Program Series: Regeneration: An Introduction

Odds Against Tomorrow with The World, the Flesh and the Devil

Sat, Sep 10, 2022

Odds Against Tomorrow with The World, the Flesh and the Devil

Odds Against Tomorrow

Harry Belafonte stars in this stylish noir that finds him squaring off against Robert Ryan, a tightly wound racist with a sadistic streak and dark past. The pair are thrown together by Ed Begley to commit a bank heist upstate to repay their respective debts. With memorable supporting performances by Shelley Winters, Gloria Grahame, and Kim Hamilton; stunning high-contrast widescreen cinematography; a potent score by jazz pianist John Lewis; and a hard-bit tone of desperation, Robert Wise’s film was so beloved by French crime auteur Jean-Pierre Melville that it’s said he watched it between 80 and 120 times.

The World, the Flesh and the Devil

Belafonte is one of the last survivors of a nuclear disaster wandering an eerily vacant Manhattan. When... he finds fellow survivors, both white—played by Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer, respectively—tensions surface. Loosely based on the 1901 novel The Purple Cloud, the film’s haunting premise is not so much the devastation and destruction of war but the racial and gender mores that somehow persist even as the world is ending. Rendered in striking black-and-white CinemaScope, The World, The Flesh and the Devil is an underappreciated cult classic. The film is also the first made in partnership with Belafonte’s own HARBEL productions.

Odds Against Tomorrow
DIRECTOR: Robert Wise. WRITTEN BY: Abraham Polonsky, Nelson Gidding. CAST: Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley. 1959. 96 min. USA. B&W. English. 35mm.

The World, the Flesh and the Devil
DIRECTOR: Ranald MacDougall. WRITTEN BY: Ranald MacDougall. CAST: Harry Belafonte, Inger Stevens, Mel Ferrer. 1959. 95 min. USA. B&W. Scope. English. 35mm.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.

Make It Dinner and a Movie

Fanny's Restaurant & CaféFanny's Restaurant & Café

All guests who present a ticket for a film screening, Tuesday through Saturday (and the first Sunday of every month), receive 10% off all food and non-alcoholic beverages at Fanny's. Discount only applicable on the same day as the screening and cannot be redeemed for another screening or date. Dinner reservations can be made on OpenTable or Resy.

Know Before You Go

  • Plan your Visit

    Location

    The Academy Museum and its theaters are located at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

    Parking

    Self-parking, accessible parking, and electric vehicle charging options are available. See below for our parking structure information and view the parking page for further details.

    Ride-Share Drop Off

    Roddenberry Lane, entrance on Fairfax Ave.

    LACMA's Pritzker Parking Garage

    6000 W 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90036, entrance on 6th St.
    5am–10pm
    $20 ($12 after 8pm entry) 
    Accessible spots on P1, adjacent to elevators
    EV charging stations on P1 and P2

    Petersen Automotive Museum Garage

    744 Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, entrance on Fairfax Ave. or 8th St.
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    $24 (first 15 min. free)
    Accessible spots on P1 only; no garage elevator
    EV charging stations on P1

  • Accessibility

    Audio Description

    For visitors who are blind or partially-sighted, audio description devices are available for some digital film screenings on a first-come, first-served basis. 

    Real-time audio descriptions are available for some performances upon request with at least three weeks’ notice, subject to the availability of describers. Email academymuseum@oscars.org to submit your request.

    Closed Captioning

    For visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing, in-seat closed captioning or descriptive audio-devices are available for some digital film screenings on a first-come, first-served basis. Please confirm availability at academymuseum@oscars.org before planning your visit. 

    Real-time captioning is available for programs upon request with at least three weeks’ notice, subject to the availability of captioners. Email academymuseum@oscars.org to submit your request.

    Please see our Accessibility page for complete information, including details on our Visual Description Tours, Calm Mornings, and Covid-19 policies.