I'll Cry Tomorrow

UPC: 012569797192

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Questionable for Children]

Summary: 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. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Black and White Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Black and White Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Black and White Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Black and White Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Black and White Cinematography – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Black and White Costume Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences International Prize For Best Performance – Cannes Film Festival

Features: Vintage Lillian Roth musical short story Conference
3 excerpts from the MGM Parade TV series
Vintage newsreel excerpts covering the movie's premiere and accolades
Theatrical trailer

I'll Cry Tomorrow

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 11/06/2007

Audio: DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 119 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- I'll Cry Tomorrow
1. Credits [1:35]
2. Stage Mother [3:56]
3. In the Wings [2:03]
4. Sing You Sinners [5:18]
5. David Tredman [4:22]
6. What Lillian Wants [5:51]
7. David Stricken [2:14]
8. When the Red Red Robin... [1:52]
9. Working Through Tragedy [3:40]
10. Leave Me Alone [4:18]
11. One Good Thing [2:57]
12. Out of a Bottle [2:39]
13. Marital Mistake [5:11]
14. Exit Wallie [3:12]
15. Uninvited Guest [4:52]
16. It's a Date [2:16]
17. Untimely Visit [4:23]
18. Lost Confrontation [3:32]
19. Happiness is a Thing Called Joe [3:04]
20. On the Wagon Together [3:41]
21. Tony's True Nature [4:03]
22. Couple of Lovebirds [4:28]
23. End of the Line [6:02]
24. Cry Tomorrow [5:34]
25. Window Ledge [4:05]
26. Alcoholics Anonymous [5:04]
27. Burt's Story [4:28]
28. First Meeting [4:23]
29. Reborn Songs Medley [4:41]
30. We Belong Together [4:10]
31. Cast List [:32]

Richard Gilliam

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. ~ Richard Gilliam, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Jack Daley  Actor 
Ben Gazzara  Actor 
George Lloyd  Actor 
Voltaire Perkins  Actor 
Gail Ganley  Actor 
Henry Kulky  Actor 
Kenneth Patterson  Actor 
Guy Wilkerson  Actor 
Marc Krah  Actor 
Robert Vaughn  Actor 
Donovan  Actor 
Mary Bear  Actor 
Ralph Edwards  Actor 
Nora Marlowe  Actor 
John Cassavetes  Actor 
Herbert Lytton  Actor 
Bob Stephenson  Actor 
Peter Brocco  Actor 
Stanley Farrar  Actor 
Anthony Jochim  Actor 
Cheerio Meredith  Actor 
Charles Tannen  Actor 
Patty Duke  Actor 
Timothy Carey  Actor 
Jack Gargan  Actor 
George Pembroke  Actor 
Harlan Warde  Actor 
Budd Buster  Actor 
James Ogg  Actor 
David Tredman  Actor 
Vittorio De Sica  Actor 
Veda Ann Borg  Actor 
Anita Ekberg  Actor 
Bob Hopkins  Actor 
Eve McVeagh  Actor 
Ruth Storey  Actor 
Joe Duval  Actor 
Don "Red" Barry  Actor 
Bob Dix  Actor 
Vernon Rich  Actor 
Robert B. Williams  Actor 
Kay English  Actor 
Lillian Roth  Screenwriter 
Daniel Mann  Director 
Alex North  Composer (Music Score) 
Lawrence Weingarten  Producer 
Helen Deutsch  Screenwriter 
Jay Richard Kennedy  Screenwriter 
Susan Hayward  Actor 
Richard Conte  Actor 
Eddie Albert  Actor 
Jo Van Fleet  Actor 
Don Taylor  Actor 
Ray Danton  Actor 
Margo  Actor 
Virginia Gregg  Actor 
David Kasday  Actor 
Carole Ann Campbell  Actor 
Peter Leeds  Actor 
Tol Avery  Actor 

Country: USA