Episode 140 - Odds Against Tomorrow

From 1959 “Odds Against Tomorrow” is a taut and foreboding film about a bank robbery, racial hatred and human weakness that many people think is also an allegory for the cold war tension at that time between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. Director Robert Wise selected early spring of March 1959 and creative cinematography using black and white film to successfully capture a cold, bleak feel of impending doom. This is film noir at a high level. Burke played by Ed Begley is the ruined, former police officer who uses every means available to get Harry Belafonte as Ingram the debt ridden and angry musician and Robert Ryan as Slater the embittered and racist ex-convict to join together for a bank heist in a small town two hours north of New York City. Burke has spent considerable time planning the perfect robbery that doesn’t follow his plan. Included in the excellent cast are Shelly Winters as Lorry, Will Kuluva as Bacco, Gloria Grahame as Helen, Kim Hamilton as Ruth and an unnamed soldier played by Wayne Rogers. All of the cast members deliver excellent and believable performances that add to the films realism. Another outstanding movie from Robert Wise and one that we highly recommend. The film is available for free on YouTube (at least as of this posting).