Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye is a 1950 film noir starring James Cagney, directed by Gordon Douglas, produced by William Cagney and based on the novel by Horace McCoy. The film was banned in Ohio as “a sordid, sadistic presentation of brutality and an extreme presentation of crime with explicit steps in commission.”

Director – Gordon Douglas

Writers – Harry Brown (screenplay), Horace McCoy (from “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”)

Cast –
James Cagney as Ralph Cotter
Barbara Payton as Holiday Carleton
Helena Carter as Margaret Dobson
Ward Bond as Insp. Charles Weber
Luther Adler as Keith ‘Cherokee’ Mandon
Barton MacLane as Lt. John Reece
Steve Brodie as Joe ‘Jinx’ Raynor
Rhys Williams as Vic Mason
Herbert Heyes as Ezra Dobson
John Litel as Police Chief Tolgate
William Frawley as Byers
Gordon Richards as the Butler (uncredited)
Neville Brand as Carleton, (Holiday’s Brother) (uncredited)

Watch “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” (1950)

Plot

Ralph Cotter is a career criminal who, while escaping from a prison work camp, kills his escape partner, Carleton. On the outside, Cotter ultimately woos Carleton’s sister, Holiday, by threatening to expose the fact that she was involved in arranging the prison break. Holiday does not know that Cotter killed her brother. There are hints of a sadomasochistic bond between the two in a scene where Cotter is provoked to whip Holiday with a wet towel, after which she passionately embraces him. Cotter quickly gets back into the crime game—only to be shaken down by corrupt local cops. Things become more complicated with each plan, and worsen when he turns the tables on the bad cops. Finally, Holiday discovers that Cotter killed her brother and that he is dumping her for a wealthy young heiress. She is thrown into a violent rage.