cynicschism

       The easiest way to describe the 1959 film Odds Against Tomorrow is that it is one in a long line of distinguished movies in the bank-heist genre. The plots all follow a similar line: A group of disparate characters plan to rob a bank and then…something always seems to go wrong.

       In the case of Odds Against Tomorrow, there are three people in on the heist:  An ex-cop (Ed Begley) who is just getting by in forced retirement, a racist ex-con (Robert Ryan) who is drifting about, and a jazz musician (Harry Belafonte) who has a gambling problem and owes his bookies big time.  All need a lot of dough and the quicker, the better.

     And just as you suspect things might go wrong, you know there will be one mastermind, who will try hard to keep the others in the gang from screwing things up.  In this case, the ex-cop is the man with the plan, the person who has come with the idea, scouted a location, timed when things happen at the bank, and then lets the others in on the plan.  While most of the action takes place in New York City, the last third of the film is located in a small town in upstate New York. The big-city ex-cop figures if the gang travels upstate to a small-town with a small police force, but with a local bank that has lots of payroll money on a certain day, things should go fine.  So the three head to the small town to do their thing.

       As expected, the ex-cop is kept busy trying to keep the racist and the black jazz musician from going after each other and concentrating on doing the bank robbery.  After waiting nervously for the moment to come, they get into the bank, hold guns on the employees still there after closing time, and proceed, as bank robbers are wont to do, putting the money into satchels Things seem to be going according to plan. They always do.  The ex-cop is the first one out the side door with his satchel. And just at that moment, by chance, a prowl car stops to talk with a citizen on the street corner, and notices the ex-cop walking away from the bank with a satchel. The policeman calls halt, draws a gun and starts shooting. The mastermind fires back, as his two accomplices try to escape to the car parked on a side street.  But, the mastermind has the car keys, and he’s been hit by the cop and is fading fast. He tries to toss the car keys to his two accomplished but can’t. Realizing he’s trapped, he points the gun at his head and shoots himself.

       The two accomplices, who never liked each other, decide to turn on one another with guns drawn.  One chases after  the other with the police in pursuit.  Not to give the ending away, but the final scenes tip a hat to the gangster classic White Heat.

       All three leads are perfect for their parts. Character actor Ed Begley plays a role he has done well with before, the little everyday man with big plans. Robert Ryan is truly menancing as the racist ex-con, who truly looks like he could go off at any minute.  And Harry Belafonte is good as the jazz cat with a gambling jones.  Shelley Winters and the always lovely Gloria Grahame are excellent in supporting roles as Ryan’s girlfriend and as a se-ductive neighbor who would like to get him in trouble.  Wayne Rogers, later of M*A*S*H,  plays a GI who loses a bar fight to the ex-con.

       Director Robert Wise keeps the pace up throughout the 95 minute picture.  The trip upstate and the robbery of the bank show a steady hand and an eye for the unusual, as does the whole picture.  Even though anyone who has seen other heist movies will probably guess that things will not turn out well,  this film will still keep you interested.  The moral of the story?  Maybe it’s this simple: No matter how carefully everything is planned in life, there is always a randon event to mess everything up, like a cop car that stops by chance and unravels the whole plot.  Life’s a bitch.  Especially for movie bank robbers.

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