He Walked by Night (1948)

This film-noir piece, told in semi-documentary style, follows police on the hunt for a resourceful criminal who shoots and kills a cop.

Director:

Alfred L. Werker

Writers:

Crane Wilbur (story), Crane Wilbur (screenplay),

Stars:

Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Basehart	...	Roy Martin / Roy Morgan
Scott Brady	...	Police Sgt. Marty Brennan
Roy Roberts	...	Police Captain Breen
Whit Bissell	...	Paul Reeves
James Cardwell	...	Police Sgt. Chuck Jones (as Jimmy Cardwell)
Jack Webb	...	Lee Whitey

Storyline

In the Post-World War II, in Los Angeles, a criminal shots and kills a police officer in the middle of the night. Without any leads, the chief of the LAPD assigns Sgt. Chuck Jones and Sgt. Marty Brennan to investigate the murder and apprehend the culprits. When the dealer of electronics devices, Paul Reeves, is caught selling a stolen projector, the police identifies the criminal, and connects him to other unsolved robberies. Using the witnesses of his heists, they draw their face, but the true identity of the smart and intelligent criminal is not disclosed. The perseverance of Sgt. Marty Brennan in his investigation gives a clue where he might live.

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Plot Keywords:

police | criminal | electronics | police officer | murder | 

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Taglines:

Savage! ... Searing! ... True!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Chinese

Release Date:

9 August 1949 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The L.A. Investigator

Filming Locations:

United States Postal Service Hollywood Station - 1615 N. Wilcox Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bryan Foy Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Technical advisor for the film was Sgt. Marty Wynn of the Los Angeles Police Dept. During the course of shooting he fell into conversation with Jack Webb, then the star of radio's "Jeff Regan, Private Investigator", who had a small part in the film. Wynn suggested that Webb do a radio series based on actual police files. Thus was born the idea for "Dragnet," which debuted on NBC radio about four months after this film was released.

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Goofs

When running through the sewers, electric cords powering the the flashlights are visible

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Quotes

Narrator: And so the tedious quest went on. Sergeant Brennan wore out his shoes and his patience going from police station to police station, checking photos until his eyes were blurry, for policework is not all glamor and excitement and glory. There are days and days of routine, of tedious probing, of tireless searching - fruitless days - days when nothing goes right, when it seems as if no one could think his way through the maze of baffling trails the criminal leaves. But the answer to that is ...

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Connections

Edited into Indestructible Man (1956)

User Reviews

Werker at his best

Wryly directed understated film is an example of Alfred Werker's underrated genius at its best. Basehart is magnificent as a crook who gets in over his head. Scott Brady and Roy Roberts are equally good in their roles. And the redoubtable Whit Bissell is on hands for a key supporting role.