I'LL CRY TOMORROW

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 933, 28 June 1957, Page 18

I'LL CRY TOMORROW

(M.G.M.) A Cert. "HIS is the story of Lillian Roth, an alcoholic who did not desire to remain anonymous. It is, you will therefore understand, not carefree and relaxing entertainment. If, at the same time, it ‘did not quite purge my soul with the pity which I have once or twice felt for fictional victims of addiction, it proved a more determined attempt at drama and character-analysis than the case-his-tory of Billy Mitchell. More was rTequired of the cast; and on the whole more was given. Susan ayward played the rising young music-hall star with something better than competence, and brought conviction to the earlier emotional scenes where frustration in love brings her into conflict with her managing and ambitious mother (Jo van Fleet). But the portrayal of an alcoholic lies just far enough outside the compass of her talent to rob the later passages of the film of complete credibility-Ray Milland and James Cagney have played alcoholics only too well to make comparisons comfortable. In this view, apparently, I am at odds with some of the experts. My vote would go rather to Jo van Fleet for a performance as impressive as it was unexpected. As the "stage mother"’ whose relentless ambition blights her child’s life (the delinquent-parent image again!) she is the most convincing figure in a depressing milieu. Daniel Mann directed. (Like some other films I’ve seen recently, this one is too long at 10,940 feet.)