Too Late For Tears is a Noir crime classic, featuring one of the most vicious femme fatales of all time. You may know the 1949 film starring Lizabeth Scott, in one of her strongest performances, equalling the praised performance by Ann Savage in Detour. This has been a cult favourite and in the public domain for many years (easily found online). In 2016, it was selected by the Film Noir Foundation and extensively restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. So close is the film to the original novel, they can't be separated.
Jane has become increasingly bored with life, tired of playing the 'couples' game. 'Bob-and-Betty', 'Joe-and-Alice', with dismay she realizes they have become 'Alan-and-Jane'. Driving home after a party, they quarrel over things slowly gathered for a long time. It turns physical and in the struggle their headlights flicker on and off. Suddenly, an oncoming car appears and throws something into the convertible as they pass. It is a duffle bag full of fifties and twenties, $60,000 worth. The flashing lights were the signal, and a car appears for the drop, but does not find them. "It's ours!" she whispers, with a soft thrumming ecstacy. "It's ours!"
Alan is ready to turn it in to police, but Jane convinces him to wait and see if it is reported. Maybe it's clean, maybe no one knows they have it, maybe it can give her the life she dreams of. Alan leaves it in a station baggage claim for safety and keeps the ticket. This doesn't stop Jane from spending wildly, which looks bad on Alan, a bank teller on fixed income.
Alan's sister Kathy lives in the same building, and is concerned, especially when he doesn't return one evening. None of Alan's clothes are missing, and he left his prized gun behind. Jane is also anxious, but knows exactly where she put him.
She had been contacted by a lowlife hood claiming the money was his, and her plan of escape was to coerce him into helping kill Alan, who was ready to turn in the money. She needed to kill Alan, so that she could live. Jane makes a deal to split the money with him, but where is the missing claim ticket? While Jane feigns confusion about Alan's disappearance, Kathy investigates, helped by an interested man claiming to be Alan's old war buddy.
How many people does Jane have to kill before she collects the money and high tails it to Mexico?
The film is very true to the novel - why mess with perfection. And it is hard not to read this without Lizbeth Scott's breathy voice in your mind. Jane is one of the deadliest femme fatales in Noir history, a merciless self-centered woman with dollar signs in her eyes. She seems unstoppable, ready to do anything to fuel her desire. This is also a satisfying study on post-war aspirations, and materialistic middle-class dreams.
Roy Huggins was a writer, director and producer of some of the most popular shows, including Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, The Fugitive, The Rockford Files, and Baretta. His other excellent Noir detective novel The Double Take from 1947 was filmed as I Love Trouble (also available online). He is forever immortalized in show business for 'The Huggins Contract', after studios opened shows he wrote in other markets to avoid paying him writing dues. His demand for earned rights and ownership resulted in the namesake contract used ever since, to be paid for your work regardless of which medium or market it opens, whether it shows or not.
Recommended. A classic of Noir crime.
1947 / Paperback / 181 pages
Comments