Tomorrow Never Comes ** (1978, Oliver Reed, Susan George, Raymond Burr, John Ireland, Donald Pleasence) – Classic Movie Review 7758

Director Peter Collinson’s well-cast but unambitious crime melodrama 1977 Tomorrow Never Comes is an unofficially reworked variant on the 1947 American thriller The Long Night, itself a remake of the 1939 Jean Gabin French classic Le Jour se Lève [Daybreak]. However, it is based on an original story by David Pursall and Jack Seddon,

Unfortunately Tomorrow Never Comes lacks tension, class and strong handling, but it gains in Seventies-style violence and has some good performances. Stephen McHattie plays Frank, the possessive lover of Janie (Susan George, and he explodes into violence when he suspects her of unfaithfulness, resulting in a bloody hostage-siege on a beach, to which there can be only one outcome.

Oliver Reed plays Wilson, the sensitive cop who saves the day, Raymond Burr plays the bull-headed head cop Burke, John Ireland plays the police captain and Donald Pleasence plays the doctor Dr Todd. All four show some style, and the cast definitely helps. But, otherwise, the film is mostly nasty and mainly unconvincing. Collinson directs hesitantly in a sledgehammer manner far removed from his excellent early film, The Italian Job.

Also in the cast are John Osborne, Paul Koslo, Cec Linder, Richard Donat, Delores Etienne, Sammy Snyders, Jayne Eastwood, Mario Di Iorio and Stephen Mendel.

Tomorrow Never Comes is directed by Peter Collinson, runs 107 minutes, is made by Classic, Montreal Trust, Neffbourne and Anglo-Canadian, is released by Rank, is written by David Pursall, Jack Seddon and Sydney Banks, from an original story by David Pursall and Jack Seddon, is shot in Eastmancolor by François Protat, is produced by Michael Klinger and Julian Melzack, is scored by Roy Budd and is designed by Michel Prouxl.

Matt Monro sings Alone am I by Roy Budd.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7758

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