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:

John C. Higgins (screenplay), 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 post WW II, Los Angeles, a cop's killed in the middle of the night. With no leads, the chief of police assigns Sgts. Jones and Brennan to investigate and apprehend the killer. They target low-level criminals, such as Paul Reeves, hoping he'll lead them to bigger fish, specially, the one who shot and killed the cop.

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Plot Keywords:

nitroglycerin | nitroglycerine ampoule | arsenal | searching a car | television projector | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reeves was pistol-whipped with a Colt revolver because you can see the exposed ejector rod which is used to eject the fired cartridge cases.

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Goofs

The lettering on Reeves' glass office door ("Positively No Admittance") is backwards. It should be facing out, not in.

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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 The World Famous Kid Detective (2014)

User Reviews

Doing It By the Numbers

Richard Basehart shoots down an LAPD officer one night after the offduty patrolman stops him for some suspicious activity. The officer who paid with his life had every reason to be suspicious, Basehart was attempting to break into an electronics store.

The shooting sets off a manhunt that takes more than a month. Captain Roy Roberts and Detective Scott Brady lead the investigation which takes both men into some unexpected places in trying to track down the culprit.

This was Richard Basehart's breakthrough role in He Walked By Night. He plays a really diabolical stone cold killer in this one who apparently has no liking for humans. His only companion in the world is a dog.

This clever little noir thriller is done in the documentary style that seemed to be in vogue after World War II. I'm also sure that the final chase scene through the storm drain must have inspired Carol Reed to put it in The Third Man where the idea got more notice.

The lack of really big name stars gives this film a realistic approach. Look for Jack Webb in a supporting role as a police lab technician. I Don't doubt he got the idea for Dragnet from working on He Walked By Night.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Cantonese

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