Category: Crime

“Demolition Man” (1993) starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes / Z-View

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Demolition Man (1993)

Director: Marco Brambilla

Screenplay: Daniel Waters, Robert Reneau, Peter M. Lenkov, story by Peter M. Lenkov, Robert Reneau

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Gunton, Glenn Shadix, Grand L. Bush, Pat Skipper, Steve Kahan, Mark Colson, Andre Gregory, Troy Evans, Don Charles McGovern, Bill Cobbs, Dan Cortese, Jack Black, Adrienne Barbeau (voice), Rob Schneider, Jesse Ventura and Denis Leary

Tagline: The world’s most dangerous cop. The world’s most ruthless criminal. The 21st Century isn’t big enough for both of them.

The Plot…

In the near future, a maniac named Simon Phoenix (Snipes) kidnaps a busload of people.  Phoenix then fortifies himself in an abandoned warehouse protected by his gang.  A thermal reading shows no signs of the hostages.  The clock is ticking to keep the captives alive.  As the police prepare an assault, LAPD Detective John Spartan (Stallone) goes in alone.  Spartan works his way to Phoenix and they battle.  When Spartan gains the upper hand, Phoenix ignites an accelerate to blow up the building.

Spartan makes it out with Phoenix under arrest.  He then learns that the hostages were in the building.  All killed by the blast.  Because Spartan didn’t wait for authorization to go in, he is made a scapegoat.  Both Phoenix and Spartan are sentenced to the California Cryo-Penitentiary.  They will be placed in suspended animation for the length of their sentences.

Thirty-six years pass.

Simon Phoenix is revived from cryofreeze for his parole hearing.  Phoenix escapes his cuffs.  He kills the warden and guards.  Phoenix makes his escape into a world where violence is a thing of the past.  Phoenix is easily tracked. Officers are sent to arrest him. Phoenix kills them all.  It is then decided, they will revive John Spartan.  Spartan arrested Phoenix before.  He can do it again… they hope.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In the original script the entire movie takes place in the future.  Fred Dekker, who did uncredited rewrites, suggested the movie open in the past to show Spartan and Phoenix’s clash.  Dekker’s rationale, “If you don’t show Kansas, Oz isn’t all that special.”

When Demolition Man was released overseas, references to Taco Bell (dubbing and digitally) where changed to Pizza Hut.  Taco Bell wasn’t known in many overseas countries.

Lori Petty was originally cast as Lenina Huxley.  After a few days of filming, Petty left and Sandra Bullock got the role. Creative differences and/or lack of chemistry with Sly Stallone have been given as reasons for the change.

Jack Black appears as one of the Wasteland Scraps.  Adrienne Barbeau is heard (uncredited) as the mainframe computer’s voice.  Rob Schneider appears uncredited.

A scene where Sly Stallone fights Jesse Ventura was cut before the film’s release.

The Demolition Man song was written by Sting for Grace Jones and appeared on her album Nightclubbing, released in 1981.  It was re-recorded by Sting for use in Demolition Man‘s end credits.  Sting then released Demolition Man featuring the song and other live tracks.

The opening sequence of Demolition Man (with the helicopter under attack, bungee jump to the roof, gunfights with gang and fight with Simon Phoenix) is one of Sly’s best.  It has a John Woo feel to it.

When I first saw Demolition Man I thought it had too much comedy/satire.  The film has grown on me over the years.

Demolition Man (1993) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Burt Reynolds’ Best Movies!

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Recently I posted my choices for John Wayne’s Ten Westerns.  Next I turned my sights to Burt Reynolds’ Test Best Movies…

01.  Sharky’s Machine (1981): Burt Reynolds plays Tom Sharky, an Atlanta Narcotics Sargeant.  Burt Reynolds directs.  Co-starring Rachael Ward, Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Bernie Casey, Richard Libertini and Henry Silva.

When an undercover narcotics sting led by Sharky goes sideways, civilians on a crowded bus are wounded and a drug dealer killed.  Sharky is demoted to the vice squad. There Sharky discovers a prostitution ring that involves a powerful politician and a crime cartel.  What Sharky doesn’t realize is that they are on to him and he’s marked for death.

Sharky’s Machine is a great showcase for Reynolds’ acting and directing.  This movie deserved a sequel.  Sadly, it never happened.  Great cast, great soundtrack and it’s the film that launched Rachael Ward to stardom.

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02. Smokey and the Bandit (1977): Burt Reynolds plays Bo “Bandit” Darville. Hal Needham directs.  Co-starring Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Mike Henry, Paul Williams, Pat McCormick and Jackie Gleason.

The Bandit is hired to drive a truckload of bootleg beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in just 28 hours.  Along the way the Bandit picks up a runaway bride and the ire of Sheriff Bufford T. Justice.  Sheriff Justice is determined to catch and arrest the Bandit even if he has to chase him all the way to Atlanta!

Smokey and the Bandit was nominated for one Academy Award…

  • nominee Best Film Editing – Walter Hannemann, Angelo Ross

Smokey and the Bandit is a fun movie.  The actors have as much fun as the audience.  Bufford T. Justice as played by Jackie Gleason is an icon.  Burt Reynolds and Sally Field met and fell in love making this movie.  Had Reynolds not enjoyed the role and working with his co-stars/director so much and had the movie not been so successful, Reynolds’ choices for films that followed may have been very different.

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03.  The Longest Yard (1974): Burt Reynolds plays Paul Crewe.  Robert Aldrich directs.  Co-starring Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, Michael Conrad, James Hampton, Mike Henry, Richard Kiel and Bernadette Peters.

Former pro football star, Paul Crewe, led police on a high speed chase in a former girlfriend’s car and then resisted arrest.  Now Crewe has an 18 month sentence at Citrus State Prison.  It’s going to be tough going for the former NFL star since the warden wants Crewe to put together a team of convicts to play his semi-pro team made up of prison guards.  The thing is… the warden is demanding that if it comes to it, Crewe must throw the game.

The Longest Yard was nominated for one Academy Award...

  • Best Film Editing – Michael Luciano

The Longest Yard came out when I was in tenth grade playing JV football.  Our coach made arrangements for us to see the film as a team.  We even called ourselves the Mean Machine after seeing The Longest Yard. (We became county champs that year.  Ah, great memories.)

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04.  The Last Movie Star (2017).  Burt Reynolds plays Vic Edwards.  Adam Rifkin directs.  Co-starring Ariel Winter, Clark Duke and Chevy Chase.

Vic Edwards is an aging movie star.  His glory days are well behind him.  When Edwards gets notification that he is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from a film festival in Nashville, he reluctantly decides to go.  Once there Edwards realizes that the festival is just a local film fan get-together.  What he doesn’t know is how positively impactful this weekend will become.

Every Burt Reynolds fan should see this film.

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05. Hooper (1948).  Burt Reynolds plays Sonny Hooper.  Hal Needham directs.  Co-starring Jan-Michael Vincent, Sally Field, Brian Keith, John Marley, Robert Klein, James Best, Adam West and Robert Tessier.

Sonny Hooper is an aging stunt man.  Years of hard falls, too much booze and pain killers have taken a toll.  When a hot shot young stuntman shows up, Hooper feels he still has something to prove.

Hooper was nominated for one Academy Award...

  • nominee for Best Sound – Robert Knudson, Robert Glass, Don MacDougall, Jack Solomon

I loved Hooper when it first came out.  Great idea for a Burt Reynolds movie.  Wonderful supporting cast.  I saw it more than once at a theater.  It’s funny to think my buddy and I both bought jackets because they looked like one worn by Reynolds in Hooper.

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06.  Driven (2001).  Burt Reynolds plays Carl Henry.  Renny Harlin directs.  Co-starring Sylvester Stallone, Kip Pardue and Til Schweiger.

Carl Henry is the owner of a Formula One racing team.  His star driver, Jimmy Bly, has won five races.  Lately Bly’s driving has suffered.  Henry convinces his former driver and Formula One champion, Joe Tanto to come out of retirement, join the team and mentor Bly.  

This is the first film on the list to not star Burt Reynolds.  Being a fan of both Burt and Sly Stallone, I had always hoped that they’d work together.  Driven made that happen.

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07.  The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973).  Burt Reynolds plays Jay Grobart.  Directed by Richard C. Sarafian.  Co-starring Sarah Miles, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden and George Hamilton.

Jay Grobart and his outlaw partners are on the run.  They robbed a train and a posse is after them. Grobart allows Catherine, a woman who is fleeing her rich, abusive husband to join them.  What Grobart doesn’t know is that Catherine’s husband has hired a posse of his own.  Now he has two posses that would like to see him dead.

This is Reynold’s best western.  I wish he had made more.

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08.  Deliverance (1972). Burt Reynolds Lewis.  Directed by John Boorman.  Co-starring Jon Voight, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty and Bill McKinney.

Four friends, Lewis Medlock, Ed Gentry, Bobby Trippe, and Drew Ballinger, decide to take a canoe trip down a dangerous, remote river.  The trip is Lewis’ idea.  Lewis sees himself as an outdoorsman and survivalist.  His friends a middle-aged business men.  None of them, including Lewis are prepared for the misadventure that follows. 

Deliverance was nominated for three Academy Awards…

  • nominee Best Picture – John Boorman
  • nominee Best Director – John Boorman
  • nominee Best Film Editing – Tom Priestley

Burt Reynolds was getting great buzz for his acting in Deliverance.  Then the issue of Cosmopolitan came out that featured Reynolds in a semi-nude centerfold.  Suddenly he was no longer seen as a serious actor.  

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09.  Heat (1986).  Burt Reynolds plays Nick Escalante.  Directed by Dick Richards, Jerry Jameson.  Co-starring Karen Young, Peter MacNicol, Howard Hesseman and Diana Scarwid.

Nick Escalante is a Vegas bodyguard.  When a female escort is brutalized by a mobster’s son named Danny DeMarco, Escalante agrees to help her get revenge.  Things go sideways when the DeMarco calls in hitters to take out Escalante.

Heat was a troubled production.  Burt Reynolds and director, Dick Richards didn’t get along.  At one point Reynolds punched Richards, who then left the production.  Jerry Jamison was brought in to direct until Richards eventually returned.  Richards sued and won $500,000 from Reynold for the assault.

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10.  Malone (1987).  Burt Reynolds plays Richard Malone.  Directed by Harley Cokeliss.  Co-starring Cliff Robertson, Kenneth McMillan, Cynthia Gibb, Scott Wilson and Lauren Hutton.

Malone, a retired C.I.A. assassin, while driving across country, becomes stranded in a small town. Paul Barlow, the owner of the only gas station for miles allows Malone to stay at his house while they wait for the car part to arrive.  Malone learns that a rich man named Delaney is buying up all the property in the area and is putting a squeeze on Barlow.  When thugs are sent to convince Barlow to sell, Malone steps in.  Soon Malone finds himself going against Delaney and his former allies at the C.I.A..

Does it get any more mid-80s than Burt Reynolds, Cliff Robertson, Kenneth McMillan, Cynthia Gibb, Scott Wilson and Lauren Hutton?

“Get Shorty” (1995) starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo & Danny DeVito / Z-View

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Get Shorty (1995)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Screenplay: Scott Frank based on GET SHORTY by Elmore Leonard

Stars: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, Jon Gries, Renee Props, Martin Ferrero, Miguel Sandoval, Jacob Vargas, Linda Hart, Bobby Slayton, Ron Karabatsos, Barry Sonnenfeld, Bette Midler, Harvey Keitel, Penny Marshall and David Paymer.

Tagline: Drug smuggling. Racketeering. Loan sharking. Welcome to Hollywood!

The Plot…

Ernesto “Chili” Palmer (Travolta) is a Miami loan shark who loves movies.  When a collection sends Chili to L.A., Chili meets some low level folks in the film world.  Chili has an idea for a movie and decides to work his way up in the industry.

How hard could it be?

What Chili doesn’t know is that his Brooklyn boss has died.  Now Ray “Bones” Baroni (Farina) has the greenlight to kill Chili.  And Bones is headed for LA.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although John Travolta is perfect as Chili Palmer (he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the role), he initially turned down the role.  Quentin Tarantino convinced him to take the part.

Bette Midler, Harvey Keitel and Penny Marshall have uncredited appearances.

James Gandolfini is four years away from starring in The Sopranos.  He’s younger, thinner and sports a full beard, but once you hear his voice, you know it’s him.

Get Shorty (1995) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Fargo” (1996) written & directed by The Cohen Brothers, starring William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi & Peter Stormare / Z-View

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Fargo (1996)

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Screenplay: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Stars: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Kristin Rudrüd, Harve Presnell, Steve Reevis, Larry Brandenburg, Bruce Campbell and Melissa Peterman.

Tagline: Small town. Big crime. Dead cold.

The Plot…

Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) has screwed up badly.  Jerry embezzled money from the car dealership that he works for and his father-in-law owns.  In an effort to raise the money quickly, Jerry decides to have his wife kidnapped.  His rich father-in-law will pay to get her back.  Jerry will use the ransom money to return the embezzled cash.  Problem solved.

Unfortunately, the lunkheads that Jerry hires to do the job are well, lunkheads.  The kidnapping goes sideways in more ways than three.  People are killed.  Jerry’s dad has some stipulations before he’ll cough up the cash to get his daughter back.

Police Chief Marge Gunderson (McDormand) is on the case.  Most folks underestimate Marge’s abilities.  They look at her and see a small, quiet, pregnant woman… not the intelligent, determined investigator that can see connections in crimes that appear random.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Fargo was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning one…

  • Best Picture (Nominee)
  • Best Actress in a Leading Role (Winner – Frances McDormand)
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Nominee – William H. Macy)
  • Best Director (Nominees – Joel Coen, Ethan Cohen)
  • Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominee – Ethan Coen, Joel Coen)
  • Best Cinematography (Nominee – Roger Deakins)
  • Best Film Editing (Nominees – Ethan Coen <as Roderick Jaynes>, Joel Coen <as Roderick Jaynes>)

When Steve Buscemi’s character says, “In thirty minutes, we will wrap this up” if you time until the end of the movie, it will show thirty minutes have passed.

Although the film is titled, Fargo, most of the movie takes place in Brainerd, Minnesota.  The Cohens thought Fargo made a better title than Brainerd.

Frances McDormand and Joel Cohen are married.

Bruce Campbell appears (uncredited) in the background of a scene on a television screen.

Fargo was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2006.

Although the title card at the start of the film indicates it is based on a true case, it’s not.

Fargo has everything you’d expect in a Cohen film: great writing, directing and acting with memorable characters.

Fargo (1996) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Flood” (2023) starring Casper Van Dien & Nicky Whelan / Z-View

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The Flood (2023)

Director: Brandon Slagle

Screenplay: Chad Law, Josh Ridgway

Stars: Casper Van Dien, Nicky Whelan, Louis Mandylor.

Tagline: Danger is rising.

The Plot…

Sheriff Jo Newman (Whelan) has her hands full.  A hurricane is about to hit and the water is rising.  A prison transport bus just pulled in.  They need to house the prisoners until the storm passes.  Little does anyone know, armed outlaws are about to attempt a breakout.

What could make this worse?

The rising waters have brought a nest of alligators into the jail.  If the crooks don’t kill ya, the gators will.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Flood is a drive-in movie at best.  A low-budget genre film with poor CGI, headlined by a star who never quite made the A-List.

The Flood (2023) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Kongo” (1932) starring Walter Huston, Lupe Velez, Conrad Nagel & Virginia Bruce / Z-View

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Kongo (1932)

Director: William J. Cowen

Screenplay: Leon Gordon based on the play Kongo by Chester De Vonde, Kilbourn Gordon

Stars: Walter Huston, Lupe Velez, Conrad Nagel, Virginia Bruce, C. Henry Gordon, Everett Brown and Forrester Harvey.

Tagline: A MADMAN WREAKS HIS VENGEANCE on a woman’s soul!

The Plot…

Deep in the Kongo jungle, a crippled white man called “Deadlegs” Flint (Huston) rules.  Using stage magic to frighten the masses and a few natives (paying them in sugar cubes and booze) to keep the rest in line, Flint is seen as a god.

Flint wasn’t always in a wheelchair.  That happened because the man his wife was cheating with crushed his spine in a fight.  Now Flint hates the world and lives for the day when he will have the ultimate revenge.

Soon, Flint’s vengeance, years in the making, will come to pass.  Only a twist that no one sees coming will change everything.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Kongo is a remake of West of Zanzibar (1928) directed by Tod (Dracula) Browning and starring Lon (The Phantom of the Opera) Chaney.  Some exterior footage from West of Zanzibar was re-used in Kongo.

The film’s revenge storyline and the twist are made thanks to Kongo being a pre-code film.

Kongo (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Sergeant Rutledge” (1960) starring Jeffrey Hunter, Woody Strode & Constance Towers / Z-View

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Sergeant Rutledge (1960)

Director: John Ford

Screenplay: James Warner Bellah, Willis Goldbeck, novelization SERGEANT RUTLEDGE by James Warner Bellah

Stars: Jeffrey Hunter, Woody Strode, Constance Towers, Billie Burke, Juano Hernandez, Willis Bouchey, Carleton Young, Judson Pratt, Phil Adams, Rafer Johnson and Toby Michaels.

Tagline: “I want the truth about that night.”

The Plot…

First Sergeant Braxton Rutledge (Strode) stands accused of the rape and murder of Lucy Dabney (Michaels) and the murder of her father, Major Custis Dabney.  Despite being a respected and decorated soldier, the evidence points to Sergeant Rutledge’s guilt.  He was wounded and seen leaving the scene of the crime before going AWOL.

Now on trial, with an mob ready to hang him, Sergeant Braxton knows he has little hope, despite his claims of innocence.  Who is going to believe a black man when he says he didn’t rape and kill a young white girl and her father?  Lt. Tom Cantrell (Hunter), Rutledge’s commanding officer has everything stacked against him as he works to prove Rutledge is innocent.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This was Billie (best known as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz) Burke’s last film role.

Rafer Johnson, who plays Corporal Klump, won a Gold Medal in the 1960 Olympics in the decathlon.

Toby Michaels plays Lucy Dabney, the young girl who was raped and murdered.  Michaels is not listed in the credits.

The reveal of who committed the murder is worthy of Perry Mason.

Sergeant Rutledge (1960) rates 4 of 5 stars.

THE BIG EMPTY: AN ELVIS COLE AND JOE PIKE NOVEL by Robert Crais is Coming!

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Any new Robert Crais release is cause for celebration.  If the book is an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel, then lock the doors, cause the party is going to be off the chain.  Get ready to bar the doors.

THE BIG EMPTY: AN ELVIS COLE AND JOE PIKE NOVEL drops on January 14, 2025.  Here’s the lowdown…

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, face a cryptic case and a terrifying, unpredictable killer in this twisty, satisfying thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.

Traci Beller was thirteen when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. The police couldn’t find her dad and neither could the detectives her mother hired, but now, ten years later, Traci is a super-popular influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire a new detective: Elvis Cole.

Taking on a ten-years-cold missing person case is almost always a loser, but Elvis heads to Rancha where he learns an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man. But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a deadly gang of vicious criminals, the simple missing persons case becomes far more sinister and dangerous. Elvis calls in his ex-Marine friend, Joe Pike, to help, but even Pike might not be able to help.

As Elvis Cole and Joe Pike follow Tommy Beller’s trail into the twisted, nightmare depths of a monstrous evil, the case flips on its head. Victims become predators, predators become pray, and when everyone is a victim, can Elvis Cole save them all?

In a case that tests Elvis Cole’s loyalty to his clients and himself, the truth must come out no matter the cost. Elvis must face The Big Empty and see justice done.

“Mayor of Kingstown”: Season 2 (2023) starring Jeremy Renner / Z-View

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Mayor of Kingstown: Season 2 (2023)

Created by: Taylor Sheridan, Hugh Dillon

Director: Stephen Kay (Eps. 1-3, 7-10); Tasha Smith (Eps. 3-4); Guy Ferland (Ep. 5-6)

Teleplay: Dave Erickson and Taylor Sheridan (Ep. 1); Taylor Sheridan (Ep. 2); Keli Goff (Ep. 3); Evan Ball (Ep. 4); Leon Hendrix III (Ep. 5); Christian Donovan (Ep. 6); Regina Corrado (Ep. 7); Hugh Dillon & Stephen Kay (Ep. 8); Christian Donovan & James Arcega Tinsley (Ep. 9); Regina Corrado & Dave Erickson (Ep. 10)

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh D illon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, Aidan Gillen, Michael Beach, Nichole Galicia, Necar Zadegan, Lane Garrison, Gena Shaw, Frank Licari, Dylan Kenin, George Tchortov, Sandrine Holt, Gratiela Brancusi, Matt Gerald, Nona Parker Johnson, Sandra Holt, Dom Kegel, Jimmy Star and Kenny Johnson.

Tagline: You can’t bury the past.

The Plot…

The prison riot is over but the ramifications will be long-lasting.  The major gangs are without leadership.  Gangs, like the universe, hate a void.  Power struggles in the prison spill over into gang wars in the streets.  Mike comes up with a plan to return to status quo, but there will be a cost.  Since the riot, no one trusts anyone.  To complicate matters, Iris is missing and Milo may be alive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Mayor of Kingstown continues to be well written, well directed, well acted with production values that rival those of feature films.

Jeremy Renner is perfect as the no-nonsense Mike McClusky.  Other standouts in the acting department include Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Emma Laird, Nichole Galicia, Tobi Bamtefa and Hamish Allan-Headley.  Actually, I should probably list every supporting actor/actress because they are all perfectly cast.

The surprises, twists and ever building tension make each episode must-see tv.  I look forward to season 3 and beyond.

Mayor of Kingstown: Season 2 (2023) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Tomorrow is Another Day” (1951) starring Ruth Roman & Steve Cochran / Z-View

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Tomorrow is Another Day (1951)

Director: Felix E. Feist

Screenplay: Art Cohn, Guy Endore, story by Guy Endore

Stars: Ruth Roman, Steve Cochran, Lurene Tuttle, Hugh Sanders, Ray Teal, Morris Ankrum, John Kellogg, Walter Sande, Philip Carey and Lee Patrick.

Tagline: They take their lives in their hands… when they take each other in their arms!

The Plot…

Bill Clark (Cochran) was thirteen when he murdered his abusive father.  That was 18 years ago.  Clark is now 31 and just released from prison.  Although a man, Clark still has the naivety of a child.  Clark quickly learns that life as an ex-con won’t be easy.

When Clark meets a dance hall girl named Cathy (Roman), straight away he’s attracted to her.  Cathy rejects his offers of dinner, saying that she prefers gifts.  When Cathy gets off work, Clark is waiting.  He gives her a beautiful watch.  After a night on the town, Cathy invites Clark up to her apartment.

Almost immediately after they enter, George Conover (Sanders), Cathy’s “boyfriend” busts in.  Conover pulls a gun and orders Clark to leave.  Clark goes for the gun and in the struggle the gun is dropped and Clark is knocked  unconscious.  Cathy grabs the gun and instinctively shoots George when he lunges for her.  George staggers out and into a taxi headed for the hospital.

Clark comes to.  Cathy asks him what he remembers, which is everything leading up to the struggle for the gun.  Cathy leads Clark to believe that he was the one who shot New York Detective George Conover.  When they learn that Conover has died from his wounds and the police have launched an investigation, Cathy and Clark decide to take off.

If they’re caught Cathy will let Clark take the rap.  And if they make a clean getaway, she can always dump him.  Funny how the best made plans…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Both John Garfield and Burt Lancaster were considered for the role of Bill Clark.

Tomorrow is Another Day has the set-up to be a classic noir film.  Bill Clark was an abused kid who did time in prison but wants to now lead a good life.  He meets up with a beautiful woman that he’s drawn to, but she takes advantage of the relationship.  When she murders another lover, she lets Bill think that he did the crime.  They go on the run.  Everything lining up to be an excellent noir.  Then in the last couple of scenes we get an ending that makes everything “sunshine and roses” (as Rocky Balboa would say).  Still, Tomorrow is Another Day isn’t a bad film, just one that falls short of being really good.

Tomorrow is Another Day (1951) rates 3 of 5 stars.