The Odds Against (1966)

CinemaSerf

5.0

Jan 7, 2026

This is a very dry docu-drama depicting the troubles of the young “Johnny” (Robert Viharo) who grew up orphaned, in the system, became a petty thief then a burglar then a prisoner. Facing a stretch of 3-10 years for burglary, a lot rests on his parole hearing but by this point it’s pretty clear that this man has little motivation. What’s obvious here are the shortcomings of the criminal prosecution processes in the USA. In many cases it’s a postcode lottery regarding how long you are on remand, the facilities provided when you are, the quality of the lawyer provided to defend you and finally t…