Absolutely the worst movie.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

In New York, the former cop Dave Burke (Ed Begley) summons the veteran Earle Slater (Robert Ryan) and the jazz musician Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte) to heist a bank in a small town. Slater is financially supported by his woman Lorry (Shelley Winters) and feels uncomfortable with the situation. Johnny is a compulsive gambler and owes a large amount to the shark Bacco (Will Kuluva), who is threatening his ex-wife and his daughter. They both are reluctant to accept the invitation, but they need money and accept to participate in Burke's plan. However Slater is racist and does not trust in Johnny."Odds against Tomorrow" is a suspenseful crime drama with the story of the preparation and execution of a heist of a bank. Directed by Robert Wise and with magnificent performance of Robert Ryan, the plot discloses the racism in America in 1959. The racial tension between the characters performed by Robert Ryan and Harry Belafonte is increasing reaching the climax in the tragic conclusion. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): Not Available on Blu-Ray or DVD.

Odds Against Tomorrow is directed by Robert Wise and adapted to screenplay by Abraham Polonsky and Nelson Gidding from the novel written by William P. McGivern. It stars Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Ed Begley, Shelley Winters and Gloria Grahame. Music is by John Lewis and cinematography by Joseph C. Brun. Don't beat on that Civil War jazz here Slater. We are all in this together - each man equal. And we're taking care of each other, it's one big play, our one and only chance to grab sticks forever. And I don't wanna hear bout what your Grandpappy thought on the old farm down on old Oklahoma. You got it? A seething ball of fatalism, pessimism and racism, Odds Against Tomorrow packs a firm handed noir punch. At the core it's a tale of 3 men doing a heist, each man with their own reasons for breaking the law, to tackle what looks to be a simple job. Begley is a bitter ex-cop, Ryan a loser living off of his girlfriend, and Belafonte likes to gamble on the horses, only he's not very good at it and now his financial provider wants cashing in - or there are bigger prices to be paid... All men are evil. Wise is in no hurry here, he builds the characters and inner turmoil of each protagonist for a good portion of the running time. It's a good move. The racial tension is palpable, Earle Slater (Ryan) is a venomous racist, which obviously doesn't go down too well with Johnny Ingram (Belafonte), their scenes together crackle with electric tinged hatred, which in turn gives the whole pic its ism factors. It's bitter stuff, further compounded by the two femmes of the piece, both of whom are attached to Slater. They are not fatale types, but Lorry (Winters) and Helen (Grahame) are sad cases for differing reasons, both adding to the all round sourness of the narrative, with Helen's key scene with Slater containing razor edged scripting. Hello dear! The makers fill out the pic with an array of noir standards, from gay henchmen, facially blemished bystanders and acerbic dialogue, to a whole bunch of scenes and imagery that linger large. Daylight scenes have a threatening hue to them, most often boosted by crafty images such as deflated balloons, a battered doll, a rusty old tin can, a dizzying carousel or even a serene shot of a rabbit caught in the sights of our most hate filled protag. Brun's night photography out in the streets is rich with oppressive and ominous atmosphere, and the interior environments of a cramped apartment (scary stairs outside of course) and a smoky club (hello percussion abuse!) are ripe with a claustrophobic hopelessness befitting the story. And all the time John Lewis lays some sumptuously moody jazz over everything. It all builds to the big finale, the heist and the heart tugs, a welcome to noirville sign going blink blink blinkity blink somewhere in the shadowed city. The message is clear, and every lover of film noir owes Robert Wise a debt of gratitude for overseeing a change of endings from the literary source. Yes, even the director of two of the most popular musicals of all time could beat a black heart. Thank you Bobby. 9/10

A meeting of the minds should be used for the good of man, but most times isn't. Such is the case in "Odds Against Tomorrow." Robert Ryan, Harry Belafonte, and Ed Begley are the minds in question. Begley is a retired officer, who was forced into retirement. When he has plans for a quick buck and sweet justice, he gets reinforcements by way of Robert Ryan and Harry Belafonte. But what Ed didn't bank on was Bob's prejudice against blacks. Robert Ryan always seemed to be typecast as the quick-tempered and violent bigot, when friend and actress Ida Lupino knew him as a "sweetheart." In fact, the main reason for watching this heist film is the dynamic performance of Robert Ryan. When they need everything to go exactly right to pull off this bank heist, good old Bob can't seem to keep his cool around Harry, and Harry is just waiting for him to "bring it on." Shelley Winters is effective as Bob's needy wife, and Gloria Grahame is seen briefly but memorably as a neighbor to them. But director Robert Wise takes his time and craftsmanship to execute this delicately tuned film, and, despite the fact I can appreciate a well-made film, the ending really disappoints. Not only in the way that they didn't get what they wanted, but the shootout and the film's inevitable conclusion was a downer, with a thought-provoking twist instead of a full-throttle blazin' time. Granted, any film about people making bad choices will not end well (check the title), but it's up to the makers of the film to make sure you had a good time watching it. Robert Ryan is the center of attention here, but afterwards you're left holding the bag - empty.

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)This is simply a great film. It is dated for its handling of racism, but in another sense, it captures the feeling of racial tensions well for its time, at the end of the Eisenhower, look-the-other-way era. Robert Ryan is a wonder of grimacing unhappiness, and his anger is taken out against everyone in different ways. Harry Belafonte gets to sing and play, and does a good job playing an educated "Negro" like the roles Sidney Poitier played in the same era. And there are strong secondary parts played by Ed Begley, Shelley Winters, and Gloria Grahame.In essence, this is a heist film in the vein of the "Asphalt Jungle" in the way it digs into the lives of the members of the team. So we learn that Ryan's character is a vet who never assimilated (and so is a classic noir type), and Belafonte's role is as a gambling parent whose girlfriend (or wife) has pushed him out of the house. They both need money, and success, and robbing a bank is a way out.But more interesting, if somewhat less convincing, is the racial battles between these two. Mostly fought in words, until after the robbery, which of course doesn't go as planned, when everything goes out of control. At the end of the movie, a man asks, looking at the two of them, "Which is which?" And we see the beginning of the basic cultural acceptance of that well known fact that we are all the same under our skin. This was something neither of them accepted, but it was certainly the white man, Ryan, who caused all the trouble.The filming was mostly done in Hudson, New York (renamed Melton for the movie). I've spent a bit of time there, including doing some photography, so it was pretty fun to see the way the movie found the great spots in town--the mile long main street straight as an arrow up the hill from the river, and the short bluffs overlooking the Hudson itself, down by where the train station is. There are scenes on Route 9 (the real one is used here--if you see the terrible movie called Route 9, you'll see they decided to make it in Nevada, but that's another story), and a trip of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge from Catskill to Hudson. It's beautiful, open countryside two hours from New York, and it gives the film a unique quality.Robert Wise, the director, has already had a long and amazing career, starting with his butchery of the last scene of Orson Welles second film (not entirely his fault, being a newbie in the studio), and running through a series of very good features in the 1950s. But he is on the verge of his most famous efforts, and so in a way we might think of him as being at the peak of his ability, since "West Side Story" was just getting planned, and "The Sound of Music" was on its way a few years later. If nothing else, "Odds Against Tomorrow" is a smartly directed film, beautifully photographed. And wise gets his cast of five well known actors to really perform.A great film, from opening credits to the last spectacular blow out scene, with its final sad irony.