Detour

Detour (1945) directed by Edgar G. Ulmer is known as a film noir classic among cinemaphiles, however, I ony learned that after watching it and reading Noah Isenberg's informative BFI book length study of the film. Ulmer was an Austrian expatriate director with a background in theater who made a name for himself in making artful B pictures for minuscule budgets of which Detour is a fine example. It is a very dark film with few sets and characters that tells the tale of a New York jazz pianist (Tom Neal) with classical ambitions who decides to follow his girlfriend out to Hollywood to make a go of it, however, he is too poor to fly or take a train, so he hitchhikes and runs in trouble. Especially when he picks up the cynical vicious Vera (played with menace by Ann Savage). Ulmer has some very artistic scenes throughout the taut 67 minute thriller. It truly is an entertianing American film noir classic.