Too Late for Tears (1949)

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

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

Roy Huggins (screenplay), Roy Huggins (from his Saturday Evening Post serial)

Stars:

Lizabeth Scott, Don DeFore, Dan Duryea

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lizabeth Scott	...	Jane Palmer
Don DeFore	...	Don Blake / Don Blanchard
Dan Duryea	...	Danny Fuller
Arthur Kennedy	...	Alan Palmer
Kristine Miller	...	Kathy Palmer
Barry Kelley	...	Police Lt. Breach

Storyline

One night on a lonely highway, a speeding car tosses a satchel of money, meant for somebody else, into Jane and Alan Palmer's back seat. Alan wants to turn it over to the police, but Jane, with luxury within her reach, persuades him to hang onto it "for a while." Soon, the Palmers are traced by one Danny Fuller, a sleazy character who claims the money is his. To hang onto it, Jane will need all the qualities of an ultimate femme fatale...and does she ever have them!

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Plot Keywords:

money bag | money | bag | bagman | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

That's not love-light... that's MURDER in her eyes!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Killer Bait

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hunt Stromberg Productions,Republic Pictures (I),Streamline Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hunt Stromberg borrowed Lizabeth Scott, Kristine Miller, Don DeFore and director Byron Haskin from independent producer Hal B. Wallis for the production.

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Goofs

Jane tells Alan that the $790 she has spent represents about 0.1% of the money they found. SInce they found $60,000, she actually spent about 1.3% of the money. Not a goof: Jane and Alan both thought the bag had about $100,000 (Alan mentioned that amount two times, first when they dumped the money on the bed [at 8 min], next after they argued about Kathy's shopping [at 22 min]).

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Quotes

Alan Palmer: This money's like poison, it's changing you, it's changing me.
Jane Palmer: I wish it were that easy, I've always been this way.

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Connections

Featured in Chance of a Lifetime: The Making of Too Late for Tears (2016)

User Reviews

great acting and story

This movie is worth searching for. It features great performances from Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea. This may be Scott's finest role. As the story progresses, she becomes more motivated and corrupted by greed. They sure don't write stories like this anymore! Too bad the production was so low budget and the film quality has deteriorated. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat.