Odds Against Tomorrow is a crime, noir (-ish) story about how Harry Belafonte and Robert Ryan (whose character is a racist) are basically recruited to rob a bank together by an ex-policeman. They agree because Ryan is a con and Belafonte is a gambling addict with debt.
There is no doubt about it, and I do not think anyone would argue otherwise: this is a Harry Belafonte picture first and foremost. He is charismatic, handsome, he gets to sing — a true movie star through and through, I kind of wish he had this own day this Summer Under the Stars.
The film is very stylish and has good music — that opening got me hooked. There is also this kind of odd vibe about it, I am deeply sorry for using that word but one could say, “Lynchian” (if you have seen it, think about the recurring wind conversation in the elevator) and that is something I just love. All those things work so well and my only criticism really stems from the fact that certain moments would have played much better if they were more subtle.
Weirdly enough, I chose this film for Gloria Grahame which ended up being a fail of sorts because she is not in it a lot. Still, I know her mostly from her glamour girl image so it was interesting to see her play someone “common”.
By the way, I have somehow watched SO MANY Shelley Winters movies (this, Harper, The Chapman Report…) this Summer Under the Stars, despite her not getting her own day. She really was such an iconic figure of Classic Hollywood.
Swingin' at the Seance 