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15 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :- My Life Was Never My Own, 20 August 2006 Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
I'll Cry Tomorrow was the title of the autobiography of Lillian Roth, former singing star of the Twenties and Early Thirties whose career like her contemporary Helen Morgan took a nose dive into the toilet. Unlike Morgan, Roth survived to tell about it and became one of the first name clients of Alcholics Anonymous.That does seem like an oxymoron because as an organization AA does survive on the anonymity of its members. But Lillian Roth went public with her story as a warning to those becoming to dependent on alcohol.Susan Hayward gave one of her best screen performances ever in essaying the part of Lillian Roth. In fact she does her own singing here and even made a record of four of the songs she sang in this film, When the Red Red Robin, Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe, Sing You Sinners, and Waltz Hugette. She had previously played singers in With a Song In My Heart and Smash-Up, but was dubbed by others. Hayward was an amazing talent, even in some of her worst films she comes across like no other actress. Even Bette Davis who could chew scenery in a bad film to make it entertaining could never hold a candle to my fellow Brooklynite, Susan Hayward. That she could sing too, is no surprise to me.Probably Lillian Roth's best known screen roles are in Cecil B. DeMille's Madam Satan, in the Marx Brothers comedy, Animal Crackers and in the first screen version of the Vagabond King. The first two are out, I wish the third was also, a print might no longer exist.Jo Van Fleet played Hayward's mother, the Jewish stage mother from the lower depths. Van Fleet gave one of her most acclaimed performances here. Her Jewish New York accent is the only clue to Lillian's ethnic background. It's a sad portrayal of a woman who both lived vicariously through her daughter and is pushing her because she wants her not to have as tough a life as she had.Richard Conte, Ray Danton, Don Taylor, and Eddie Albert all play men in in Roth's life and though the protagonist is a woman, each of the guys makes an indelible image. Ray Danton plays her boyhood fiancé who dies young and helps start Lillian's downward spiral. In that Roth's story was very similar to that other star of the Twenties Marilyn Miller who lost a husband early and never recovered from it. That's all depicted in the Marilyn Miller biographical film, Look for the Silver Lining from 20th Century Fox a few years before this.Hayward got a deserved Oscar nomination for this part, but lost to Anna Magnani. That was a year for substance abuse because Frank Sinatra got a nomination for playing a junkie in The Man With the Golden Arm. Both Sue and Frank went through gut wrenching withdrawal scenes in both films.I'll Cry Tomorrow is always listed among the five best films of Susan Hayward's. It's some people's personal favorite and while mine happens to be I Want to Live, this one is right up there.
12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :- Superb Susan Hayward, 13 June 2006 Author: drednm
Superb performance by Susan Hayward as Lillian Roth.No eye for period detail, not even an attempt, and probably a lot of hooey biographically, BUT....Terrific performances by Susan Hayward as Lillian Roth and Jo Van Fleet as her mother. The two women give stunning performances.The film is a tad preachy with the AA message but Hayward and Van Fleet (born a year apart) are a feast. I don't think any actress ever gave better performances as a drunk than Hayward (SMASH-UP), And Van Fleet, who made her film debut in 1955, scored in this film as well as EAST OF EDEN and THE ROSE TATTOO--all in 1955! Richard Conte, Eddie Albert, Margo, Don Taylor, Virginia Gregg, Ray Danton, Henry Kulky, Veda Ann Borg, and Tol Avery co-star......Anyone know who did the singing voice for Hayward?Lillian Roth was a big stage star who made a few good films in the early 30s and always seemed likable.
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :- Good Susan, 31 January 2005 Author: (style@austinchronicle.com) from United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
The magnificent Hayward, again demonstrating her prowess in portraying alcoholics, this time in the true-life story of chanteuse and general party-girl, Lillian Roth. We begin with Lillian as a little girl, being trotted to all kinds of auditions by her scheming and manipulative stage mother, played by Van Fleet. One thing becomes another and soon Lillian is a star (with a repertoire that includes a much too serious rendition of "The Red, Red Robin…"), and Mother is pleased to be accumulating the trappings of luxury that she so richly deserves. But, when love enters the picture, Lillian is smitten and all of Mother's plans are threatened with derailment. When Lillian's young lover dies of an unnamed illness, she is devastated and has no interest in performing. But all-powerful Mother wields her strength, telling Lillian to snap out of it. It is a painful decision for Lillian, but she throws her mother out, and as Mother slinks off to the sidelines, Lillian, like her counterpart in "Smash-Up", soon takes a wee little drinkee to ease the pain. But as all alcoholics know, one drink is too many and a thousand is not enough, and soon Lillian is on the road to ruin. She gets tossed out of all the classiest places, and wakes up in bed with a strange man – even though they're both fully dressed and in twin beds. She falls under the spell of a Svengali, compellingly played by Conte, who convinces her that it's okay to drink, but just know when to stop. Of course, if that were possible for alcoholics, no one would need AA. She runs away and attempts suicide. But Hayward, being Hayward, survives it all, and with the help of AA (and Hollywood) she's back on top in no time. The video box informs us that the popularity of this movie at the time rekindled Miss Roth's career, but to a degree that Miss Roth began imitating *Miss Hayward's* version of Miss Roth. Life imitating art imitating life.
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :- You'll Be Optimistic Tomorrow After Seeing this Film, 15 December 2005 Author: edwagreen from United States
One of the best pictures ever made showcasing the talent of the brilliant Susan Hayward.Miss Hayward was never better as Lillian Roth. Her drunk scenes are unbelievably realistic. Just ask any alcoholic.Susan Hayward was equally matched by the terrific supporting performance of Jo Van Fleet as her mother. Van Fleet would win the coveted Oscar that same year (1955) for "East of Eden." I'll never understand why. She was far better as Katie Roth.Hayward, who did her own singing, did very well. It is even said that Lillian Roth tried to emulate Hayward, when trying to make a comeback.The film co-stars Ray Danton as Hayward's ill-fated finance, whose death from an apparent rapidly growing brain tumor, sets Roth on a downward spiral. Don Taylor, who would later become a director, is effective as Wallie, the guy who Roth marries when she is dead drunk. Richard Conte steals the show as the brutal Tony, who takes Roth for a ride, before she dumps him in California.Eddie Albert, in one of his greatest roles, is terrific as Burt McGuire from AA. A recovering alcoholic, still hesitant about life, he acted beautifully in some memorable scenes.Hayward's singing and dancing, especially in the number, Sing You Sinners from the Vagabond King, is marvelously staged.Susan Hayward began her long trek in playing troubled women in the 1947 hit Smash-Up: The Story of A Woman. Both she and Eddie Albert got great experience for their parts, 8 years later, in this fabulous movie.
10 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :- A movie overflowed with drama, 25 June 2003 Author: josh_wilder (josh_wilder@hotmail.com) from Maryland
"I'll Cry Tomorrow" aptly depicts the main problem of movie and singing stars: They work unnaturally hard, dismissing relationships and family, and deal with their problems "tomorrow". Lillian Roth dealt with these problems with alcohol.The problem with "I'll Cry Tomorrow," however, is its indulgence in its storyline. The bulk of the second half of the movie is just showing Roth drunk and making a fool of herself. The filmmakers are trying to generate so much sympathy for Roth that none is generated at all because of the film; only when the audience member sits down and thinks, "Well, wasn't she a victim of show business (and life in general)."The parts are most often overacted, though Susan Hayward's performed well overall. The plot, however, is not focused on any segment of Roth's life nor any aspect -- just her alcoholism. I don't know, perhaps "Lillian Roth" is synonymous with alcoholism, but even at that, the movie shouldn't just show her getting drunk 24/7. The angle that the filmmakers are going for, as far as I can tell, is how life as a star has affected her personal life. At the very beginning, we are warned by the confrontation between David and Lillian's mother that a normal life with a family and a husband can and will never coincide with the life of a star.But once she turns into an alcoholic, the story ceases to consider anything previous. The movie just doesn't know when to stop. It feels that it has to fit in so much in so little time. So it doesn't bother to truly connect the points of her life. It just keeps going and going and going and going... "Hey, if we show x number of scenes with Hayward drunk, then maybe she'll win an Oscar!" It falls into a trap that all biopics fall into -- not knowing what to keep in and what to leave out.
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :- Based on Lillian Roth's autobiography - Hayward owns this role, 21 January 2009 Author: jde1963 from Greensboro, NC
I was shocked to learn that this was based on a true story about a singer/actress named Lillian Roth that was at her peak in the 1930's. That was well before my time, so no wonder I never heard of her. What a sad, tragic tale of alcoholism and the destruction it wrought in this woman's life. Add to that a driven stage mom who was pimping her and her sister out for entertainment - she first appeared on Broadway at the age of six. It's one thing when a child seeks out performing - but another when a parent pushes them.I looked up photos of Lillian and she was a beautiful, vivacious looking woman in her youth. I didn't see any photos of her later in life - no telling what alcoholism did to her youth and beauty.Hayward does an amazing job bringing this tragic tale to life. You feel every bit of her painful and tortured life. At first I thought this would be a typical 50's melodramatic soap opera tale. But it goes much deeper into a strong character study of this unfortunate woman's life and the leeches that attached themselves to her. I have not seen many of Hayward's performances but this undoubtedly has to be one of her finest. I was also impressed that Hayward did her own singing in this and did a good job of imitating Roth's deep vocal ranges and theatrical style. I listened to some of Roth's tunes on iTunes and was impressed with the similarity. However, if Roth were on American Idol today, Simon would slam her for being "over-the-top", too theatrical, and "over-singing". But that was the style back then.My only criticism is that I'm not sure they went for realism in the retelling of the tale. It looks to be set more in the modern time is was filmed (1950's) rather than 30's and 40's when most of the events took place. Also, they kept Hayward's hair red rather than dark brown like Lillian's. Other than that, it was a very good film.
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :- Hayward shows actressy grit playing alcoholic Lillian Roth, 10 December 2006 Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca
Well-intentioned movie based on singer/actress Lillian Roth's memoir about her troubled life before finding success, battling with her mama (Jo Van Fleet) and later nearly destroying her own career with an addiction to booze. The scenario isn't as tidied-up as one may expect, and pathos are kept to a minimum. In the lead, Susan Hayward isn't a revelation--vulnerability doesn't come easily to her--but neither is she overtly melodramatic, and Helen Rose's Oscar-winning costumes keep her looking every inch the star (this is a movie-star vehicle, after all). The best performance is given by Eddie Albert as a counselor from AA. So-called 'woman's picture' is professionally-assembled and has several strong scenes. **1/2 from ****
5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Fascinating but overwrought performances..., 14 June 2006 Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.
SUSAN HAYWARD has some strong, searing scenes full of fireworks in I'LL CRY TOMORROW--as does JO VAN FLEET as her overbearing stage mother--but there are times when you just wish Daniel Mann would keep the theatrical melodramatics a bit more under his control.The story of a confessed alcoholic singer is an unpleasant one and this is all the more reason why a little soft pedaling now and then would have helped. As it is, Mann has chosen to pull out all the stops and give us a saga of grim and unrelieved suffering for too lengthy a time.All of the performances are respectable enough--including EDDIE ALBERT and MARGO as a couple who try to help the alcohol addicted Roth back on her feet again after an attempt at suicide forces her to go to the AA clinic. And Hayward does well by the songs that Roth supposedly performed in nightclubs, using her own voice and gestures she undoubtedly picked up from Jane Froman, whose biography she also did on screen a bit earlier.A toning down of the shrill melodramatics would have helped--but, nevertheless, this is a frank and disturbing portrait of a woman on the skids and Miss Hayward does her best to give a convincing portrait.
5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Magnificent Susasn Hayward Performance, 21 December 2003 Author: rlrblademan07 from New York
Susan Hayward was a great actress which many acclaimed performances that finally won her a much deserved Oscar for I Want to Live. Miss Hayward's performance in Danniel Mann's I'll Cry Tomoorow is one of the best performances on film of alcoholism. Miss Hayward's performance is superb. I recommend all see this fine movie.
Susan Hayward is sensational!!!, 1 October 2008 Author: kidboots from Australia
Susan Hayward is sensational in this no holes barred biography of tragic performer Lillian Roth. Miss Hayward also did her own singing which was much more in the style of Miss Roth than Doris Day was to Ruth Etting in "Love Me or Leave Me". Who won the Academy Award this year - could anyone have turned in a better performance than Susan Hayward???? As drednm says there was no care given to authenticity of the period (50s costumes, dates and events mixed up) but it didn't really matter - Susan Hayward was electrifying. Lillian Roth's book was very hard hitting (more awful than the film if that's possible) and the ending gave more detail about her time in AA. She toured Australia and was one of the first stars that actually stood up and said "I am an alcoholic and I want to help others"."Broadway's Youngest Star" had a grueling childhood, pushed into show business by a relentless stage mother, Katie (Jo Van Fleet, matching Hayward's performance - she is marvellous!!!). She didn't enjoy a normal childhood. When she is an up and coming film star (Hayward makes a sensation entrance singing "Sing You Sinners") she meets childhood friend David (Ray Danton) once again. He is already sick but keeps the seriousness of it from Lillian and together they plan their future. Katie is livid that he has come between Lillian and the success that Katie craves. She tries all in her power to keep them apart, intercepting notes, forgetting to give messages. David dies while she is on a singing tour that he has organized and Lillian then spirals into a deep depression. When the nurse, Ellen, gives her a drink to help her sleep, Lillian is on her way down, marrying Wallie (Don Taylor) while on a drunken bender - she doesn't even realize she is married!!! She then marries sadist Tony Bardeman (Richard Conte) who not only encourages her to drink but also beats her up as well. As Lillian Roth said in her book "when people questioned how she could marry him, she replied that she had hit rock bottom and didn't think she deserved any better".In between times there are performances where she is too drunk to stand up and needs a chair to steady her on stage. She finally makes the break from Bardeman, hits skid row (Timothy Carey plays an uncredited part as a drunken derelict) then goes to live with her mother.When a suicide attempt fails she goes to AA and after some harrowing scenes, drying out, going "cold turkey", she begins to live again, with the help of Burt McGuire (Eddie Albert) and Toni (Margo). The last scene is of her walking down the aisle to appear on "This is Your Life".Highly Recommended.
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