Odds Against Tomorrow
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| Odds Against Tomorrow | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Robert Wise |
| Produced by | Robert Wise |
| Written by | William P. McGivern (novel) Abraham Polonsky credited as John O. Killens Nelson Gidding |
| Starring | Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley, Gloria Grahame Zohra Lampert |
| Music by | John Lewis |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | October 15, 1959 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Harry Belafonte starred in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), the first film noir with a black protagonist. Belafonte selected Abraham Polonsky, who had written and directed a famous noir, Force of Evil, to write the script. As a blacklisted writer Polonsky used a front, John O. Killens, a black novelist and friend of Belafonte's. (In 1997, the Writers Guild of America officially restored Polonsky's credit.) The film is based on a novel by William P. McGivern. Oscar-winner Robert Wise produced and directed. Composer John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet, contributed the film's jazz score.
French director Jean-Pierre Melville credited this film with being a formative influence on his work and made references to it in his films.
[edit] Plot
David Burke (Ed Begley), a former policeman ruined when he refused to cooperate with State Crime Investigators, has asked hard-bitten, racist ex-con Earl Slater (Robert Ryan) to rob an upstate bank with him, promising him $50,000 if the robbery is successful. Burke also recruits Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte), a nightclub entertainer who doesn’t want the job but who is addicted to gambling and is in debt. At first Slater, who is supported by his girlfriend, Lorry (Shelley Winters), finds out Ingram is black and refuses the job but, realizing he needs the money, decides after all to join Ingram and Burke in the venture. When they embark on the robbery tension between Ingram and Slater mount. Gloria Grahame plays Slater's upstairs neighbor.
[edit] Awards
It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award: 1960 Best Film Promoting International Understanding.
