Too Late for Tears

Synopsis: One night on a lonely highway, a speeding car tosses a satchel of money, meant for somebody else, into Jane and Alan Palmer's back seat. Alan wants to turn it over to the police, but Jane, with luxury within her reach, persuades him to hang onto it "for a while." Soon, the Palmers are traced by one Danny Fuller, a sleazy character who claims the money is his. To hang onto it, Jane will need all the qualities of an ultimate femme fatale...and does she ever have them!
Director(s): Byron Haskin
Production: United Artists
 
IMDB:
7.4
NOT RATED
Year:
1949
99 min
534 Views


1

You're awfully quiet tonight, Janey.

I've been trying to think

of just the right way to ask you

to turn around and go back.

On this road? Can't do it, sweetie.

I mean it, Alan. I'd like you

to turn around, please.

What's the matter, Jane?

I... I tried to tell you

before we left home.

I... I just don't like

being patronized, that's all.

I... I don't think I can take

another evening of it.

Patronized? Oh, sweetheart,

Ralph is one of the nicest guys I...

You know it isn't Ralph.

It's his diamond-studded wife,

looking down her nose at me like...

like her big ugly house up there

looks down on Hollywood.

Please. I'm just not going.

Slow down and find a place to turn.

Oh, Jane, you're crazy. Alice likes you.

Please, Alan. I mean it.

I'm just not going.

What are you trying to do?

Send us off the edge?

All right. We'll turn around.

We told 'em we'd be there,

but we'll turn around.

That guy almost hit us!

Alan, he threw something.

It's in the back.

Feels like there's paper in it.

- Paper?

- Yeah, feels like it.

Open it.

- They threw it in?

- Yes.

- Maybe it fell in.

- Alan, open it.

Quick, Alan, get in. Alan, get in!

He's after us, Jane.

The bag was intended for him.

Jane, what are you trying to do?

We've lost him. Slow down.

I'll take the wheel.

Well, you almost killed us doing it,

but we got away from him.

- Now what happens?

- It hasn't hit you yet, Alan?

The money was literally

thrown in our laps.

No one in the world knows we have it.

Get a hold of yourself, Jane, will you?

It's a bag of dynamite.

That was a payoff.

Probably blackmail. We turn that bag

over to the police so they...

Don't stop, Alan.

He's almost a block behind.

- What are you two so scared about?

- Who's scared?

You are. Didn't you ever

get a ticket before?

Ha-ha! It's supposed

to be a big secret, Officer.

But we're on our way to Las Vegas.

We're the old-fashioned kind.

We're eloping.

You're still gonna get a ticket.

The next time you make a turn, signal.

You think you can remember that?

I... I'm afraid my mind

wasn't on my driving.

You're nervous, Mac. It's the bride

that's supposed to be jittery.

- Get going.

- All right.

What's the matter with you, Jane?

What were you planning on doing with that?

I don't know.

You had a chance to give up

the money. Why didn't you take it?

I was just asking myself

that same question.

We'll take it up to the apartment.

I want to look at it.

I don't see him, Alan.

What about Kathy?

I wonder if she came home yet.

I think she went to a show. Hurry.

Just call me Dracula.

- I'm afraid you did startle us a little.

- Did my sister come in yet, Pete?

Uh... no, I don't think so.

Hey, uh... you folks been away?

Oh, no. Just some things

Mr. Palmer had in storage.

- Did you lock the door?

- Yes.

Well, that wasn't very smart.

Be a great time for Kathy or someone

to come in now, wouldn't it?

You said you wanted to look at it,

Alan. Look at it.

Fifties and twenties.

There must be thousands here.

Yeah, probably 100,000.

It's old money. The numbers are different.

You could make it work for us

for the rest of our lives.

Stop it, Janey. If we don't report this,

it's a felony, the same as stealing it.

It's a blind alley

with a big barred gate at the end.

Let's not try to use it, darling.

Let's just hide it some place, and then

not touch it until we know it's safe.

It'll never be safe. It just won't work.

What is it, Jane?

I just don't understand you.

I've tried to give you everything

you wanted, everything I could.

Yes, you've given me a dozen

down payments and instalments

for the rest of our lives.

We won't touch it, Alan.

We'll simply leave it where we...

Hide it.

Hide it, quick.

- Hi.

- Hello, Kathy.

Pete said you were asking about me.

Oh, yes. Alan was wondering

if you were home.

Well, I am. And since you're

twisting my arm, I'll come in.

- Where's my dear brother?

- Oh, he'll be out in a moment.

How are things at the office?

Well, they gave my boss

a promotion the other day.

Maybe they'll get around

to giving me a raise later.

You sound as if you're going

to make a life's work out of it.

You sound as if you haven't

heard of the man shortage.

On second thought, maybe you haven't.

- Greetings, Kathy.

- Hi. How are you?

Now don't say fine, 'cause you look awful.

That's why I love to come here.

Everyone is so gay, so buoyant.

I did get the impression from Pete that

you wanted to see me about something.

Oh, er... we were thinking of

running up to Rimoli's for a snack,

but we changed our minds.

Alan doesn't feel well.

- Well, what is it, Alan?

- Oh, nothing.

It's just a headache.

Well, I hope you both feel better

in the morning. Good night.

- Good night, Jane.

- Good night, Kathy.

That did it.

I ought to have my head examined.

I was almost sold for a minute.

But we've got as much right to that money

as if we went into a bank

and lifted a bagful off the counter.

My little sister drops in, and pays us

a visit, and scares us to death.

Of course we were frightened,

because the money's right here.

But once it's hidden and out of our

hands, there's nothing to be afraid of.

- Nobody knows we have it.

- Nobody knows?

How about that banshee that

chased us down the mountainside?

If he can read,

he's got our license number.

He wasn't close enough to see our license.

Listen to me, Alan.

I love you, darling,

and if you decide we should never

touch the money, we won't.

But do we have to make up our minds now?

Can't we just hide it some place

where it can't be traced to us

and give ourselves time to think it out?

Please help me hide it.

I'll leave the rest to you.

If you don't think we should

ever touch it, we won't.

You mean that, Jane? There'll be no

more talk about it? No bitterness?

I mean it, Alan.

We'll keep it a week.

'Last call for the Santa Fe

-San Bernadino local.

'Train number 42 leaves at 10:10,

entering through gate M.

'This is the last call.

'The Union Pacific City of Los Angeles

train 103 is now arriving.'

It's done. Everything's all right

now, isn't it, darling?

Yeah, I... I guess so.

Where's the ticket?

It's all right.

It's here down in the lining.

There's a hole in the pocket.

It's safe there.

What did you say

to the man at the counter?

I didn't say anything

to the man at the counter.

But you did. I saw you.

Oh. Oh, yes.

I told him I was going to the hospital

and wouldn't be picking up

the bag for a while.

He said it was all right.

Fuller. Detective Bureau.

Yes?

Does an Alan Palmer live here?

Yes, my husband's at work.

Well, this is just a routine check,

Mrs. Palmer.

We have a license number, but we're

not absolutely sure of the accuracy of it.

May I come in?

- Mind if I look around a bit?

- Why?

You haven't anything to hide, have you?

No, I can see you haven't.

What's this all about, Mr. Fuller?

I told you, a routine check.

Like to look your place over.

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Roy Huggins

Roy Huggins (July 18, 1914 – April 3, 2002) was an American novelist and an influential writer/creator and producer of character-driven television series, including Maverick, The Fugitive, and The Rockford Files. A noted writer and producer using his own name, much of his later television scriptwriting was done using the pseudonyms Thomas Fitzroy, John Thomas James, and John Francis O'Mara. more…

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    "Too Late for Tears" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 17 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/too_late_for_tears_22077>.

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