Odds Against Tomorrow

Whatsoever Thy Hand Findeth To Do. Do It With Thy Might.

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 Tomorr...

Ed Begley is "Burke", an ex-cop with an axe to grind. He owes a load of cash too, so conceives a clever plan to relieve a bank of a rather large sum of money. He has two accomplices in mind. The first is the dapper, debonaire "Ingram" (Harry Belafonte), the latter the grittier "Slater" (Robert Ryan). Initially, neither are interested in his scheme but "Burke" knows which buttons to press, and soon the three are planning the daring heist. To be honest, the plot itself is really nothing special. It's the three leading performances that make this stand out. The racial tensions between "Slater" and "Ingram" are palpable and as the story develops, it's clear that they are just as likely to shoot the other as they are to co-operate in the robbery...