Too Late for Tears (1949)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

Roy Huggins (screenplay)
Roy Huggins (story)

Release Date:

13 August 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

That's just to remind you... you're in a tough racket now!

Plot:

Through a fluke circumstance a ruthless woman stumbles across a suitcase filled with $60,000, and she is determined to hold onto it even it if means murder.

Plot Keywords:

Fall From Balcony | Fate | Boat | War Buddy | Suspicion

Cast

Lizabeth Scott	...	Jane Palmer
Don DeFore	...	Don Blake
Dan Duryea	...	Danny Fuller
Arthur Kennedy	...	Alan Palmer
Kristine Miller	...	Kathy Palmer
Barry Kelley	...	Lt. Breach
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Ames	...	Fat man (uncredited)
Georgia Backus	...	Woman (uncredited)
Robert Bice	...	Policeman (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Little Man answering phone (uncredited)
David Clarke	...	Jack Sharber (uncredited)
Jimmie Dodd	...	Second car thief (uncredited)
Renee Donatt	...	Young lover in boat (uncredited)
Charles Flynn	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Billy Halop	...	Boat attendant (uncredited)
Richard Irving	...	First car thief (uncredited)
Perry Ivins	...	Checkroom attendant (uncredited)
Robert Kellard	...	Policeman (uncredited)
George Mann	...	Man in cowboy hat (uncredited)
John Mansfield	...	Carlos (uncredited)
Alex Montoya	...	Mexican officer (uncredited)
Virginia Mullen	...	Woman (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Dr. Adams (uncredited)
Robert Neff	...	Driver of payoff car (uncredited)
James Nolan	...	Det. Parker (uncredited)
Kenny O'Morrison	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Police Officer at switchboard (uncredited)
Denver Pyle	...	Youth at Union Station (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Policeman (uncredited)
June Storey	...	Fuller's girl (uncredited)
Carl Thompson	...	Young lover in boat (uncredited)
Harry J. Vejar	...	Lt. Rivera (uncredited)
Patricia Wallace	...	Woman (uncredited)
William Wayne	...	Gas station attendant (uncredited)
Smoki Whitfield	...	Pete (uncredited)

Directed by
Byron Haskin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Roy Huggins		screenplay
Roy Huggins		story

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

Original Music by
R. Dale Butts		(as Dale Butts)

Cinematography by
William C. Mellor		(as William Mellor)

Film Editing by
Harry Keller

Art Direction by
James W. Sullivan		(as James Sullivan)

Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.
Charles S. Thompson		(as Charles Thompson)

Costume Design by
Adele Palmer

Makeup Department
Peggy Gray	....	hair stylist
Bob Mark	....	makeup artist
Robert Cowan	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Howard Smit	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lou Rosso	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dick Moder	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Earl Crain Sr.	....	sound
Howard Wilson	....	sound

Special Effects by
Howard Lydecker	....	special effects
Theodore Lydecker	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Ben Bishop	....	grip (uncredited)
Hap Hodges	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Herbert Kirkpatrick	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Mickey Marigold	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Morton Scott	....	musical director

Other crew
Bob Sterling	....	assistant to producer
Marvin Weldon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hunt Stromberg Productions
• Streamline Pictures

Distributors

• United Artists (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (re-titled) (re-release)
• Timeless Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Hollywood Classics (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Questar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• St. Clair Entertainment Group (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• St. Clair Entertainment Group (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)

Also Known As:

Killer Bait (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1952) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #13539) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Hunt Stromberg Productions

Trivia:

Roy Huggins wrote the screenplay, which is based on his "Saturday Evening Post" serial.

Quotes:

Jane Palmer: Now... what's this about lakes?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Spartan (2004)

Well acted film noir.

Jane and Alan Palmer accidently receive a satchel containing sixty thousand dollars that was intended as a blackmail payoff. Alan wants to turn the money over to the police, but money loving Jane wants to keep it. Meanwhile the blackmailer confronts Jane about his absconded payment. Greedy Jane murders her husband and then pretends to make a deal with the blackmailer. However, a ghost from Janes past returns to be her undoing.

Considering that Byron (WAR OF THE WORLDS) Haskin was never a really good director of actors, this film is very well acted. The cast turns in first rate performances, so good in fact that the performers almost make the viewer not notice that this film has a very far fetched, convoluted plot.

I have seen a lot of these "film noirs" and of all of them, TOO LATE FOR TEARS is probably one of the most cynical. Few other films I have seen have this thick air fatalism hanging over it.

Kristine Miller who plays Alan's sister Kathy, is one of the most beautiful women to grace the screen. This the first time I noticed her, and it's a shame her film career was rather short, and rarely had large roles as she had here.

One note: If you pay close attention, you will see former "Dead End" Kid leader Billy Halop in small role as a boat attendant.