From Pan into the Fire: "Detour" (1945)
We’ve all faced it. You’re going about your business and life throws a curved ball at you. Instead of following that straight path, you’re forced to take a detour. But in doing so, you end up falling “from pan and into the fire.” This is exactly what happens in the 1945 classic film-noir “Detour.”
Thapson
Synopsis
A Tired and disheveled Al Roberts narrates the unfortunate turn of events that has befallen him. He tells his story of a night club pianist who seems to be getting by okay. He’s in love with the resident crooner, Sue Harvey.
Sue has ambitions to make it big on the West Coast. She surprises him with her intention to leave and his attempts to stop her go in vain. Left alone, Tom is shattered and loses all interest in his work, longing to join Sue out west.
His only option is to hitchhike to her. This is where he loses control of his life. En route to California, during a ride, the driver dies. From here his choices take things from bad to worse as he transitions from identity thief, murder suspect, and finally to worse. All triggered by a “detour” followed by a string of unfortunate events to a gut-wrenching unfortunate conclusion.
Main Cast
Tom Neal as Al Roberts
Despite a late addition, Tom does a stellar job as Al. His boxing background helps build that tough persona. Died relatively young without seeing the resurgence of “Detour.”
Ann Savage as Vera
As a harsh Vera, the late Ann Savage earned cult status. She was the only member of the cast to witness the movie’s resurgence. A more lively, genial person in real life.
Claudia Drake as Sue Harvey
Born Olga Judy Fishbine, Claudia had a good singing voice, which she used in most of her movies. Plays a very brief, but very important, role in the movie. Claudia, mysteriously left movies leaving little information.
Edmund MacDonald as Charles Haskell Jnr.
Died way too young, Edmund MacDonald has the menacing demeanor for film-noir. He loved motorcycles, and was a trained flight instructor. Edmund was chosen for his physical similarity to Tom Neal.
My Take
As mentioned, we have all experienced “detours” in our lives at some point. And some of these literally alter the course of our lives. The movie “Detour” works on the same premise as the protagonist, Al, has to meander through the turns his life takes and make decisions on the fly. Despite his best intentions, trouble has a way of finding him. Which is precisely what happens and makes this movie so captivating.
Granted, there are some implausible events. But the saying “truth is stranger than fiction” seems play here. The improbabilities occurring in the film, while near impossible, are not entirely so. At every twist and turn, you find yourself wondering how Al will get out of this one. Which makes this movie such a fun watch and intriguing to all.
Trivia
As with any movie, there’s always some fun trivia and background information:
- Tom Neal replaced Billy Halop mere days before filming began.
- No effort is spared to contrast the personalities of the light and melodious Sue with the harsh brusqueness of Vera including the music and dialogue
- Some earlier scenes on the road are reversed to add variety to the limited outdoor shoots. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice the cars travelling on the “wrong side” in them.
- Due to financial constraints, director Ulmer used his own personal ’41 Lincoln Continental V-12 convertible as Charles Haskell’s car.
- Ann Savage is ranked 6th in Time Magazine’s top 25 greatest screen villains.
- The final scene was added to comply with the censors of the time.
- A remake, made in 1992, starring Tom Neal’s late son fell short of expectations.
HD Retro Trailers / YouTube.com
Conclusion
Despite its “rough edges” and lack of finish, “Detour” is a good watch. It pulls you in from the first frame, and doesn’t let go until the depressing conclusion. The viewer is dragged through the world of the down on their luck individual. You meet up with unpleasant people and experience the world from their vantage. Most importantly, you experience the protagonist taking detours into bad situations not of his making.
Interest in the film-noir genre gives Detour a newfound cult status. Unfortunately, most of the cast or producers never enjoyed this newfound popularity – apart from Ann Savage who was in demand in conventions. Due to non-renewal of its copyright, Detour is freely available in public domain.
A great cult-classic, film-noir movie that has aged well despite minor flaws and cost cutting.
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