Ryan, who excelled at playing cynical, angry, unlikeable men, is Earl Slater, a feisty, bigoted, unemployed ex-con. As the film begins, Earl visits with Dave Burke (Ed Begley), a dirty cop who has done prison time. Dave has a plan for some quick, easy cash---the robbery of a smalltown bank some 100 miles from New York---and he invites Earl to take part in the action. After Earl realizes that the final third of their team will consist of a black man, he's not so sure he's willing to get involved; however, broke, and ashamed that he lives off the earnings of his wife (Shelley Winters), he reconsiders.
The other third of Dave's robbery team is Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte), a down-on-his-luck gambler, who is deeply in debt. Johnny immediately tells Dave he doesn't want to get involved in something illegal, but when his ex-wife and little girl are threatened by the man to whom he owes money, he feels he has no other choice.
As Dave, Earl, and Johnny make their way to the little town, for what is supposed to be an easy hold-up, the tensions are high. Earl doesn't like the idea of working with a black man, and in the end, he doesn't trust Johnny enough to give him the keys to the getaway car, an action that just may prove to have disastrous results.
Odds Against Tomorrow is an interesting, well-acted film, though I readily admit that the ending wasn't too original---it seemed to have been copied from White Heat. Still, though, I really enjoyed the film. Robert Ryan was great, as always. I absolutely love him in roles like this. Harry Belafonte, whom I have no exposure to at all, was good as well. And there's even an opportunity to hear him sing.
The film is out on DVD, plus it's available on Net Flix instant viewing and in several parts on You Tube. Hope you get a chance to see it. Happy viewing!!
