TOO LATE FOR TEARS is the other title recently released by Flicker Alley (along with WOMAN ON THE RUN) as part of a collaborative effort between them, the Film Noir Foundation out of San Francisco, and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Billed as the “Return of the Film Noir Classic” it restores a really good example of the genre to viewers once again. TEARS is just another one of several independently produced films that fell into the public domain and has existed for years in bad video copies that were taken from a battered 16mm print. Some of those copies are still available but don’t be fooled. When it comes to many older movies, you get what you pay for. This set may be high priced by regular standards but it’s worth it. In addition to a DVD/Blu-Ray combo you get loads of special features on the discs and a 24 page booklet.
The story, based on a SATURDAY EVENING POST serial (and later pulp paperback with an eye popping cover) by Roy Huggins, concerns a middle class housewife (Lizabeth Scott) and her husband (Arthur Kennedy) whose lives are forever changed when a satchel full of stolen money is tossed into their car. The husband wants to notify the police but the wife has other ideas. Things get complicated in true Noir fashion when the man who tossed the satchel (Dan Duryea) shows up to get his money back. Scott is determined to keep the money at any cost which keeps mounting as the film progresses. Throw in a suspicious sister-in-law and an old military friend of the husband and things get really complicated. To say any more (as another reviewer did) would spoil the several surprises TEARS contains so I’ll stop right here with this little bon mot. The ending, though a bit over-the-top, is a real corker.
Scott is fantastic as the frustrated housewife who dreams of better things and will allow nothing to stand in her way in order to achieve them. Duryea, who specialized in playing low life heels, finds himself in over his head which allows his character more depth than he usually got to play. The supporting players, Arthur Kennedy and Don DeFore (later on TV’s HAZEL) are equally good and help to keep the proceedings interesting until the final payoff. What keeps me from giving the movie 5 stars is the direction of Byron Haskin. Cinematographer turned director Haskin is best remembered for such fare as THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) and TREASURE ISLAND (1950). While good at action-adventure he has no real feel for the Noir genre (something mentioned in the special features) so that the pace sometimes lags and the lighting lacks visual flair. Nevertheless TEARS is still a very good movie that is great fun to watch so three cheers for this wonderful restoration. If you’re a fan of Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea or Film Noir in general, than this one is irresistible.
The Capsule Critic 