Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

starring Robert Ryan, Harry Belafonte, Ed Begley

written by Nelson Gidding, Abraham Polonsky

directed by Robert Wise

96 minutes

Former police officer David Birke (Ed Begley) hires Earl Slater (Robert Ryan) and Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte). to help him rob a bank in a small town. It takes some work to get the two men to sign on to do the job. Earl and Johnny do not get along with one another. Earl's racist attitude and manner of speaking has a lot to do with that. The heist happens but it does not go off without a hitch.  

Thoughts

I saw this movie as part of the 2026 Noir City DC film festival at the AFI Silver Theater. I had seen this movie before. Unlike most of the other movies that were shown as part of the second week of the film festival this one very definitely feels and is noir

The first (and last) time I watched this film was in 2023. There were a number of details and moments that I forgot, even though it wasn't too terribly long ago that I last watched it. Most of the movie is about getting the three man team together. A good chunk of it is focused on the factors that lead them to throw in with Burke.

The tension is palpable as Earl's devotion to treating Johnny as less than an equal is a major impediment to the success of the mission. 

I enjoyed this movie at least as much the second time around as I did the first. See my post from 2023 about Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) for a more detailed description of the film and for other thoughts on this film noir classic.

Notes

I have seen Robert Ryan, Harry Belafonte, and Ed Begley in other movies. Other actors who appeared in this movie that I have seen before include Shelley Winters, Gloria Grahame, and Kim Hamilton.

The script was based on the novel of the same name by William P. McGivern. This is the only movie I have seen that Nelson Gidding had a hand in writing. The only other movie I have seen that Abraham Polonsky has a hand in writing was Body and Soul (1947). 

This is one of at least five movies I have seen that was directed by Robert Wise, including The Set-Up (1949).