Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Encyclopedia
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye is a 1950 film noir
starring James Cagney
, directed by Gordon Douglas
and based on the novel by Horace McCoy
. The film was banned in Ohio as "a sordid, sadistic presentation of brutality and an extreme presentation of crime with explicit steps in commission."
Supporting Cagney are Luther Adler
as a crooked lawyer, Ward Bond
and Barton MacLane
as two crooked cops, and Cagney's brother William (who produced the film) as Ralph Cotter's brother.
) by threatening to expose her role in his escape.
Cotter quickly gets back into the crime business, only to be shaken down by corrupt local cops.
, received mixed reviews. Fred Camper, film critic for The Chicago Reader
, called the film mis-directed, writing, "Gordon Douglas's direction is almost incoherent compared to Raoul Walsh
's in White Heat (1949), which features Cagney in a similar role; the compositions and camera movements, while momentarily effective, have little relationship to each other, and the film reads a bit like an orchestra playing without a conductor."
Film critic Dennis Schwartz generally liked the film and wrote, "This is an energetic straightforward crime drama based on the book by Horace McCoy (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
) and the screen play, which hardly makes sense and is the root of the film's problems, is by Harry Brown
. Gordon M. Douglas (Come Fill the Cup
/Only the Valiant
) helms it by keeping it fast-paced, brutal and cynical, and lets star James Cagney pick up where he left off in the year earlier White Heat as an unsympathetic mad dog killer. This was an even tougher film, but the crowds didn't respond to it as favorably as they did to White Heat (which seems odd, since it's basically the same type of B-movie)."
, funded by the Packard Humanities Institute
.
The new print was made “from the original 35mm nitrate picture and track negatives and a 35mm safety print.”
The restoration premiered at the UCLA Festival of Preservation on March 14, 2011.
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
starring James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
, directed by Gordon Douglas
Gordon Douglas (director)
Gordon Douglas was an American film director, who directed many different genres of films over the course of a five-decade career in motion pictures. He was a native of New York City.-Hal Roach and Our Gang:...
and based on the novel by Horace McCoy
Horace McCoy
Horace McCoy was an American writer whose hardboiled novels took place during the Great Depression. His best-known novel is They Shoot Horses, Don't They? , which was made into a movie of the same name in 1969, fourteen years after McCoy's death.-Early life:McCoy was born in Pegram, Tennessee...
. The film was banned in Ohio as "a sordid, sadistic presentation of brutality and an extreme presentation of crime with explicit steps in commission."
Supporting Cagney are Luther Adler
Luther Adler
Luther Adler was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on Broadway.-Life and career:...
as a crooked lawyer, Ward Bond
Ward Bond
Wardell Edwin "Ward" Bond was an American film actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 movies and the television series Wagon Train.-Early life:...
and Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he has appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he was known for his role as Gen...
as two crooked cops, and Cagney's brother William (who produced the film) as Ralph Cotter's brother.
Plot
Ralph Cotter is a career criminal who escapes from prison, then murders his partner in crime. Along the way he attempts to woo his ex-partner's sister (Barbara PaytonBarbara Payton
Barbara Payton was an American film actress best known for her stormy social life and eventual battles with alcohol and drug addiction. Her life has been the subject of several books including Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story , by John O'Dowd, and L.A...
) by threatening to expose her role in his escape.
Cotter quickly gets back into the crime business, only to be shaken down by corrupt local cops.
Cast
- James CagneyJames CagneyJames Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
as Ralph Cotter - Barbara PaytonBarbara PaytonBarbara Payton was an American film actress best known for her stormy social life and eventual battles with alcohol and drug addiction. Her life has been the subject of several books including Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story , by John O'Dowd, and L.A...
as Holiday Carleton - Helena CarterHelena CarterHelena Carter was an American film actress in the 1940s and 1950s.Carter was born Helen Rickerts in New York City, and her family was of Scottish descent. She attended Columbia University, studying for a teaching degree. During this period she worked as a fashion model, which led to her becoming a...
as Margaret Dobson - Ward BondWard BondWardell Edwin "Ward" Bond was an American film actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 movies and the television series Wagon Train.-Early life:...
as Insp. Charles Weber - Luther AdlerLuther AdlerLuther Adler was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on Broadway.-Life and career:...
as Keith 'Cherokee' Mandon - Barton MacLaneBarton MacLaneBarton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he has appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he was known for his role as Gen...
as Lt. John Reece - Steve BrodieSteve Brodie (actor)Steve Brodie was an American movie and television actor.Born John Stevenson in El Dorado, Kansas, he took his screen name from the Steve Brodie who claimed that he jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886 and survived...
as Joe 'Jinx' Raynor - Rhys WilliamsRhys Williams (actor)Rhys Williams was a Welsh character actor in movies and television, whose career spanned several decades.He made his film debut in How Green Was My Valley . This movie takes place in rural Wales with a large cast of Welsh characters, but was actually filmed in Hollywood with Canadian, American,...
as Vic Mason - Herbert HeyesHerbert HeyesHerbert Heyes was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly 100 films between 1915 and 1956.He was born in Vader, Washington and died in North Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:...
as Ezra Dobson - John LitelJohn LitelJohn Litel was an American film actor. During World War I, Litel enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery....
as Police Chief Tolgate - William FrawleyWilliam FrawleyWilliam Clement "Bill" Frawley was an American stage entertainer, screen and television actor. Although Frawley acted in over 100 films, he achieved his greatest fame playing landlord Fred Mertz for the situation comedy I Love Lucy.-Early life:William was born to Michael A. Frawley and Mary E....
as Byers
Critical reception
The film, often compared unfavorably to White HeatWhite Heat
White Heat may refer to:In film:* White Heat , a British film directed by Thomas Bentley* White Heat , an American film* White Heat, a 1949 film starring James CagneyIn music:...
, received mixed reviews. Fred Camper, film critic for The Chicago Reader
The Chicago Reader
The Chicago Reader is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded in 1971 by a group of friends from Carleton College...
, called the film mis-directed, writing, "Gordon Douglas's direction is almost incoherent compared to Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh...
's in White Heat (1949), which features Cagney in a similar role; the compositions and camera movements, while momentarily effective, have little relationship to each other, and the film reads a bit like an orchestra playing without a conductor."
Film critic Dennis Schwartz generally liked the film and wrote, "This is an energetic straightforward crime drama based on the book by Horace McCoy (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (novel)
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is a novel written by Horace McCoy and first published in 1935. The story mainly concerns a dance marathon during the Great Depression...
) and the screen play, which hardly makes sense and is the root of the film's problems, is by Harry Brown
Harry Brown
Harry Brown may refer to:*Harry Brown , Canadian radio and television host*Harry W. Brown , Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross*Harry W...
. Gordon M. Douglas (Come Fill the Cup
Come Fill the Cup
Come Fill the Cup is a 1951 film starring James Cagney and Gig Young. Cagney plays an alcoholic newspaperman. Cagney has the memorable line, "Don't you see? I am home," which he says in response to the query, "Why don't you go home?": once near the beginning when he's drinking; once at the end when...
/Only the Valiant
Only the Valiant
Only the Valiant is a 1951 western film produced by William Cagney , directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Gregory Peck and Barbara Payton. The screenplay was written by Edmund H...
) helms it by keeping it fast-paced, brutal and cynical, and lets star James Cagney pick up where he left off in the year earlier White Heat as an unsympathetic mad dog killer. This was an even tougher film, but the crowds didn't respond to it as favorably as they did to White Heat (which seems odd, since it's basically the same type of B-movie)."
Restoration / re-release
A restored version of the film was released in 2011. The film was restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, in coöperation with Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, funded by the Packard Humanities Institute
Packard Humanities Institute
The Packard Humanities Institute is a non-profit foundation, established in 1987, and located in Los Altos, California, which funds projects in a wide range of conservation concerns in the fields of archaeology, music, film preservation, and historic conservation, plus Greek epigraphy , with an...
.
The new print was made “from the original 35mm nitrate picture and track negatives and a 35mm safety print.”
The restoration premiered at the UCLA Festival of Preservation on March 14, 2011.
External links
- Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye analysis by film journalist John O'Dowd
- Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye film trailer at You Tube