Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers (WGA):

William P. McGivern (novel)
Abraham Polonsky (screenplay) (front John O. Killens) ...

Release Date:

15 October 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

By All Odds... It Stands Big And Breathless At The Top Of The List!

Plot:

Dave Burke is looking to hire two men to assist him in a bank raid: Earl Slater, an white ex-convict...

Plot Keywords:

Ex Convict | Neo Noir | Racial Slur | New York | Bank Robbery

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Harry Belafonte	...	Johnny Ingram
Robert Ryan	...	Earle Slater
Shelley Winters	...	Lorry
Ed Begley	...	Dave Burke
Gloria Grahame	...	Helen
Will Kuluva	...	Bacco
Kim Hamilton	...	Ruth Ingram
Mae Barnes	...	Annie
Richard Bright	...	Coco
Carmen De Lavallade	...	Kittie
Lew Gallo	...	Moriarty
Lois Thorne	...	Edie Ingram
Wayne Rogers	...	Soldier in bar
Zohra Lampert	...	Girl in Bar
Allen Nourse	...	Melton Police Chief

Runtime:

96 min | Canada:100 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #19371) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

HarBel Productions

Trivia:

Mel Stewart's film debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Johnny is rudely interrupting the female singer, she says "Harry, please", using Belafonte's real name instead of his character's name.

Quotes:

[after Slater insults Ingram]
Dave Burke: Don't beat out that Civil War jazz here, Slater! We're all in this together, each man equal. And we're taking care of each other. It's one big play, our one and only chance to grab stakes forever. And I don't want to hear what your grandpappy thought on the old farm down in Oklahoma! You got it?
Earl Slater: Well I'm with you, Dave. Like you said, it's just one role of the dice, doesn't matter what color they are. So's they come up seven.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Classified X (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

My Baby's Not Around

Can't we all get along?

Bigotry undermines this unholy trio's effort to execute the ultimate robbery. The actors whipped up for this illegal exercise are played by Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan and Ed Begley. The volatile chemistry between the three desperate fellows fuels this bleak film noir from the late Fifties. Once again, there is some gorgeous on location photography in Manhattan, especially Central Park. Fine Jazz and Calypso music are served up at the smoky club where Belafonte works. Crooked camera angles and cluttered set direction contribute nicely to a claustrophobic atmosphere. The apartment building where Begley resides has a weird elevator that has multiple exit doors as well as an operator who likes to talk about the wind piercing the elevator shaft. The dames--Gloria Grahame and Shelly Winters--are rough but warm around the edges. Wayne Rogers makes his debut in a small role as a braggart in a bar. Stick around for the killer final and be blown away.