ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW (1959)

United Artists, 96m 40s

This transitional film noir from Harry Belafonte's HarBel Productions makes an ideal viewing selection for any cold, rainy afternoon. As it scratches and claws at old wounds inflicted by stubborn racial tensions, ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW is clouded with uncertainty about human nature. Its subject matter never strays far from the pessimistic title treatment. Produced and directed by the estimable Robert Wise, this would be the filmmaker's final teaming with Robert Ryan, who was so impressive 10 years previously in Wise's THE SET-UP (1949). That film examined the decline of a boxer, this one is rooted in the downfall of a former policeman who has one of those supposedly life-changing heists on the docket. "This is a one-time job. One roll of the dice and then we're through forever," according to the aging but energetic David Burke (Ed Begley), who requires two recruits to execute his simple yet ambitious robbery plan.

Burke seems to deserve his confidence in the vulnerability of the bank he has targeted, but maintains too much faith in the men he enlists for the job. The two-time loser Earl Slater (Ryan) is a bitter, lifelong drifter defined almost entirely by prejudice and bigotry. In the opening sequence, he playfully scoops up a small black girl and calls her a pickaninny. Never again will he be that pleasant with anyone. He needlessly loses patience with a hotel clerk (Ed Preble) and radiates no friendliness whatsoever to a black elevator attendant (Mel Stewart). Probably at his most reprehensible, Slater drops the N-bomb when he realizes Burke's heist requires a black man's involvement. Slater also references an old foreman as a Polack. Apparently not an animal lover either, Slater's first reaction when he notices a harmless rabbit is to open fire without reason. What probably irks him more than anything is that his much-younger girlfriend Lorry (Shelley Winters) supports him, a fact that seems to drain him of whatever positive energy he might possess. One of the most revealing moments built around Slater occurs in a barroom confrontation, when he appears to be well set up to walk away the winner. Instead he manages to leave the scene the loser after quickly dismantling a cocky young military man (Wayne Rogers) who obviously needed to be put in his place. Nonetheless Slater is perceived by onlookers as a bully who let his temper get the best of him. As directed by Wise, the persuasive sequence allows the viewer to reach but one conclusion:  the irritable racist Slater should expect to encounter no apologists.

Burke's other accomplice is much more likable than Slater, yet similarly self-destructive in his own fashion. Johnny Ingram (co-producer Harry Belafonte, top-billed) is a problem gambler, well beyond the point of no return with his major creditor Bacco (Will Kuluva). Ingram's money troubles also involve his ex-wife Ruth (Kim Hamilton), who he claims is even tougher than Bacco, "If that alimony isn't there on the first, the lawyer's there on the second." Ingram persistently shows more compassion for others than Slater, though interestingly, Ingram has his own issues with race, particularly when he condemns his progressive ex for fraternizing with whites. "It's their world and we're just living in it," Ingram preaches. Though Ruth sees a future for their daughter Eadie (Lois Thorne) in an integrated society, Ingram sees himself as a black man in a white world in which nothing changes. No doubt Slater confirms Ingram's suspicions about white folks, but the same could not be said about the more liberal Burke. A disgraced cop turned criminal, Burke treats both Ingram and Slater with respect. But when Slater gets out of line with Ingram, Burke is quick to insert himself between the two men, "...I don't wanna hear what your grandpappy thought on the old farm down in Oklahoma..." It's a great movie moment sure to stick with you.

Gloria Grahame steals a scene

Along with SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957), TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), CITY OF FEAR (1959), PSYCHO (1960) and BLAST OF SILENCE (1961), ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW is one of the significant film noir offerings that marks the end of a motion picture movement that thrived for the better part of two decades. It opens and concludes in the gutter, with the opening shot focused on storm water and trash blowing in the wind. Such a beginning announces Wise intends to wade into noir waters populated with urban bottom feeders. The water motif extends north on the Hudson River to Melton, where the bank job is to occur. Before the bank robbery, Ingram's attention is drawn to a doll entrapped by the Hudson River. Does he imagine his daughter's inevitable entrapment in a dark and murky urban environment?

The civil rights movement was well underway at the time of this film's original theatrical run, but the tellingly-entitled ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW implies a long, tough struggle lies ahead before all men might be considered equal. Slater's lack of faith in the black man Ingram leads to a badly botched heist attempt, as well as the death of the man who attempted to bring Ingram and Slater together, the man who detested old "Civil War" attitudes. The climactic sequence at a fuel depot, though an obvious homage to WHITE HEAT (1949), cleverly mocks the absurdity of racism. After the explosive confrontation between Ingram and Slater, no longer are there any noticeable differences that distinguish them. The concluding shot's sign reads "STOP DEAD END," in case anyone missed the major point about the danger of escalating racial tensions. It is not exactly an opaque outcome.

A great sense of rhythm and timing can be expected of any film helmed by Robert Wise. As he did in THE SET-UP, Wise employs an emphatic time motif, again directing the viewer's attention to a city street's clock. The nightclub sequence underscores the time element, but within the context of musical performance. Ingram commands a consummate musician's sense of time during his initial performance. But after his run-in with Bacco and his cohorts, Ingram takes the stage a second time, when he shows no discernible sense of time (his time is running out rapidly).

Cinematographer Joseph C. Brun's New York is notable for its shades of gray, not the high contrast black & white associated with the 1940s noir cycle. ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW would not be the same experience without its location work in and around New York City. Sequences were photographed in Central Park and Central Park West, Manhattan and Triborough Bridge, Bronx. Hudson stands in for the fictitious city of Melton in upstate New York. The screenplay was written by Nelson Gidding and Abraham Polonsky (front John O. Killens), who adapted the novel by William P. McGivern. As the despondent racist Earl Slater, Robert Ryan offers an inspired performance. Ryan had displayed a talent for the portrayal of similarly venomous characters in CROSSFIRE (1947), ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951) and BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955).

My first look at ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW was courtesy of the DVD issued by MGM Home Entertainment back in 2003. From a picture definition standpoint, the single-layered Blu-ray version available from Olive Films offers an appealing upgrade, with greatly improved contrast and rich textures. The supposedly correct 1.85:1 framing, however, makes me wonder. Although IMDb.com indicates a 1.37:1 negative ratio versus a 1.85:1 intended ratio, the opening credits suggest this letterboxed version is something other than what the filmmakers intended, with some text at the bottom of the frame noticeably clipped. The screen captures below reveal how much information the Olive Films Blu-ray lacks compared to the old MGM DVD, which was framed at 1.34:1. Until someone marches forward with the definitive interpretation, I will hang on to both home video releases of this essential film noir.

Olive Films Blu-ray

MGM DVD

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