Out of the Past (1947) is a film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur, based on the novel Build My Gallows High. It stars Robert Mitchum as Jeff Bailey, a man trying to leave his criminal past behind, but who is pulled back in when his former lover Kathie (Jane Greer) reappears. Though he is building a new life with Ann (Virginia Huston), Kathie's reemergence threatens to destroy everything as she represents greed, dishonesty, and a penchant for murder. The film uses stunning lighting and symbolism to depict the city as corrupt and Jeff's struggle to escape his past influences.