“Detour” may not be the best film noir, but it is a film that shows how a talented director can bring his talents to a low budget film and make it a quality film. Featuring a wonderful femme fatale performance from Ann Savage and an entertaining, classic Hollywood story with wonderful directing by Edward G. Ulmer, “Detour” is a film noir that I recommend owning on Blu-ray!
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TITLE: Detour – The Criterion Collection #966
YEAR OF FILM: 1945
DURATION: 93 Minutes (Good Morning), 90 Minutes (I was Born, But…)
DVD INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Black and White
COMPANY: THE CRITERION COLLECTION
RELEASED: March 19, 2019
Original Story by Martin Goldsmith
Directed by Edward G. Ulmer
Screenplay by Martin Goldsmith
Produced by Leon Fromkess
Music by Leo Erdody
Assistant Producer: Martin Mooney
Cinematography by Benjamin H. Kline
Edited by George McGuire
Art Direction by Edward C. Jewell
Set Decoration by Glenn P. Thompson
Starring:
Tom Neal as Al Roberts
Ann Savage as Vera
Claudia Drake as Sue Harvey
Edmund MacDonald as Charles Haskell Jr.
From Poverty Row came a movie that, perhaps more than any other, epitomizes the dark fatalism at the heart of film noir. As he hitchhikes his way from New York to Los Angeles, a down-on-his-luck nightclub pianist (Tom Neal) finds himself with a dead body on his hands and nowhere to run—a waking nightmare that goes from bad to worse when he picks up the most vicious femme fatale in cinema history, Ann Savage’s snarling, monstrously conniving drifter Vera. Working with no-name stars on a bargain-basement budget, B auteur Edgar G. Ulmer turned threadbare production values and seedy, low-rent atmosphere into indelible pulp poetry. Long unavailable in a format in which its hard-boiled beauty could be fully appreciated, Detour haunts anew in its first major restoration.
Back in the 1930’s-1940’s, there were numerous and less prestigious Hollywood film studios that created low-budget films who were known as a collective studios branded as “Poverty Row”.
The name is derived from the film companies that held their headquarters on Gower Street in Hollywood, an area known for its low rent at the time.
Among the popular studios well-known for their low budget films were Monogram Studios and Producers Release Corporation (PRC).
I have watched many poverty row films and fortunately, I have seen a few of rare gems which I enjoyed although there were more craptastic low-budget poverty row cinema that I have watched as well.
From set malfunctions, one-take shots with mistaken or ad lib dialogue to bad acting, especially when it comes to death scenes.
So, I was a bit curious that a poverty row film is going to be released by The Criterion Collection. But when I found out it was the 1945 film “Detour” directed by Edward G Ulmer, it eventually made sense.
For one, it’s one of the few low budget “Poverty Row” films that was selected by the Library of Congress worthy of special preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historially, or aesthetically significant”.
A 4K restoration of the film by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and premiered at the TCM Festival in April 2018.
Also, part of the curiousity towards the film was that it was rumored to be shot in six days for about to $20,000. But in truth, it cost around $100,000 and according to actress Ann Savage, shot in four six-day weeks with an addition four days of location work in a desert at Lancanster, California.
For those not familiar with Edward G. Ulmer, he was an Austrian-American film directory who created low budget films best known for films such as “The Black Cat” (1934), “Isle of Forgotten Sins” (1943, “The Wife of Monte Cristo”, “Strange Woman” (1946), “The Man from Planet X” (1951), to name a few. Decades after these films were released, cineastes and film critics would later become appreciated.
As for “Detour”, the film is based on an original story by Martin Goldsmith and stars Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake and Edmund MacDonald.
The film begins with testy and frustrated piano player Al Roberts (portrayed by Tom Neal) drinking coffee at a roadside diner in Reno and trying to hitchhike east from California.
Al is bitter because he didn’t live to his full potential as a musician and now working at a nightclub. But if there was one person that has kept him happy, it was his girlfriend Sue Harvey (portrayed by Claudia Drake), who was the vocalist at the nightclub he worked at.
Sue moved to Hollywood, leaving Al behind and he’s become depressed. But after anguishing on whether or not he should also go to California, he decides to travel to California in hopes of marrying her, despite not having much money. But the only way to make this happen is by hitchhiking across the country.
While in Arizona, Al is picked up by a bookie named Charles Haskell, Jr. (portrayed by Edmund MacDonald) who came from Florida and is on his way to Los Angeles to bet on a horse. During their drive, Al notices scratch marks on Charles hand and Charles tends to ask him to hand him his pills while driving.
When Charles hands the car over to Al to drive, it later starts to rain hard and Al tries to put the top of the convertible on. But Charles is asleep and unresponsive, so when Al he goes to open the passenger door to put the top on the convertible, Charles falls from his seat and cracks his head on a big rock, killing him.
Al feels that no one will believe that Charles died of an accident by falling from his car and hitting his head on a rock. Afraid, Al decides to take Charles belongings, his wallet and money, drags him to the desert and takes his car to head to Los Angeles.
Assuming the name of Charles Haskell, Jr., while at a gas station, he sees a woman trying to hitchike and offers to give her a ride. The hitchhiker, Vera (portrayed by Ann Savage), tells him that she knows that is not his car. The car belonged to Charles Haskell who picked her up earlier in Louisiana and got out in Arizona when he tried to force himself on her.
When Al tells her the truth of how Charles died, Vera doesn’t believe him but she uses it to blackmail him to get what she wants. Fearful of being arrested with no one believing him on how Charles Haskell really died, he relents and goes with Vera’s rules, if that will allow him to ditch the car and eventually see Sue.
VIDEO:
“Detour” is a film presented in its original aspect ration of 1:37:1. And for many people who have watched this film in public domain, you won’t believe the painstaking process of creating this 4K digital restoration. The film looks absolutely magnificent in HD. No signs of scratches, warping. Black levels are nice and deep, white and grays are well-presented. This is the definitive version of the film to date!
According to the Criterion Collection, this new 4K digital restoration was undertaken by the Academy Film Archive and the Film Foundation in collaboration with the Cinematheque royale de Belgique, the Museum of Modern Art and the Cinematheque francaise. Restoration funding was provided by the George Lucas Film Foundation. A new digital transfer was created on a Northlight film scanner from a 35 mm nitrate composite print with French and Flemish subtitles at the Cinematheque royale. A 35 mm safety duplicate picture negative from MoMA was used as a compositing source for removing the subtitles. Digital painting techniques were used as a compositing source for removing the subtitles. Digital painting techniques were used where the MoMA source did not contain the necessary frames. One shot was missing from both the Cinematheque royale and the MoMA sources. The shot was incorporated into the restoration from a 35 mm safety composite print from the Cinematheque francaise.
AUDIO:
Audio is in presented in monaural with no signs of popping, hiss or any crackling. According to the Criterion Collection, the original monaural soundtrack was restored from three 35 mm prints and a 16 mm print by Jon Polito at Audio Mechanics in Burbank, California.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Detour” features the following special features:
- Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen – (1:15:36) A 2004 documentary exploring the life and career of director Edgar G. Ulmer.
- Noah Isenberg – (21:11) Interview with Noah Isenberg, author of the British Film Institute’s monograph on “Detour” and “Edgar G. Ulmer: A Filmmaker at the Margins”.
- Restoring Detour – (11:03) A featurette about the restoration of Detour by The Academy Film Archive and the Film Foundation in collaboration with the Cinematheque roal de Belgique, the Museum of Modern Art and the Cinemateque francaise.
- Trailer – Theatrical trailer for “Detour”.
EXTRAS:
“Detour” comes with a 30-page booklet with an essay titled “Some Detours to Detour” by Robert Polito.
I have a lot of appreciation for Edward G. Ulmer.
As one of the Weimar Republic-era filmmakers known for German Expressionism who would go on to have a career in Hollywood, while Billy Wilder (“Some Like It Hot”, “Sunset Blvd.”, “The Apartmen”, “Double Indemnity”€) and Fred Zinneman (known for directing “High Noon”, ‘From Here to Eternity”,”The Day of the Jackal”) were the most famous, Edward G. Ulmer, Curt Siodmak (who would later be known for his “Wolf Man” and ‘Invisible Man” films), Robert Siodmak (who would later be known for “The Killers”, “The Spiral Staircase” and “Criss Cross”) would direct films that may not be big blockbusters, but still captivated audiences.
For Ulmer, describing himself as the “Frank Capra of PRC”, he directed film noir classics “Bluebeard” (1944), “Strange Illusion” (1945) and “Detour” (1945) and it’s the latter film which many people credit as an artistic achievement.
While ignored when it was released, cineaste appreciate the film because Ulmer was able to bring that style to audiences. From camera angles to exaggerated lighting, he was able to direct a film with no name talent and also to work on a limited budget.
The film showcases actors Tom Neal, a former boxer turned actor who would have a tumultuous off and on relationship with a wife/ex-wife actress Barbara Peyton and would serve prison time for the “accidental” death of his third wife. Ulmer showcases a musician named Al who has lived a life full of disappointments and when he decides to pursue something good, by wanting to go to Hollywood to marry the woman he loves, unfortunately by trying to hitch hike across the country, he runs into shady people that will change his life forever.
But the person that pulls you into the film is actress Ann Savage who no doubt perfects the femme fatale as Vera. Vera is a strong female character, not wanting to have a man mistreat her and she ultimately has Al wrapped around her finger when she blacksmail him. While smoking and not giving a f*** about Al or how he feels, she revels in the fact that she has control over him. But it does elevate her temper that she is not able to completely have him submit to her.
While the film didn’t open any major work for Savage, she would star in nearly a dozen B films in her career. But it’s her role in “Detour” that fans realize how awesome she was playing a femme fatale. Savage would also appear in Guy Maddin’s 2007 film “My Winnipeg” (also available from The Criterion Collection), the last film prior to her death a year later.
As a Poverty Row film, a lot of the scenes are shot inside the car or with limited location shots. Low-budget can be seen via the rear-project for outdoor sequences (especially in the drive-in) to a scene of the death (but not so convincing as the shiver in the eyes is a dead giveaway) and more other scenes (ie. car on the wrong side of the road), etc.
But still, it’s not enough to derail this film because for those well-versed in poverty row films, we have seen a lot worse. Ulmer was able to minimize the obvious by knowing his financial limits and not cheapening the film through ill-selected shots.
While “Detour” is not a long film, fortunately you get lengthy, informative and entertaining special features that are worth watching if you are a fan of Edward G. Ulmer and “Detour”.
In addition, you are getting the best looking version of the film to date and the Blu-ray goes as far as showing how far multiple organizations went through in restoring the film in 4K digital. The film looks absolutely amazing in HD!
Overall, “Detour” may not be the best film noir, but it is a film that shows how a talented director can bring his talents to a low budget film and make it a quality film. Featuring a wonderful femme fatale performance from Ann Savage and an entertaining, classic Hollywood story with wonderful directing by Edward G. Ulmer, “Detour” is a film noir that I recommend owning on Blu-ray!