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.

Directors:

Alfred L. Werker (as Alfred Werker), Anthony Mann (uncredited)

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 Capt. Breen
Whit Bissell	...	Paul Reeves
James Cardwell	...	Police Sgt. Chuck Jones
Jack Webb	...	Lee Whitey

Storyline

In the Post-World War II, in Los Angeles, a criminal shoots 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:

nitroglycerin | police | criminal | police officer | electronics | 

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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:

10 May 1949 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

The L.A. Investigator

Filming Locations:

United States Post Office Hollywood Station - 1615 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

The three fired cases were head stamped 380 AP RMC which means .380 Automatic Pistol Remington Metallic Cartridge. That cartridge at that time was fired in a Colt 1903 semi automatic pocket pistol and several European semi autos. It is not fired in a revolver and was not a common cartridge.

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Goofs

A revolver ejects its spent casings only if the shooter does so manually, which Richard Baseheart didn't do, therefore the police could not have even had them to compare with the fired casings from the automatic. An even bigger blunder was the photo comparing the two fired shells, they were clearly marked .380 auto, an entirely different round than the .38 special or .45 auto that the police claimed were fired from the same gun. So now there were three different guns used to create this technical error. In addition, when Jack Webb shows his blow-up photos, all three ejector markings are in the precise same location on the cartridge head, a statistical impossibility. In fact, all three are blow-ups of one photograph.

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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 police work is not all glamour 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 ever think his way through the maze of baffling trails a criminal leaves. But the answer to that is ...

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Connections

Featured in Menace II Society (1993)

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.