Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

Dave Burke is looking to hire two men to assist him in a bank raid: Earl Slater, a white ex-convict, and Johnny Ingram, a black gambler. Both are reluctant; but Burke arranges for Ingram's ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

William P. McGivern (novel), Abraham Polonsky (screenplay),

Stars:

Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

Dave Burke is looking to hire two men to assist him in a bank raid: Earl Slater, a white ex-convict, and Johnny Ingram, a black gambler. Both are reluctant; but Burke arranges for Ingram's creditors to put pressure on him, while Slater feels humiliated by his failure to provide for his girlfriend; they eventually accept. But Slater loathes and despises blacks, and the tensions in the gang rapidly mount.

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Plot Keywords:

ex convict | explosion | ex husband versus ex wife | soldier | burn from explosion | 

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Taglines:

He knew where $50,000 lay begging to be STOLEN!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wenig Chancen für morgen

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

HarBel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 100 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Ellroy called it "just the best heist-gone-wrong movie ever made".

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Goofs

As Robert Ryan first drives the souped up Chevy wagon, we hear him grind the gears. Later, as we watch the speedometer climb to 100 MPH, we see the left side of the Powerglide shift quadrant on the steering column. Automatic transmissions don't make gear grinding noises.

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Quotes

Earl Slater: What you doin' with such a big ol' dog in New York?
Dave Burke: Never had a wife.

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Connections

References White Heat (1949)

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Soundtracks

"My Baby's Not Around"
Written by Harry Belafonte and Milton Okun
Performed by Harry Belafonte

User Reviews

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.