I'll Cry Tomorrow [Blu-ray]

Overview

Susan Hayward pulls out all the stops, and then some, in this cinemadaptation of singer Lillian Roth's autobiography I'll Cry Tomorrow. In as harshly realistic a manner as possible in the still censor-dominated Hollywood of 1955, the film recounts Roth's rise to fame, her precipitous fall and her tearful comeback. The fact that Roth loves not wisely but too well is only part of the problem (only two of her eight husbands are portrayed in the film); contributing factors to her self-destruction also included her witchlike "stage mother" (Jo Van Fleet) and the pressures of fame and fortune. The principal reason for Roth's fall from the height of fame to the depths of squalor and despair is booze -- at least until she begins to pull herself together with the help of Alcoholics-Anonymous representative Burt McGuire (Eddie Albert). The story concludes with a testimonial staged in Roth's honor on the TV series This is Your Life (the original of which still exists in kinescope form). Having been personally coached by the real Lillian Roth, Susan Hayward does an excellent job of copying the singer's unique style. Though Hayward did not win an Oscar for her performance, she did cop the "Best Actress" prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/07/2023
UPC:	0883929807857
Original Release:	1955
Rating:	PG
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:59:00
Sales rank:	25,087

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Susan Hayward	Lillian Roth
Richard Conte	Tony Bardeman
Eddie Albert	Burt McGuire
Jo Van Fleet	Katie Roth
Don Taylor	Wallie
Ray Danton	David Tredman
Margo	Selma
Virginia Gregg	Ellen
Don 'Red' Barry	Jerry
David Kasday	David as a Child
Carole Ann Campbell	Lillian as a Child
Peter Leeds	Richard
Tol Avery	Fat Man
Jack Daly	Cab Driver
Patty Duke	Actor
Mary Bear	Couple
Ralph Edwards	Himself
Timothy Carey	Derelict
Charles Tannen	Stage Manager
Harlan Warde	Stage Manager
Kenneth Patterson	Director
Stanley Farrar	Director
Voltaire Perkins	Mr. Byrd
George Lloyd	Messenger
Nora Marlowe	Nurse
George Pembroke	Actor
Peter Brocco	Doctor
Robert Dix	Henry,Henry
Anthony Jochim	Paul, the Butler
David Tredman	Ray Danton
Kay English	Dress Designer
Eve McVeagh	Ethel
Veda Ann Borg	Waitress
Jack Gargan	Drug Clerk
Robert Stephenson	Bartender
Joe Duval	Bartender
John Cassavetes	Bit: Card Player
Vernon Rich	Club Manager
Cheerio Meredith	Elderly Lady
Gail Ganley	Lillian at 15
Vittorio de Sica	Bit: Shoemaker
Ruth Storey	Marge Belney
Donovan Leitch	Bit: Singer
James Ogg	Usher
Anita Ekberg	Bit: Performer
Bernadette Withers	Girl
Kathy Garner	Girl
Henry Kulky	Man
Marc Krah	Man
Ben Gazzara	Bit: Card Player
Guy Wilkerson	Man
Robert B. Williams	Stagehand
Bob Hopkins	M C
Herbert Lytton	Conductor
Budd Buster	Switchman
Robert Vaughn	Bit: Photographer

Technical Credits

Daniel Mann	Director
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects
Lawrence Weingarten	Producer

Editorial Reviews

I'll Cry Tomorrow is one of the best 1950s biopics, built around Susan Hayward's outstanding performance as singer Lillian Roth. The film serves as a cautionary tale against the horrors of alcoholism; though the story is slow to set up, Tomorrow dramatically pays off in its latter portion, when Roth seeks help. In its attempt to cover a substantial number of years in Roth's life, the screenplay's narrative flow ebbs at times, but this is a common problem with biographical films of the era. Among the supporting cast members, Jo Van Fleet is a highlight as Roth's mother. Her scenes with Hayward give the film its emotional core. As with much of director Daniel Mann's work, the dialogue and character interplay is sharp, and the visual aspects are simple and straightforward. The production values are solid but not extravagant; Helen Rose won an Oscar for her occasionally anachronistic costumes.

All Movie Guide - Richard Gilliam