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 TRUTH! Stronger than Fiction!

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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

This was a historical film in that it was the first to use the Los Angeles underground sewer and storm-drain system and its series of canals and tunnels as a backdrop.

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Goofs

When Capt. Breen is interviewing Paul, he gets up from his desk and sits down closer to Paul. A shadow of the boom microphone is visible behind Paul, moving onto and then off the door frame behind him.

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Quotes

Narrator: [referring to the composite sketch] They showed that picture to the inmates of jails and prisons, to men with a wide acquaintance among the cat burglars and the violence boys. Informers and con men and sharpshooters were quizzed. Those on the fringe of crime and those deep in the rackets. Many wanted to help; nobody could. No one in the underworld recognized that mysterious face. He was as unknown as if he had lived in the 16th Century.

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Connections

Edited into Soufferance: A Memory Of Past Emotions (2011)

User Reviews

cold performance by Basehart makes this film

While most remember Richard Basehart from VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, he did quite a few "small" pictures during the 40s and 50s and they were mostly excellent and well-written pictures. Aside from the marvelous Satan BUG (1965), this film is probably Basehart's best--and as far as HIS acting goes, his best. He is one of the most cold-hearted and scary villains I have ever seen. This is because he is NOT larger than life or obviously menacing. Instead, he looks like any other guy and can appear nice and harmless--only to steal or butcher without remorse. At the same time, the film is NOT overly explicit or gratuitous--it's just a wonderful portrait of a brilliant sociopath at work.