Hold Back Tomorrow

Hugo Haas John Agar & Cleo Moore Deliver a Fascinating Late Film-Noir

Hugo Haas, borrowing from Rodney Dangerfield Signature Line, "Gets No Respect".

He Got, Certainly, No Respect from the Hollywood Factory, was Ostracized when He Wasn't being Ignored, and Sent Packing to the Fringes of Low-Low Budget Film-Making to Apply His Talent.

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention", and Hugo Made-Do and Cranked-Out His Little "Slice of the Dark-Life-Look-Ins, on the Folks, Streets, and Stories.

Hugo Haas and Film-Noir Formed a Bond, and Produced some Significant "Primitive Art" that is, for the most part, Still Gets Little Respect to this Day.

Film-Noir has become More and More Respected, but Hugo Haas is one of its "Workers" that Still Lingers in the Shadows Waiting for Recognition. His Day Will Come.

Haas "Worked" in a Place that Main-Stream Hollywood Abhorred, and the Spirit of Film-Noir Found Fascinating, a Genre that Created Itself by Spontaneously Erupting to Life and Flourished in the 40's & 50's.

"Hold Back Tomorrow" is a Very Strange Piece of Work.

The Story of a "Murderer" and His Last Night Before the Hangman, Requesting a "Woman-Companion" and some "Music" John Agar is the Doomed-Man and Cleo Moore is the "Woman".

She, is First Seen Being Pulled from the River in an Attempted-Suicide.

There's a Noir Opening if there Ever Was One.

The Script Bends Over Backwards Trying to Define Her Profession, Suffice to Say, Former Factory Worker, Waitress, Dance Hall Dame, Escort, and Without Coming Right Out With It (the Code), Prostitute.

The 2 Noir Characters "Hook-Up" in the Hoosegow and to Say More would be Saying Too Much.

Because it's a Scene that Defies You to Find Another in the History of the Movies that is Remotely the Same Story.

Unique is an Understatement.

Discover this Hidden-Gem and See For Yourself Just what Mid-50's Films were Capable of with No Support from the Hollywood Elite or the then Current Conservative Restraint from "Gate-Keepers" of All Sorts.

This is "Primitive-Art" at its Best.

I would love to see a Hugo Haas festival. At a theater or on television. If anyone was an auteur, it was Haas. His movies are similar to but better than those of Ed Wood. They are below the standards of some other contemporaries. But they seem to have been shot with little money.

Here we have a brunette Cleo Moore and Death Row inmate John Agar. She is a self-described "pickup girl." She looks it, too. It's very sleazy -- as it is meant to be.

This basically two-character piece was ahead of its time. I can imagine it with Al Pacino and Edie Falco.

This is my favourite performance from the otherwise rather sterile John Agar. He is "Joe", on death row having been found guilty of strangling three women. He's decided to go out in Garbo style, wanting to be alone and angrily resisting any attempts from his family, or the priest, to comfort him as the big day nears. With twenty-four hours to go, though, he decides that the "company" of a lady might help ease his burden and obliged to help him out, the prison manage to recruit "Dora" (Cleo Moore). Now she's not in a very good place either - indeed had earlier tried to jump in the river; so a few dollars for a quickie with "Joe" didn't seem such a bad offer. Whilst there is certainly a predictability about the latter portion of this drama, it's still performed well and is tautly directed by Hugo Haas. Moore delivers an impassioned effort, indeed in many ways her character is far more intriguing than the sorry-for-himself "Joe". It is a bit dialogue-heavy, but for the most part that dialogue is worth listening to as we head towards the expected denouement - expected on just about every level. It does sail perilously close to melodrama at times, but it has a compensating grittiness and realism that I felt made this a much better than average tale to tell. You probably won't remember it for long afterwards, but it's enthralling enough when you watch.

"Hold Back Tomorrow" is one of the stranger films I've ever seen. Not bad at all...just very strange. And, it's because the film is so unusual that I recommend you see it.

When the story begins, Joe (John Agar) is on death row...a day before his scheduled execution. Unlike most prisoners in such situations, Joe is not repentant and wants everyone to just shut up and leave him alone. But, after the warden offers to give him ANY last request, Joe decides he wants to have a woman spend his final hours with him. While this sounds like he wants to get some, he just wants someone to talk to.

At the same time, a seriously depressed woman tosses herself into the river. She is saved...and yells at the stranger who saved her. Ultimately, she is the woman who is asked to spend Joe's final night with him in his prison cell.

This is a very odd film. On one hand, the plot is completely ridiculous as wardens do NOT offer the condemned ANYTHING they want...no questions asked! And, having a stranger spend a the night with the condemned...well, that sure isn't gonna happen! But if you can suspend disbelief, the film is amazing. First, while about 95% of the story consists of the pair just talking in one room, it's never boring. Second, for years, John Agar has been known as one of the worst actors alive. But here, with the right material, he shows his acting chops. After playing most of the story angry in a one-note performance, later he changes and his depth of talent shows. Cleo Moore is also quite good as the girl. Overall, a film which really works once you stop worrying about the improbability of it all. A really nice low-budgeted movie...one which I almost gave a 9.

First, this is not a film noir, nothing to do with crime, but a noir drama, yes, of course, how could it be otherwise? Director Hugo Haas is a film maker whose filmography should be discovered again. After a brief European career, before he escapes from Nazis, he went to the USA and began a second part. And he never made something different from drama. All those films are rather gloomy, desperate, forget any happy ending - as far as I know. All those films involve women - more or less fatale chicks - and engrossing plots, gripping, for not too long films. His films are nearly all alike but who cares? I definitely like his films.