Detour (1945)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

An absolute waste of money

A Disappointing Continuation

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Classic film noir with Tom Neal and a magnificent performance of Ann Savage, truly in Bette Davis style. Her gritty, mean, fast-talking persona leads to her eventual downfall.Talk about fate, circumstances and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You've got Tom Neal in that kind of situation, for while hitch-hiking across America, he is picked up by a gambler who dies suddenly in the car. The Neal character, fearing that he will be named as the killer, dumps the body and travels on, only to meet Vera, played memorably by Miss Savage. From the beginning of their meeting, she dominates, calls the shots and Neal learns that she knew the guy that died.One problem I did have with the film was that to me it ended abruptly.

Life is about detours--unexpected deviations from one's expected path. "Detour" is the story of Al Roberts (Tom Neal), a pessimist who, try as he might, just cannot seem to get back on track after a series of coincidences and bad luck take control of his life. Along the way, he meets Vera (Ann Savage)--an opportunistic harpy, who bears the psychological scars of a harsh life."Detour" is a surprisingly effective film noir tale. Produced by PRC with a limited budget and "B" level talent, it is fun to watch. German director Edgar Ulmer gives an indication what he might have achieved with a major studio and a big budget. Ulmer's stylish camera work and storytelling combines with the active but effective soundtrack by Erdody to create an atmospheric immersion into Al Robert's world. Usually, voice-overs are to be eschewed, but "Detour" exploits the voice-over of Al Roberts in flashback, pulling the viewer deeper into the story with his philosophical observations and his fatalistic insights.This is a film I could watch multiple times with enjoyment. Any discussion of noir basics should include this little-known gem.

Well this film is not nearly as good as I've heard and read it was - at least not for me. I've seen better minor B film noirs, I've also seen worse. This one isn't too bad and is worth watching if you enjoy the dark crime films.*Spoiler*: Maybe I missed something but what I noticed is: Al Roberts was not arrested in the end of the film. They only showed him walking (or hitchhiking) and the police showed up, spoke to him and he got in the back of the police car UN-handcuffed. That means the police could have simply given him a ride in the same direction or he could have been brought in for questioning (he may or may not have been charged). The ending is left open to interpretation it seems to me. 6/10

Edgar G. Ulmer's classic 1945 film noir "Detour" gives new meaning to the derisive phrase "Don't do me any favors." Anybody who does somebody a favor ends up paying for it. Fate proves worse than blind justice in this minimalist masterpiece. No matter what our unfortunate protagonist does in this trim 71-minute, black & white melodrama, he gets kicked in the teeth. Typically, film noir movies focus on men who find themselves on the wrong side of the 8-ball. Usually, a dastardly dame is on the other side and she lures them to their demise. The hero here is a destitute piano player who doesn't pack a firearm. Basically, he is an honest guy whose streak of bad luck earns him an inevitable seat in the gas chamber. Although we never witness his ultimate fate, the implication is rather obvious by the end of this taut tale. Like the standard film noir, "Detour" occurs primarily in flashback as our protagonist reflects on his disreputable past. The poverty row studio Producers Releasing Corporation made this melodrama, but the low budget doesn't constitute a liability. Instead, the austerity of everything enhances this cynical, unsavory, doom-laden subject matter. The performances all qualify as solid stuff, though none of the thespians left a cinematic legacy. Tom Neal is convincing but sympathetic as the conscientious protagonist who finds himself trapped in a web of circumstances. In real life, Neal was a scrapper. Later, he did time in prison for shooting his wife. Nevertheless, he is thoroughly credible as the ill-fated hero plagued by bad luck. Neal made some notable films, including "The Flying Tigers" with John Wayne and "The Bowery at Midnight" with Bela Lugosi. Neal's leading lady Ann Savage didn't murder anybody in real life, but she languished for most of her career in low-budget movies, most prominently "Renegade Girl" (1946). Aside from these two, the remaining nine actors and actresses made little impression. Meantime, acclaimed cult director Edgar G. Ulmer skillfully fashioned a memorable yarn on a threadbare budget, but he shared credit with Anthony Quinn's brother-in-law Martin Goldsmith. Nominated later for an Oscar for his contribution to "The Narrow Margin," Goldsmith penned this gripping narrative. Moreover, he contributed some sharp, snappy dialogue that Neal and Savage uttered with glorious irony more often than not. Their scenes in a Los Angeles apartment are unforgettable for their vitriolic repartee.Al Roberts (Tom Neal) plays piano in a seedy nightclub, while his attractive girlfriend, Sue Harvey (Claudia Drake of "Reunion in France"), warbles songs. Sue sings the song "I Can't Believe You Fell in Love with Me," and this song later haunts the forlorn protagonist. Sue wants to wed Al, but she prefers to make her fortune first before she ties the matrimonial knot. Sue surprises Al when she reveals her plans to head to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune. Ironically, when she arrives in Tinsel Town, Sue winds up slinging hash. Al perseveres around New York City, until he can no longer live without his songbird. He takes the ankle express to Hollywood, thumbing rides when he isn't wearing out shoe leather. Along the way, a motorist in a convertible, Charles Haskell Jr (Edmund MacDonald of "Destry Rides Again"), picks up Al in Arizona and agrees to drive him to their mutual destination Los Angeles. During the journey, Charles talks about his dueling scar. Al notices three scratches on Haskell's hand, and Haskell talks about an obstinate woman that he picked up and then turned loose. Al slips behind the steering wheel, while Haskell takes a nap. They are caught in a downpour with the roof down. When he tries to get Haskell out of the car, the man falls out and dies. Al suspects that nobody will believe that Haskell died in such a convenient manner. Instead of surrendering himself to the authorities, Al drags Haskell's corpse out into the desert, and he appropriates dead man's identity. The cash-strapped musician is pleased when he discovers a wad of dough. This good fortune doesn't last long because he picks up a hitchhiker, and she turns out to be Vera (Ann Savage) the same girl who scratched up Haskell. Vera threatens to turn Al over to the authorities, but she never makes good on her threat. Once they arrive in Los Angeles, they set out to sell their car. Neither Tom nor Vera utter kind words for the other. Eventually, she seizes the telephone and locks herself away in her room and threatens to call her cops. Al grabs the telephone cord and pulls on it. Little does he realize what he has done until he breaks into the bedroom and finds the cord wrapped tightly around Vera's neck. Talk about rotten luck. Al flees from the apartment complex, but the Highway Patrol nabs him. Things do not appear to be auspicious for Al."Detour" ranks as top-notch film noir. You cannot help but feel sorry for the woebegone protagonist. At the same time, Al Roberts emerges as a petulant loser, and it's easy to see why Sue would leave him behind. If you consider yourself a film noir completist, you have to have seen this gem.