Too Late for Tears (1949)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

Roy Huggins (screenplay)
Roy Huggins (serial)

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
Roy Huggins		(screenplay)
Roy Huggins		(serial)

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

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

Cinematography by
William C. Mellor		(director of photography) (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		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Peggy Gray	....	hair stylist
Bob Mark	....	makeup supervisor
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
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:

Danny Fuller: You haven't anything to hide, have you?
[Jane sits down and crosses her legs]
Danny Fuller: No, I can see you haven't.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Spartan (2004)

Money is the root of all evil and then some...

Although considered by many to be a minor classic of film noir, Too Late For Tears, is a veritable treasure trove of classic movie dialogue. ("Don't ever change, Tiger. I don't know if I'd like you if you had a heart." Or "What are you doing?" "Getting my lipsick."Colt or Smith & Wesson?") Border-line bad girl, Lizabeth Scott takes the leap to full-fledged femme fatale-hood when a valise full of money almost literally lands in her lap and what might've been pennies from heaven quickly turns into blood money. With her smoky voice and campy-vamp moves, Scott slinks from scene to scene leaving bodies all over the place and loving ever minute of it.

Running the gammut from scruples to sin, each character is just as convoluted as the plot, especially Dan Duryea as clever con-man become chump. But that's the joy of it. Lizbeth Scott and Dan Duryea might not be Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray but there's plenty enough juicy insurance scams to go around and plenty enough comeuppance to whet the appetite of even the hardest dame or gent.