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He Walked by Night

  • 19481948
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 19m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Richard Basehart in 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.
Play trailer2:13
1 Video
49 Photos
  • Crime
  • Film-Noir
  • Thriller

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

IMDb RATING
7.1/10
6K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Alfred L. Werker
    • Anthony Mann(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • John C. Higgins(screenplay)
    • Crane Wilbur(screenplay)
    • Harry Essex(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Richard Basehart
    • Scott Brady
    • Roy Roberts
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Alfred L. Werker
    • Anthony Mann(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • John C. Higgins(screenplay)
    • Crane Wilbur(screenplay)
    • Harry Essex(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Richard Basehart
    • Scott Brady
    • Roy Roberts
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 108User reviews
    • 47Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:13
    Trailer

    Photos49

    1 sheet
    Richard Basehart and Whit Bissell in He Walked by Night (1948)
    Richard Basehart and Florence Stephens in He Walked by Night (1948)
    He Walked by Night (1948)
    Richard Basehart in He Walked by Night (1948)
    Frank Cady and Kenneth Tobey in He Walked by Night (1948)
    Roy Roberts and Jack Webb in He Walked by Night (1948)
    Richard Basehart in He Walked by Night (1948)
    Richard Basehart in He Walked by Night (1948)
    John McGuire in He Walked by Night (1948)
    Billy Mauch in He Walked by Night (1948)
    He Walked by Night (1948)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Basehart
    Richard Basehart
    • Roy Martinas Roy Martin…
    Scott Brady
    Scott Brady
    • Police Sgt. Marty Brennanas Police Sgt. Marty Brennan
    Roy Roberts
    Roy Roberts
    • Police Capt. Breenas Police Capt. Breen
    Whit Bissell
    Whit Bissell
    • Paul Reevesas Paul Reeves
    James Cardwell
    James Cardwell
    • Police Sgt. Chuck Jonesas Police Sgt. Chuck Jones
    Jack Webb
    Jack Webb
    • Lee Whiteyas Lee Whitey
    Dorothy Adams
    Dorothy Adams
    • Paranoid Housewifeas Paranoid Housewife
    • (uncredited)
    Jane Adams
    Jane Adams
    • Nurse Scanionas Nurse Scanion
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Bailey
    Jack Bailey
    • Witness in Pajamas and Robeas Witness in Pajamas and Robe
    • (uncredited)
    Alma Beltran
    Alma Beltran
    • Miss Montalvoas Miss Montalvo
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Bice
    Robert Bice
    • Detective with Capt. Breenas Detective with Capt. Breen
    • (uncredited)
    Chief Bradley
    • Chief Bradleyas Chief Bradley
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Cady
    Frank Cady
    • Pete Hammondas Pete Hammond
    • (uncredited)
    Dolores Castelli
    • Witnessas Witness
    • (uncredited)
    George Chan
    George Chan
    • Chinese Suspectas Chinese Suspect
    • (uncredited)
    Garrett Craig
    Garrett Craig
    • Patrolmanas Patrolman
    • (uncredited)
    John Dehner
    John Dehner
    • Assistant Bureau Chiefas Assistant Bureau Chief
    • (uncredited)
    Ann Doran
    Ann Doran
    • Dispatcheras Dispatcher
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Alfred L. Werker
      • Anthony Mann(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • John C. Higgins(screenplay)
      • Crane Wilbur(screenplay) (original story)
      • Harry Essex(additional dialogue)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    • nitroglycerin
    • nitroglycerine ampoule
    • arsenal
    • searching a car
    • television projector
    • 137 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Savage! ... Searing! ... True!
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Film-Noir
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • 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.
    • Goofs
      When Martin flees from his bungalow into the sewer system, the first shot shows him running with a flashlight and a bag in his hand. This is the same shot as used earlier on in the film after he started robbing liquor stores. (In this later scene, he did not have a bag when he fled the bungalow nor when he entered the sewers.)
    • 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 persistence and the hope that sooner or later something will turn up, some tiny lead that can grow into a warm trail and point to the cracking of a case.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Big Combo (1955)

    User reviews108

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Alton's Camera, Basehart's Acting Highlight This Noir
    Not as good as hyped, this film noir, however, is still interesting and suspenseful. It's full of good film noir photography with lots of nighttime shots with many shadows, not only outdoors but indoors and even in the Los Angeles sewer system! I recommended getting the Anthony Mann DVD pack so you get the best picture quality. With all that darkness, you need to see this on a good transfer.

    Mann is an uncredited director for this film, or at least a co-director. John Alton, the cinematographer who worked with him on a couple of other film noirs, did the camera-work and he was one of the best.

    Richard Basehart plays a convincing no-conscience killer. He as very interesting to watch all the way through. It also was entertaining to see a young Jack Webb play a forensics-type cop. This was his pre-Dragnet television show period but this was a good vehicle for his cop work. In fact, this movie even had a Dragnet feel to it with some kooky minor characters, such as the lady talking to the milkman/cop.

    This movie dragged a big in the middle but overall was entertaining enough to recommend, especially to film noir fans. Just make sure you see this with a good print.
    helpful•34
    3
    • ccthemovieman-1
    • Oct 22, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 1949 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • The L.A. Investigator
    • Filming locations
      • United States Post Office Hollywood Station - 1615 Wilcox Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Bryan Foy Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 19 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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