''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (1955) is a biopic that tells the story of
Lillian Roth
Lillian Roth (December 13, 1910 – May 12, 1980) was an American singer and actress.
Her life story was told in the 1955 film ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'', in which she was portrayed by Susan Hayward, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best ...
, a Broadway star who rebels against the pressure of her domineering mother and struggles with alcoholism after the death of her fiancé. It stars
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories.
After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...
,
Richard Conte
Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from the 1940s through 1970s, including '' I'll Cry Tomorrow'', ''Ocean's 11'', and ''Th ...
,
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
,
Margo *** People
* Margo (actress) (1917–1985), Mexican-American actress and dancer
* Margo (magician), American magic performer and actress
* Margo (singer), Irish singer
* Margo (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
...
, and
Jo Van Fleet
Catherine Josephine Van Fleet (December 29, 1915["The Bi ...](_blank)
.
The screenplay was adapted by
Helen Deutsch
Helen Deutsch (21 March 1906 – 15 March 1992) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and songwriter.
Biography
Deutsch was born in New York City and graduated from Barnard College. She began her career by managing the Provincetown Players ...
and
Jay Richard Kennedy from the
1954 autobiography by Lillian Roth,
Mike Connolly and
Gerold Frank
Gerold Frank (August 2, 1907 – September 17, 1998) was an American writer and ghostwriter. He wrote several celebrity memoirs and was considered a pioneer of the "as told to" form of (auto)biography. His two best-known books, however, are ''Th ...
. It was directed by
Daniel Mann
Daniel Chugerman (August 8, 1912 – November 21, 1991), known professionally as Daniel Mann, was an American stage, film and television director.
Originally trained as an actor by Sanford Meisner, between 1952 and 1987 he directed over 31 feat ...
.
The film won the
Academy Award for Best Costume Design
The Academy Award for Best Costume Design is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for achievement in film costume design.
The award was first given in 1949, for films made in 194 ...
for
Helen Rose
Helen Rose (February 2, 1904 – November 9, 1985) was an American costume designer and clothing designer who spent the bulk of her career with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Career
Helen Rose was born on February 2, 1904 to William Bromberg and Ray Bobbs ...
, and had three other Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress for Susan Hayward.
It was entered into the
1956 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot
Eight-year-old
Lillian Roth
Lillian Roth (December 13, 1910 – May 12, 1980) was an American singer and actress.
Her life story was told in the 1955 film ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'', in which she was portrayed by Susan Hayward, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best ...
(Carole Ann Campbell) constantly is pushed by her domineering
stage mother Katie (
Jo Van Fleet
Catherine Josephine Van Fleet (December 29, 1915["The Bi ...](_blank)
) to audition and act, even though she is merely a child. One day, Katie secures an opportunity in Chicago, which leads to Lillian, now older (
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories.
After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...
), to having a successful musical career. Even though 20 years have passed, Katie still is managing Lillian, as well as running her life and career choices.
Although her mother does not tell her, Lillian finds out that her childhood friend David (
Ray Danton) tried to get in contact with her. She visits him in the hospital, and they soon fall in love. Because David is an entertainment company lawyer, he is able to secure Lillian shows at some big venues, including one at the
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including:
Australia
*Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria
*Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales
Canada
*Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
. However, there is latent tension between David and Katie because he feels that Katie is projecting her own ambitions onto Lillian and overworking her, and Katie feels a new man in Lillian's life only serves to distract from her high-profile career. When Lillian informs her mother she intends to marry David, Katie is disappointed and sees a repeat of her own life happening—giving up a career to have a husband and children. Suddenly, David falls ill and dies during the opening night of her show, and she is despondent at having lost the love of her life.
Rebelling against her mother's domineering ways, Lillian turns to drinking. One night, in a drunken stupor, she goes out with an aviator, Wallie (
Don Taylor), and marries him that night but does not remember it. They remain married, but the marriage is loveless from the beginning. The only thing the two have in common is drinking, and both drink to forget the present. Lillian's career suffers as a result of her persistent alcoholism, and she spends all her money without booking new shows. The two divorce after Wallie says he is "sick of being Mr. Lillian Roth."
Two years later, Lillian meets fellow alcoholic Tony Bardeman (
Richard Conte
Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from the 1940s through 1970s, including '' I'll Cry Tomorrow'', ''Ocean's 11'', and ''Th ...
) at a dinner party, and she falls for him. However, Lillian goes through
alcohol withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a set of symptoms that can occur following a reduction in alcohol use after a period of excessive use. Symptoms typically include anxiety, shakiness, sweating, vomiting, fast heart rate, and a mild fever. M ...
when she stops drinking to please her mother, and instead she turns to being a secret drinker. Her drinking gets worse when Tony goes home to California, but when he returns, Lillian begs him to stay with her. They decide to stop drinking together, but once they are married, Tony starts to drink, and Lillian is outraged. When she tries to stop him from drinking and leave, he beats her.
She escapes Tony's clutches and goes to New York City to live with her mother, but contemplates suicide after a fight with her mother. Lillian goes to an
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professi ...
shelter, and suffers bouts of
delirium tremens
Delirium tremens (DTs) is a rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol. When it occurs, it is often three days into the withdrawal symptoms and lasts for two to three days. Physical effects may include shaking, shiver ...
as she goes through withdrawals. She begins to fall for her sponsor Burt McGuire (
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
), but the crippling effects of childhood
polio
Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...
make him wary of pursuing anything romantic. As she continues her recovery, she is invited to appear on the ''
This Is Your Life'' television program to share her story of alcoholism and recovery.
Cast
*
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories.
After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...
as
Lillian Roth
Lillian Roth (December 13, 1910 – May 12, 1980) was an American singer and actress.
Her life story was told in the 1955 film ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'', in which she was portrayed by Susan Hayward, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best ...
*
Richard Conte
Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from the 1940s through 1970s, including '' I'll Cry Tomorrow'', ''Ocean's 11'', and ''Th ...
as Tony Bardeman
*
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...
as Burt McGuire
*
Jo Van Fleet
Catherine Josephine Van Fleet (December 29, 1915["The Bi ...](_blank)
as Katie Silverman Roth, Lillian's mother
*
Don Taylor as Wallie
*
Ray Danton as David Tredman
*
Margo *** People
* Margo (actress) (1917–1985), Mexican-American actress and dancer
* Margo (magician), American magic performer and actress
* Margo (singer), Irish singer
* Margo (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
...
as Selma
*
Virginia Gregg
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
as Ellen
*
Don 'Red' Barry
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
* Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
* Don, Dang, a vi ...
as Jerry
* David Kasday as David as a child
* Carole Ann Campbell as Lillian (a child)
*
Peter Leeds
Peter Leeds (May 30, 1917 – November 12, 1996) was an American actor who appeared on television more than 8,000 times and also had many film, Broadway, and radio credits. The majority of his work took place in the 1950s and 1960s. Working ...
as Richard Elstead
*
Tol Avery
Taliaferro Ware "Tol" Avery (August 28, 1915 – August 27, 1973) was an American film and television character actor with more than a hundred screen appearances between 1950 and 1974.
Biography
Early in his career, Avery appeared as "Dennison ...
as Drunk party guest, Joe
* Anthony Jochim as Paul (butler)
* Jack Daley as Cab driver
*
Ralph Edwards
Ralph Livingstone Edwards (June 13, 1913DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 86-87. – November 16, 2005) was an American radio ...
as Himself, as host of ''This Is Your Life'' (uncredited)
Box office
According to MGM records, the film made $5,873,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $1,854,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $2,933,000.
Reviews
"
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories.
After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...
sings for the first time on the screen, and will win much applause for her throaty voice in such songs as ''
Sing, You Sinners'', ''
When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)
"When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)" is a popular song written, both words and music, by Harry Woods in 1926.
The song became the signature song for singer and actress Lillian Roth, who performed it often during the height ...
'', and ''
I'm Sitting on Top of the World''. She is supported by
Ray Danton as the man whose death first upsets her; by
Jo Van Fleet
Catherine Josephine Van Fleet (December 29, 1915["The Bi ...](_blank)
as her domineering mother who realises what she has done too late; Richard Conte, Eddie Albert and Don Taylor."
[''Picture Show'', June 23, 1956]
Awards and nominations
See also
*
List of American films of 1955
A list of American films released in 1955.
The United Artists film '' Marty'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1955.
A–B
C–D
E–H
I–L
M–R
S–Z
See also
* 1955 in the United States
External links
1955 filmsat ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Sound samples of the film score
{{Daniel Mann
1955 films
1955 drama films
1950s biographical drama films
American biographical drama films
American black-and-white films
Biographical films about actors
Cultural depictions of actors
Cultural depictions of American women
Films about alcoholism
Films based on autobiographies
Films directed by Daniel Mann
Films scored by Alex North
Films that won the Best Costume Design Academy Award
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films