Product: Too Late for Tears (1949)
Rating: 5.0
Greed Leads to Murder
Too Late for Tears, 1949 filmThis was based on a `Saturday Evening Post' serial. It begins with a view from a hill overlooking a city in the dark (Los Angeles). A car drives along the highway, the couple in it argues. Another car tosses a satchel into their car. Then they are chased by another car. Is a bag of money good luck or a curse? Will they hide it or turn it in to the police? Will Jane spend some? Then a detective shows up to search their apartment. There is a surprise here! Does Jan have a character flaw? Can money buy "peace of mind"? Danny shows up again for his cash. Will Jane make a deal? Will she play fair? Was that a mistake? "You're quite a gal." Will their plot be successful? Jane takes Danny for a ride, but he jumps out and runs away.Alan's sister checks their apartment and finds the claim ticket. An old war buddy of Alan's shows up. Katherine talks to him. What happened to Alan? Would he take his Army gun with him? Lt. Breech from Homicide shows up. Was there another woman? Alan's car was found near the Mexican border. Jane is curious about Don Blake. Is Katherine a threat to Jane? Danny doesn't like this, but he has no choice. Don and Katherine investigate Alan's disappearance. "That explains everything." Finally there is a meeting that causes a crisis for Don Blake. Jane goes to recover the satchel and keeps her bargain. "Its all ours." Danny tells how he got the money - blackmail!Jane has one more trick up her sleeve. The police find Danny but he won't talk. We learn that dragging a lake has a lot of paperwork. Jane leaves California for Mexico. Don Blake shows up, we learn more about him. He is a killjoy. At the end we learn who Don Blake really is. Jane refuses to come quietly and so she is not taken back to America.The unexpected plot twists will keep you surprised. This story reminds me of "Double Indemnity". "Jane Petrie" is the most vicious villainess since "Phyllis Nirdlinger". One flaw in this story is that Jane did not see a family resemblance in Don Blanchard. Jane's first husband was Bob Blanchard.