Sir Anthony Hopkins left an indelible mark in the pantheon of film’s most memorable characters, particularly evil ones. Impressively, he is only on screen for 24 minutes and 52 seconds of the films 118-minute runtime. The cadence in his voice, the menace in his eyes, and acute dialogue make audiences remember Hannibal Lecter as a living, breathing villain, not Hopkins merely playing one. 46 years prior to the release of The Silence of the Lambs, a B movie titled Detour was made. Its runtime is 67 minutes, and the villain, the femme fatale of this fatal film noir is on screen for about 31 of those minutes. Ann Savage, playing the role of Vera, delivers a deliciously devilish turn as a psychotic hitchhiker, one that is on par with some of the best villains in American film history.
The film opens up in a small diner; a man named Al Roberts is slumping with a five o’clock shadow and enough sadness in his eyes to fill an ocean. In flashbacks, Al tells the story of his hitchhiking from New York to California. He once had a job as a jazz pianist where he was in love with a singer at the club where he played. She moves to Los Angeles and he soon follows. In his travels, he is picked up by a man named Haskell. In the course of their trek, Al accidentally kills Haskell (although, can we believe this unreliable narrator?) But before Haskell dies, he shows the pink puffy scars left on his hand by a harpy of a woman, a woman he picked up hitchhiking before he met Al. In true noir fashion, Al Roberts drives the car West and picks up none other than the evil woman he gave the scars: Vera.
Vera’s no dummy and instantly recognizes Al is driving Haskell’s car. For the rest of the film, Al and Vera plot what to do with the car and Al’s new assumed identity. Tom Neal as Al is great in this role. His demeanor and narration show he is begging for a sympathetic ear. The way he tells it, he’s just a guy who tripped on a foot fate stuck out. But as mentioned before, Ann Savage as Vera is the real star. Her acidic delivery of dastardly dialogue cuts deep. She is straight from Hell and bares no humanity (watch the trailer for a taste of what I am talking about). The somewhat off-kilter look of the film (a result from its financial limitations, as well as director Edgar G. Ulmer’s dark vision) play perfectly with the tenacity of Vera and the pitiful Al.
There is nothing like film noir when it is done right. Odds were against Detour, and sure, you can nit pick some of the technical aspects. But a lot of its kinks and quirks work in its favor. Limitations, whether they are financial or with censorship, often make creators think outside of the box and get inventive. This film is a fine example of such a feat.
The exact history of Detour has been inconsistently reported. Some reports say it was made for $25,000, while others suggest $100,000. The director has said the movie was shot in one week, while other reports cite the schedule as being 28 days long. Regardless of how quickly or cheaply Detour came into being, it is a film worthy of your time. The nightmarish journey of Al is one not easily forgotten by viewers. In fact, Detour was the first “B” movie chosen by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry. It’s available on multiple streaming services due to the fact that this film fell into the Public Domain (of course it did). Do yourself a favor and check it out. And be wary of hitchhiking!
