Product: Too Late for Tears (1949)
Rating: 5.0
Liz Scott So Tough She Shocks Duryea
Liz Scott was the glamorous blonde in Hal Wallis' Paramount Studios stable. Here in a low budget quickie "Too Late for Tears" she tries her hand as a femme fatale and is so impressive she belongs in the ranks of Jane Greer, Barbara Stanwyck and Claire Trevor, the triumvirate of film noir tough gals from "Out of the Past", "Double Indemnity" and "Murder, My Sweet" respectively.The film was released in 1949, the same year that low budget film noir giant "D.O.A." came out. "D.O.A." featured an existentially tragic victim in Edmond O'Brien while "Too Late for Tears" features numerous victims, all at the behest of Scott, whose blonde beauty is ice cold and her penchant for riches inexhaustible and uncomplicated by even a tinge of morality. Scott reflects the amorality of the grand femme fatale triumvirate of Greer, Stanwyck and Trevor.The film's initial clash occurs after Scott, along with husband Arthur Kennedy, come into possession of $60,000. Honest Kennedy wants to hand the money over to police, but Scott has other ideas.Kennedy's hunch that the large sum of money relates to some type of criminal enterprise is proven valid when legendary screen tough guy Dan Duryea comes calling at her apartment. When Duryea uses some brute force in the beginning Scott, instead of forcing the issue, shrewdly gives him the impression that he is in charge and ultimately agrees to a partnership with him.The daring of Scott prompts tough guy Duryea to melt. He ultimately wants out of the association, but by then it is too late. Duryea is reminiscent of Fred MacMurray in "Double Indemnity" in the way that he becomes shocked at the savage ruthlessness of Barbara Stanwyck, his partner in crime.The wild card in the picture is Don Defore. A veteran character performer, Defore was known primarily for comedy rather than film noir, becoming famous as a regular on two comedy television sitcoms, "Ozzie and Harriett" and "Hazel."Defore shows up unexpectedly and surprises Scott. While he tells her that he is a former World War Two service buddy of Arthur Kennedy's, a wily Scott does not believe him and wonders just who he is and why he has entered her life. Defore's identity factors into his motivation for pursuing Scott while explaining his determination to break open a case that she attempts to hermetically shut.Byron Haskin directed. He is best known for the science fiction hit "The War of the Worlds." He later became involved in science fiction on television as a regular director of episodes of the sixties' series "The Outer Limits."The rapidly paced script was written by Roy Huggins, who later created the television detective hit "The Rockford Files" starring James Garner.