See Lizabeth Scott Put in Her Bid for the Title of Queen Femme Fatale, and Dan Duryea Put in His Bid as King of the Heavies! TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at 12:30 and 10 a.m. ET is Byron Haskin’s Too Late for Tears (1949), with Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea, Don DeFore, Arthur Kennedy and Kristine Miller

By David in TN
friday, october 18, 2024 at 8:10:00 p.m. edt

TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at 12:30 and 10 a.m. ET is Byron Haskin’s Too Late for Tears (1949), with Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea, Don DeFore, Arthur Kennedy and Kristine Miller.

Film Noir Guide: “Scott and Kennedy are unlucky enough to have a bag containing sixty thousand dollars thrown into their convertible by mistake. The dough, which was intended for Duryea, causes big marital problems, because the greedy Scott wants to keep it and Kennedy wants to turn it in to the police.

“Scott is excellent as the femme fatale who’ll do anything to keep her newfound wealth. Duryea plays his usual bad-guy role with gusto, this time as a crooked P.I., who’s adept at slapping women around but who’s no match for Scott in the guts department.

“DeFore is the mysterious stranger who comes to the aid of Kennedy’s sister (Miller), who’s trying to figure out why her brother has suddenly disappeared. Also known as Killer Bait, this is a fast-moving and enjoyable crime drama.”

David in TN: Eddie Muller recycles another one.

N.S.: True, David, but at least it’s a good one, with tremendous performances by Scott and Duryea.

And it’s not his “usual performance.” Year after year after the war, he played one heavy after another, but unlike some of the biggest names in the business (e.g., Burt Lancaster and Lee J. Cobb) he never gave a duplicate performance. Every bad guy he played was unique.