts finds and feels himself a hunted man.
DETOUR is a wonderful film. Neal is perfect as the moody young musician who finds himself trapped first by and accident and later by femme fatale Ann Savage, who know his terrible secret and has no scruples against using it against him for her own nefarious purposes. Veteran B-movie director Edgar Ulmer has enough tricks up his sleeves to surmount the Poverty Row studio conditions he was working under. If you're a fan of film noir, or enjoy hard-bitten stories, you'll enjoy DETOUR.

By the way, my thirty year old first edition copy of The Film Encyclopedia had an interesting entry on DETOUR'S star Tom Neal. He received a law degree from Harvard University in 1938. Throughout the forties he appeared in a number of B-movies, usually cast as a tough guy. In 1951 he found himself in the middle of a love triangle involving Franchot Tone and Barbara Payton. Neal "smashed" Tone's nose and a scandal ensued. Neal became poison and no studio would employ him, so he became a gardener and later established a landscaping business. In 1965 he was accused of murdering his wife. Able to prove that the gun went off accidentally, Neal had the charges reduced to manslaughter and served a six-year sentence. He died in 1971.

Rating:
Summary: "Okay, whad'ya do with his body?"
Review: As soon as Al Roberts's (Tom Neal) doleful face appears in the opening minutes of Detour, viewers can readily suspect that he is in deep trouble. Told in a narrative voiceover, Detour (1944) epitomizes the tragic innocence of a protagonist trapped in a conspiratorial entanglement of deceit. Al Roberts is one of the most empathetic figures ever to apear in a noir film. Roberts justifies his unlawful actions by convincing viewers that the truth will only bring him unjustifiable punishment. Ann Savage as Vera gives an unforgetable performance as the most cantankerous dame ever to appear in a black and white film. Within the genre of noir, Vera's deviousness and quest for manipulative control are unparalled. Both alluring and repulsive, Vera strikes out at Al's weakness and exploits his vunerability with the skill of a poker player holding a full house against two pair. Operating with a sneering face and an unflattering voice, Vera's powerful feminine instincts pounce on Al's weakened masculinity. With a tight script, bounded by Vera's caustic lines-(Shad up, your making noise like a husband); Detour convincingly moves through its skeptical plot structure. Director Edgar G. Ulmer should be praised for establishing the excellent timing of the dialogue exchanges between Vera and Al. Savage's lines are delivered with snap and laced with vinegar. Sometimes Savage crowds Neal's responses with her leads, but that is thankful, since Neal's delivery is often bland and weak. But then again, what is a guy to do when a girl you just met wants to frame you for murder and says: "I'd hate to see a fella as young as you wind up sniffing that perfume that Arizona hands out free to murderers" With a minimal budget to work from, Ulmer maximized his limited resources. The scenes in the diner, jazz club, and hotel room, ooze with noir realism. Al and girlfriend Sue's (Claudia Drake) night-time stroll along Riverside Drive was cleverly filmed. Detour is the king of B noir films. Why actress Ann Savage never attained major roles in other notable noir films is mystfying. Does anyone know the make and model of the convertible used in the film? Also since reviewers at this site are not allowed to discuss film endings, does anyone know the significance of the police patrol car at the final fade out? I have my own theory.

Rating:
Summary: NOIR AT IT'S DARKEST
Review: Come on, it doesn't get cooler than 'Detour'! No budget, no stars, and a wacked-out story of hellish bad luck. Tom Neal is what passes for our hero, a pianist en route to the coast to meet up with his girl when 'fate sticks out a foot to trip him'. It's really amazing to see how great this thing turned out considering how little it had going for it. Watch it at like 3 a.m., when everything is a little foggy, and you'll appreciate it even more. Then, watch 'D.O.A.', and 'He Walked By Night'.

Rating:
Summary: You will feel what Tom Neal feels!
Review: Considered to be one of the best film noirs ever made. In my opinion, this is a darn good, rainy day/late night film. I won't tell you anything about the plot, but there are plenty of twists and surprises in this one. Simply, a piano player travels from state to state. A girlfriend that he was fond of, he called on the phone. She went to Hollywood to perform and be an actress. He misses her so he hawks everything and hitch hikes cross-country to get back together with her. So here he is on the road hitch hiking when a nice man picks him up and from there this story moves fast. This film is a must-see. It only runs 67 minutes. Alpha Video is offering a very fine print of film. Quite clear. Tom Neal had a troubled life after this film. But you can read more of that elsewhere on the web. His son, Tom Neal Jr. re-made "Detour" in 1992 and even starred in it. Ann Savage is the only member of this 1945 cast still alive. This DVD version contains an "Index" which is a chapter selection. No extras or bonuses.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENIAL FILM, INDEED
Review: DETOUR is the ultimate work of art on human fate. "Wherever you go, fate is stretching his feet to trip you" says the doomed hero. Unlike many film noirs and crime movies, the hero is an "ordinary healthy guy" as he describes himself, trapped in an extraordinary unhealthy series of situation. In another word, the film is truly chilling because it evokes the frightening sensation that this might happen to myself.

This film has inspired generations of filmmakers from the French new wave to Quentin Tarantino, because it is a masterpiece of low budget esthetics. It is indeed one of the most influential film in film history.

Produced with a next-to-nothing budget and a production schedule of a mere week of shooting, the precision of and ingenuity of Edgar G. Ulmer's direction realized a rich cinematic universe filled with extremely expressive details. Take for instance the way the lighting changes from naturalistic style to a haunting spot-lighting effect on Tom Neal's eyes as he goes into a flashback of his doomed story (a technic that, by the way, Scorsese has stolen so effectively in THE AGE OF INNOCENCE) . Or the cleverness of expressing his nightmarish state of mind simply by shifting the focus of his point of view shot in and out.

Even though it is a low budget film in which it was impossible to hire known actors, the performance is incredible. Tom Neil's haunting voice-over sets up the entire mood so effectively, and Ann Savage is... well, she is the ultimate femme fatale, so savage and brutal.

Before the DVD release, I had been able to see the film only with dupy grainy prints and low quality video. But now we have the DVD which is TRANSFERRED FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE. Overall, the image is incredible, so crisp sharp and full of nuances it is difficult to imagine that they shot the film in only a week. But even the original is not in the best shape. A few scenes shows severe deteriorations of the film elements; some shots are distorted and some frames are missing (so it looks like a jump cut). I hope some serious restoration works will be done in the future to correct those flaws, then I'm sure I'll be the first one to buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Genius combined with Exceptional Economy
Review: Director Edgar G. Ulmer turned out this low budget masterpiece in six shooting days, making "Detour" a classic case of an enduring film done in the most economical manner. Ulmer was the reigning creative head of Producers Releasing Corporation, a Poverty Row studio on Santa Monica Boulevard. Ulmer spurned offers from majors, preferring instead to operate where he could function as his own man, away from the confining and sharply controlling influences of the big studios, where the bottom line was the essential ingredient.

Martin G. Goldsmith adapted his own screenplay from a highly praised novel which had critics comparing his earthy, "man against the forces of nature" style to James M. Cain. Goldsmith grew up in New York but spent much time during the Depression making his way across the nation, constantly battling for survival. Having lived the life of the main character, it is understandable why the biting narrative of Tom Neal in "Detour" has such a realistic ring, reminding one of some of Robert Mitchum's more somberly existentialist narration from "Out of the Past."

Neal starts out in New York playing the piano in a small nightclub, after which he takes to the road, heading for Los Angeles to reunite with his girlfriend nightclub singer, who had gone West to attempt to get into the movies. Goldsmith knew the terrain and familiarized his audience with it in the film. While Goldsmith was destined to remain in the world of B screenwriting, he obtained a "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar nomination for a film which stands with "Detour" as being one of the greatest B noir dramas ever made. That was the 1952 release, "The Narrow Margin," an RKO film starring Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor and Jacqueline White. This movie paved the way to a successful career for director Richard Fleischer.

A 1945 release, "Detour" has the ring of Depression drama, following not long on the heels of that period of American history. Neal is determined to reunite with his girlfriend and begins hitchhiking his way to Los Angeles. He is picked up by a loquacious gambler in Arizona, who, while Neal is driving, sustains a fatal heart attack. Convinced the police will never accept his account of events, Neal abandons the dead man and takes his wallet along with the better than seven hundred dollars in it, along with his driver's license. The two men were of the same approximate age, so Neal decides to pass himself off as the deceased man until he gets to Los Angeles, where he intends to reassume his actual identity.

Tough femme fatale Ann Savage foils Neal's plans. He picks her up after noticing her hitchhiking near a gas station where he has stopped to refuel not long after crossing into California. Once more Neal is a cruel pawn of fate. Savage had ridden with the deceased from Shreveport, Louisiana to Arizona, ending her journey after he made a sexual advance on her. In the ensuing fracas she badly scratched the other man. Neal had heard that part of the story from the other man not long after getting into his car and noticing the ugly scratches. The cynical Savage laughs at Neal when he tells her his account of what happened, accusing him of killing the other man.

Eventually Savage tells Neal that she is in control of events. He moves into an apartment she rents in Hollywood, hoping to shake her after the dead man's car is sold. When she learns through a newspaper article, however, that the dead man's father is seriously ill and worth fifteen million dollars, she orders Neal to attempt to pass himself off as the man's son, since he had been told that the man had not seen his father since running away from home as a youngster after putting out a playmate's eye. Neal rebels, insisting that the crazy scheme would never work, and that he had no access to personal information about the dead man, contending he would be tripped up in no time.

The hand of fate deals Neal another stern blow after an argument with Savage. The heavily drinking woman steps into the bedroom, announcing her intention of calling the police and turning Neal in for murder, angry that he will not act upon her idea to shake money out of the father of the dead man. She passes out before making the call with the phone cord around her neck. Neal does not know this since the door is closed. He instead attempts to pull the cord out of the wall, thinking she is calling the police. Instead, through fluke circumstances, his efforts result in the accidential death of Savage.

Neal then takes to the road, sadly abandoning his reunion with his girlfriend, wishing her "happiness" but realizing that any involvement would be to her disadvantage. After stepping out into the darkness after having coffee in a diner near Bakersfield, Neal is apprehended after a police car pulls to a stop beside the road.

Goldsmith's brilliant narration contains the desperate ring of a man seeking to survive as long as he can in the most trying circumstances. Neal realizes he is doing no more than staving off the inevitable for a little while longer. His is the sad tone of a man who knows that he has been the victim of a merciless fate.

Rating:
Summary: No exit for anyone caught in this Detour
Review: Film noir describes Detour well. Everything about this film is dark, from the black and white print shot mostly at night, to the plot, no hope for any of the characters, to the acting, not a smile to be seen among any of the principal actors. Nor is there any reason for smiles in this pessimistic look at the role fate plays in our lives. No exit for anyone caught in this Detour.

Why watch? Movie buffs want to know just what can be done on a shoestring budget when you have a story to tell and a competent cast. Tom Neal and Ann Savage are the couple from hell. Savage is as her name suggests and Neal appears to be too stupid to escape from her threat of going to the police to accuse him of a murder he did not commit while hitching a ride to California.

The story is told in flashback while Neal sits in a roadside diner contemplating his fate. The cost of filming the diner scenes, and the rest of the movie, for that matter, could not have been cheaper. It is fascinating to see what can be done with no money, but a little imagination and a fairly good script.

This film is recommended only for B movie buffs who delight in watching the second half of the bill, when going to the movies meant a feature and filler. Detour is the B side of the show and, as sometimes happens, the throw away is better than the feature.