The 1947 film noir starring Robert Mitchum about a private detective haunted by his past is Out of the Past.
Directed by Jacques Tourneur, the film stars Mitchum as Jeff Bailey, a former private investigator who has tried to build a quiet life running a gas station in a small California town. His attempted escape collapses when a former associate finds him and forces him back into an old case involving gambler Whit Sterling and the elusive Kathie Moffat, played by Jane Greer.
The film adapts Daniel Mainwaring’s 1946 novel Build My Gallows High. In the United Kingdom, the movie was released under that same title, which can cause confusion when people are searching for it. Kirk Douglas plays Whit Sterling, adding a powerful rival whose wealth and menace draw Jeff back into danger.
Out of the Past is celebrated for its fatalistic mood, intricate flashback structure, shadowy cinematography, and Mitchum’s restrained performance. The story’s central noir idea is that Jeff can change his location and occupation, but cannot escape the choices and loyalties that shaped his earlier life.