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IMDbPro

I'll Cry Tomorrow

  • 19551955
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
Deprived of a normal childhood by her ambitious mother, Katie, Lillian Roth becomes a star of Broadway and Hollywood before she is twenty. Shortly before her marriage to her childhood sweetheart, David Tredman, he dies and Lillian takes her first drink of many down the road of becoming an alcoholic. She enters into a short-lived marriage to an immature aviation cadet, Wallie, followed by a divorce and then marriage to a sadistic brute and abuser Tony Bardeman. After a failed suicide attempt, Burt McGuire comes to her aid and helps her find the road back to happiness after sixteen years in a nightmare world, not counting the first twenty with her mother.
Play trailer3:00
1 Video
29 Photos
BiographyDramaMusic
Susan Hayward stars as singer-actress Lillian Roth, whose rise to stardom was nearly destroyed by alcoholism.Susan Hayward stars as singer-actress Lillian Roth, whose rise to stardom was nearly destroyed by alcoholism.Susan Hayward stars as singer-actress Lillian Roth, whose rise to stardom was nearly destroyed by alcoholism.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Daniel Mann
  • Writers
    • Helen Deutsch(screenplay)
    • Jay Richard Kennedy(screenplay)
    • Lillian Roth(book "I'll Cry Tomorrow")
  • Stars
    • Susan Hayward
    • Richard Conte
    • Eddie Albert
  • Director
    • Daniel Mann
  • Writers
    • Helen Deutsch(screenplay)
    • Jay Richard Kennedy(screenplay)
    • Lillian Roth(book "I'll Cry Tomorrow")
  • Stars
    • Susan Hayward
    • Richard Conte
    • Eddie Albert
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 38User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 5 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:00
    Watch Trailer

    Photos29

    Susan Hayward in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Susan Hayward in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Susan Hayward, Virginia Gregg, and Don Taylor in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Susan Hayward and Don Taylor in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Carole Ann Campbell and Jo Van Fleet in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Eddie Albert in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Susan Hayward, Richard Conte, and Tol Avery in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Susan Hayward in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Susan Hayward, Sonny Howe, and Margo in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Timothy Carey in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Eddie Albert and Susan Hayward in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
    Susan Hayward, Virginia Gregg, and Jo Van Fleet in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Susan Hayward
    Susan Hayward
    • Lillian Roth
    Richard Conte
    Richard Conte
    • Tony Bardeman
    Eddie Albert
    Eddie Albert
    • Burt McGuire
    Jo Van Fleet
    Jo Van Fleet
    • Katie Roth
    Don Taylor
    Don Taylor
    • Wallie
    Ray Danton
    Ray Danton
    • David Tredman
    Margo
    Margo
    • Selma
    Virginia Gregg
    Virginia Gregg
    • Ellen
    Don 'Red' Barry
    Don 'Red' Barry
    • Jerry
    • (as Don Barry)
    David Kasday
    David Kasday
    • David as a Child
    Carole Ann Campbell
    • Lillian as a Child
    Peter Leeds
    Peter Leeds
    • Richard
    Tol Avery
    Tol Avery
    • Fat Man
    Don Anderson
    Don Anderson
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Bacon
    • Alcoholics Anonymous Patient
    • (uncredited)
    Brandon Beach
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Mary Bear
    • Wife
    • (uncredited)
    Margaret Bert
    • Woman at Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Daniel Mann
    • Writers
      • Helen Deutsch(screenplay)
      • Jay Richard Kennedy(screenplay)
      • Lillian Roth(book "I'll Cry Tomorrow")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Prior to filming, Susan Hayward took the opportunity to study Lillian Roth's vocal style, tone and delivery when Miss Roth performed in Las Vegas. Moreover, the two women became friends during the production.
    • Goofs
      At the AA meeting, speakers give their full names. This is inconsistent with the anonymous nature of AA.
    • Quotes

      [alcoholic Lillian is desperate for a drink - mother drops the glass bottle on the floor, shattering it]

      Lillian Roth: OH! Look what ya did! And ya DID IT ON PURPOSE! You're still trying to make me do what you want, to be what you want! I can't be anything except what I am! Look, look what did you drop that bottle for? What are you trying to do, drive me crazy? Go on, GET THE BOTTLE! GET IT NOW!

      Katie Roth: All right! All right! All right, it's my fault, huh? I made you become an actress, you didn't want to, all right. I've been a bad mother, you had to support me, all right! All right! ALL RIGHT, EVERYTHING! Just this, and for once in your life you're gonna hear it! Do you know at all why I did it, do you? No you don't! Do you know what kind of a life I had, do you know what it was like to live with your father, put up with his mistakes and afterwards to be left alone with nothing? No money, no career, not young anymore, nothing to fall back on? No you don't! You don't know at all what I tried to save you from, the kind of freedom I never had! I tried to give to you by making you LILLIAN ROTH!

      Lillian Roth: So you admit it! You invented Lillian Roth! All right, now look at me. I said look at me, don't turn your face away! I'm the looking glass you created to see yourself in! All right, all right see yourself now in me! Look at this ugly picture! And then GET OUTTA HERE! But keep this picture before your face for as LONG AS YOU LIVE!

      Katie Roth: It's true! Oh, God help me! I owe you this. Every single word of it is true.

    • Connections
      Featured in MGM Parade: Episode #1.10 (1955)
    • Soundtracks
      Sing You Sinners
      Music by W. Franke Harling (uncredited)

      Lyrics by Sam Coslow (uncredited)

      Sung and Danced by Susan Hayward (as Miss Hayward) and chorus

      Arranged and conducted by Charles Henderson (uncredited)

      Brief reprise in a medley montage by Susan Hayward (vocal) and Eddie Albert (piano)

    User reviews38

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Based on Lillian Roth's autobiography - Hayward owns this role
    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.
    helpful•21
    4
    • PudgyPandaMan
    • Jan 21, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 1955 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Plakacu sutra
    • Filming locations
      • 300 East 5th Street, Los Angeles, California, USA(exterior of original Hard Rock Cafe in Skid Row, seen as Roth walks past and enters stairway next door)
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,147,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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