Out of the Fog (Blu-ray)

Film Review: 4/5

I will admit I went into this one with low expectations but after viewing for the first time last night I realized I stumbled across a really fine minor noir. Lupino may be top-billed but it is definitely Thomas Mitchell and John Qualen's performances that make this film soar. The sincerity each bring to their roles as best friends Jonah and Olaf stands tall above the uneven performance given by Lupino here and easily helps you overlook and forgive the occasional shortcomings in her performance. Garfield also gives a fine performance as the intimidating gangster and the numerous zany supporting players sprinkled throughout approach their roles naturally and with a lot of fun.

The restoration done on this fog-filled film is outstanding and it is frankly beautiful to watch. I look forward to pulling it from my shelf to enjoy again soon and am happy to recommend it to other film fans who can appreciate a lighter more mid-shelf noir.

A solid drama with John Garfield as a cold racketeer, and Ida Lupino in the contradictory role of a silly young woman who continues to date the racketeer even after findign out that he's extorting her beloved father. Despite the bleak and amoral conclusion, Out of the Fog is a great classic of the genre.

Obviously based on a stage play, this Noir-ish drama stars Ida Lupino and John Garfield, the latter being outstandingly nasty in this. Nice, also, to see Aline MacMahon as Ida’s mother, an actress who always seemed to me to be underused at Warners.

Stagey but well-acted on the whole.