Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Rob Story

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

This very strong film noir by Robert Wise, and with a screenplay co-written by the blacklisted Abraham Polonsky (he now has proper credit thanks to digital technology), can be a bit heavy, but it's brutally effective. David Burke (Ed Begley) plans a "sure thing" bank heist and recruits his team.

Nightclub musician and singer Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte) isn't a robber, but he's a gambler, deeply in debt, and desperately needs the money. Ex-con Earl Slater (Robert Ryan) is supported by his girlfriend Lorry (Shelley Winters), and ashamed of the situation. He's a full-on racist (he calls a little girl "pickaninny" in the opening scene) and does not want to work with Johnny, but he reluctantly agrees. In a grim bit of visual poetry, it ends with a chase scene across the tops of giant fuel tanks.

The great Gloria Grahame has a small role as Helen, a neighbor of Lorry's, who lets herself be seduced by Earl (he needs to prove his manhood, if only to himself). There are some truly unusual sequences here, from Johnny drunkenly interrupting a singer's act and ruining the song, to the men killing time before the robbery (it's a sick bit of suspense). Belafonte was a co-producer, without credit.

Kino Lorber released the film on a sharp-looking Blu-ray in 2023, enhancing the stark contrast in the black-and-white cinematography. Bonuses include a commentary track by historian Alan K. Rode, an onstage Q&A with Belafonte from 2009 (50 minutes), a two-part Q&A with Kim Hamilton (who plays Johnny's ex-wife), running 20 minutes total, and a batch of trailers. Recommended.