He Walked by Night (1948)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Alfred L. Werker directs this archetypal noir thriller starring Richard Basehart, Scott Brady and James Cardwell. When petty criminal Roy Martin (Basehart) shoots and kills a policeman while on the run, Sergeants Marty Brennan and Chuck Jones (Brady and Cardwell) are tasked with finding out who killed their colleague. Can another crime committed in the city that same night hold the key to finding their guy?
- Actors:
- Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts, Whit Bissell, James Cardwell, Jack Webb, Dorothy Adams, Jane Adams, Jack Bailey, Alma Beltran, Robert Bice, Chief Bradley, Frank Cady, Dolores Castelli, George Chan, Garrett Craig, John Dehner, Ann Doran, Rex Downing, Michael Dugan
- Directors:
- Alfred L. Werker, Anthony Mann
- Producers:
- Bryan Foy, Robert Kane
- Narrated By:
- Reed Hadley
- Writers:
- John C. Higgins, Crane Wilbur, Harry Essex
- Aka:
- The L.A. Investigator / Twenty-Nine Clues
- Studio:
- Simply Media
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
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Reviews (1) of He Walked by Night
Documentary Noir. - He Walked by Night review by Steve
Thrilling police procedural about a real life murderer/armed robber who operated in Los Angeles in the mid '40s. And it's surprisingly faithful to the actual events. Richard Basehart gives a convincing performance as the cop killer who returned from WWII a resentful loner and becomes a resourceful and determined criminal.
It's typical of the docudramas popular in this period, with the stentorious narration and extensive location shoot. Cinematography was by noir legend John Alton- the prince of darkness- and there are some artistic interiors, but documentary realism for the street scenes. The portrayal of LA is one of its big strengths.
There's an exciting climax in the city's storm drains, a year ahead of The Third Man. It is presented as a disclosure of authentic police methods. Jack Webb has a decent support role as a forensics lab nerd and he used this approach as a template for his hugely successful radio/tv crime series, Dragnet.
This isn't merely still watchable for its period realism and nostalgia for boxy technology. It's a really suspenseful thriller from start to finish as the cops close in on the dangerous quarry. Credited director Alfred Werker was a journeyman, but Anthony Mann took over mid shoot and this looks like his work. It's among the best postwar docu-noirs.