Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye – 1950 – English – Drama – Suspense
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye – 1950 – English
Film directed in 1950 by Gordon Douglas, and starring James Cagney, Barbara Payton, Helena Carter, Ward Bond, Luther Adler, Barton MacLane, Steve Brodie, Rhys Williams, Herbert Heyes, Neville Brand…
Synopsis: From the trial of the survivors, we flash back to amoral crook Ralph Cotter’s violent prison break, assisted by Holiday Carleton, sister of another prisoner…who doesn’t make it. Soon Ralph manipulates the grieving Holiday into his arms, and two crooked cops follow her into his pocket. Ralph’s total lack of scruple brings him great success in a series of robberies. But his easy conquest of gullible heiress Margaret Dobson proves more dangerous to him than any crime…
Review: Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye is about a jail convict (James Cagney) who escapes from prison and goes on the run, relentlessly pursued. He eventually winds up in a small town where he gets a girl and starts a normal life, but begins to corrupt everyone around him.
The movie is not very well known and I’m not sure quite why. Although this movie might not be definitive film noir it surely carries certain elements of the genre, and of course it’s got James Cagney in it, one of the ultimate veterans of the genre! Cagney delivers a really solid performance and comes across as both likable and despicable. We feel for him and those around him as his bad influence spreads and the tragic tale takes a turn for the worst.
Although it’s a very clear moral tale and ends up exactly where we can expect, “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” is nevertheless a very good, underrated film whose virtually nonexistent reputation is as depressing as the film itself.