Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) in Color — Starring Robert Ryan & Harry Belafonte

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) — Buy This Classic in Color

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) is a powerful crime thriller directed by Robert Wise, starring Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, and Shelley Winters. Three desperate men plan a bank heist in a small upstate New York town, but simmering racial tensions and personal demons threaten to destroy everything before the job even begins. This professionally colorized version brings the gritty urban streets, smoky jazz clubs, and tense confrontations to vivid new life. Buy your colorized copy today for €15.00 and own this gripping classic movie in color.

Plot Summary

Dave Burke (Ed Begley), a disgraced ex-cop desperate for one last score, masterminds a plan to rob a bank in the quiet upstate New York town of Melton. The scheme is elegant in its simplicity — three men, carefully timed, hitting the bank on a day when the vault holds its maximum cash. But Burke needs two specific partners, and the men he recruits are a volatile combination. Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte) is a talented jazz musician and vibraphone player drowning in gambling debts, hounded by dangerous loan sharks who threaten both him and his young daughter. Despite his intelligence and talent, Johnny’s addiction to the thrill of gambling has destroyed his marriage and left him desperate enough to consider armed robbery.

Earle Slater (Robert Ryan) is a bitter, violent racist and ex-convict with a hair-trigger temper, living off his devoted girlfriend Lorry (Shelley Winters) while nursing grievances against a world he believes has wronged him. From the moment Slater learns that Ingram is Black, the operation is poisoned. His barely concealed hatred erupts in sneering remarks, hostile glares, and deliberate provocations that push Ingram to the breaking point. Burke tries desperately to hold the fragile alliance together, appealing to each man’s greed, but the mutual contempt between Slater and Ingram grows more intense with every meeting.

As the day of the robbery approaches, each man wrestles with his own demons. Ingram visits his ex-wife Ruth (Kim Hamilton), who sees through his lies and pleads with him to walk away. Slater’s paranoia and rage escalate, and Lorry senses something terrible is coming. Gloria Grahame appears as a neighbor who becomes entangled in Slater’s volatile world. The robbery itself unfolds with excruciating tension, and when things go wrong, the racial hatred that has simmered throughout the film explodes in a devastating, apocalyptic conclusion that leaves the men’s charred remains literally indistinguishable — a final, bitter commentary on the absurdity of prejudice. This classic movie drives toward one of the most powerful endings in American cinema.

Cast & Crew

Director: Robert Wise

Stars: Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley, Gloria Grahame, Kim Hamilton, Will Kuluva, Richard Bright, Mae Barnes, Carmen De Lavallade

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This colorized version of Odds Against Tomorrow reveals the smoky blue haze of 1950s jazz clubs where Ingram performs, his vibraphone gleaming under colored stage lights as the music pulses with restless energy. The bleak winter landscapes of upstate New York emerge in muted browns and grays — bare trees against overcast skies, empty small-town streets that feel like the edge of nowhere. The neon-lit bars and dingy apartments of New York City take on a seedy, lived-in quality with faded wallpaper, cheap curtains, and harsh fluorescent lighting. The desperate faces of men on the edge — Ryan’s Slater reddening with suppressed fury, Belafonte’s Ingram cool and controlled but burning inside — gain even greater intensity in color. The film’s explosive final sequence becomes even more shocking as flames and destruction consume everything. The original black and white film was strikingly photographed by Joseph Brun, and the professionally colorized restoration brings every tense encounter and neon-lit street to life with frame-by-frame precision. Watch this restored classic film in vivid, dramatic color. Now also available in colour.

Buy Odds Against Tomorrow in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Odds Against Tomorrow is considered one of the last great film noirs and one of the first major Hollywood films to address racial prejudice head-on within a genre framework. Harry Belafonte produced the film through his own company, HarBel Productions, making it a landmark in African-American cinema — Belafonte was one of the first Black performers to control his own film production. The screenplay was secretly written by blacklisted writer Abraham Polonsky, who was forced to use a front name (John O. Killens) because of the Hollywood blacklist; Polonsky would not receive proper credit until decades later. Director Robert Wise, who would go on to helm West Side Story and The Sound of Music, brought his characteristic precision and social conscience to the material. The film’s jazz score by John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet is considered one of the finest in cinema history, its cool, cerebral rhythms perfectly complementing the film’s mounting tension. Robert Ryan’s portrayal of the racist Slater is a searing performance that drew on his own outspoken real-life opposition to bigotry. The colorization adds powerful visual impact to this groundbreaking thriller that remains devastatingly relevant.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 96 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Who produced this film?
A: Harry Belafonte produced through his company HarBel Productions and also starred as the jazz musician Johnny Ingram. It was one of the earliest major Hollywood productions controlled by an African-American performer.

Q: Is this the complete version?
A: Yes, this is the full 1959 theatrical release of Odds Against Tomorrow directed by Robert Wise, presented in its complete colorized version at approximately 96 minutes.

Q: Was the screenwriter blacklisted?
A: Yes, the screenplay was written by Abraham Polonsky, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and had to use a front name. He did not receive proper credit for decades.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: DRM-free MP4, compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: €15.00 for instant download. The colorization process ensures every scene looks stunning in color.

Q: Can I watch on multiple devices?
A: Absolutely. The file is DRM-free, so you can watch on your TV, tablet, phone, or computer.

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• No Way Out (1950)
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• Golden Salamander (1950)
• The Finger Points (1931)
• A Blueprint for Murder (1953)