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Movies / On DVD / They Live by Night
They Live by Night

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They Live by Night (1949)

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Reviews Counted:14

Fresh:14

Rotten:0

Average Rating:7.6/10

Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: The original classic about crime, love, and rebellious youth, and the inspiration for countless films that followed in its footsteps. An escaped prisoner falls in love with a poor girl and,... The original classic about crime, love, and rebellious youth, and the inspiration for countless films that followed in its footsteps. An escaped prisoner falls in love with a poor girl and, despite the odds against him, marries her. But the authorities relentlessly pursue these star-crossed lovers, even as they desperately flee into the night. [More]

Starring: Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen

Starring: Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen, Helen Craig, Will Wright, Ian Wolfe, William Phipps

Director: Nicholas Ray

Director: Nicholas Ray
Producer: John Houseman
Composer: Woody Guthrie

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Release:

Nov 30, 1999

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Reviews for They Live by Night

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1 - 14 (sorted by date)
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Nicholas Ray established himself as a major talent to watch with his feature debut, one of the best noirs of the 1940s as well as a lyrical variation on the theme of lovers on the run, splendidly played by Granger and O'Donnell.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
03/31/09
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

There's no attempt at sugarcoating a happy ending, and yarn moves towards its inevitable, tragic climax without compromise.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/22/07
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of the greatest debut features in movie history.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
08/09/07
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Passionate, lyrical, and imaginative, it's a remarkably assured debut, from the astonishing opening helicopter shot that follows the escaped convicts' car to freedom, to the final, inexorably tragic climax.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Ray's plaintive artistry lends this weepy noir a melancholic beauty.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
05/01/06
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Slant Magazine

No review available.

comment Comment
05/29/04
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
New Times

No review available.

comment Comment
04/16/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
04/02/04
Derek Smith
Derek Smith
Apollo Guide

Ray writes and directs with easy assurance, propelling the plot forward to its unbearably doomy, inevitable conclusion.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film

Although it -- like others -- is misguided in its sympathies for a youthful crook, this crime-and-compassion melodrama has the virtues of vigor and restraint.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
07/31/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Nicholas Ray's (Rebel Without A Cause) debut feature is a gem.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
07/22/01
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Beautifully acted, They Live by Night stands today as one of the most poignant and unforgettable noirs ever made.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A key film noir of the 40s, this was Nicholas Ray's first film as a director (1949), and the freshness of his expressionist-documentary style is still apparent and gripping.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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