They Drive by Night

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Cast & Crew

George Raft
Joe Fabrini

Humphrey Bogart
Paul Fabrini

Ann Sheridan
Cassie Hartley

Ida Lupino
Lana Carlsen

Gale Page
Pearl Fabrini

Alan Hale
Ed J. Carlsen

Roscoe Karns
'Irish' McGurn

John Litel
Harry McNamara

Henry O'Neill
District Attorney (uncredited)

George Tobias
George Rondolos

Charles Halton
Farnsworth (uncredited)

Joyce Compton
Sue Carter (uncredited)

John Ridgely
Hank Dawson (uncredited)

Paul Hurst
Pete Haig (uncredited)

Charles C. Wilson
Mike Williams (uncredited)

Norman Willis
Neves (Mike's assistant) (uncredited)

George Lloyd
Barney (uncredited)

Lillian Yarbo
Chloe (Lana's maid) (uncredited)

Eddy Chandler
Driver (uncredited)

Pedro Regas
Harry's partner (uncredited)

Raoul Walsh
Director

A. I. Bezzerides
Writer

Jerry Wald
Writer

Richard Macaulay
Writer

Hal B. Wallis
Executive Producer

Adolph Deutsch
Original Music

Arthur Edeson
Cinematographer

Thomas Richards
Film Editing

John Hughes
Art Director

Milo Anderson
Costume Design

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Audience Reviews for They Drive by Night

• Aug 12, 2019

  The film never fully hits 4th gear on any of the two major storylines: discourse on the abuses truckers face and romantic melodrama. But, excellent performances, direction, and dialogue make this a trip worth taking.
  

  Aldo G Super Reviewer
• Sep 05, 2010

  I don't know why there was a fascination with truck drivers in the 40s, but the movies about them always turned out great. This movie is no exception, and it has a great cast.
  Super Reviewer
• Jul 12, 2010

  a wonderful film. raft and bogart make a solid team and the subject matter is one that most people would never think could make a solid drama. the script is the strength of the film and the acting was superb. The film has layers to it that have to be peeled back to be appreciated.
  danny d Super Reviewer
• Nov 09, 2007

  a neglected classic directed by raoul walsh (who also handled the ultimate james cagney gangster classic "white heat"), a star-studded flicks with good wisecrackers from its appealing cast. it's a story about a pair of trucker brothers(raft and bogart) who take the risk of having everything expropriated by the scrivener just to strive for the chances to rise high...then with a twist, everyone seems to obtain what he/she desires at the first place except the dame (lupino) who has an intense crush on george raft's character, consequent with murder, un-requited love and heart-twenching insanity. the first issue with this movie is that it's departed into two gendres of storylines which have been re-blended into one piece: social drama and meldromatic noir. it could be deemed as one flick before humprey bogart's crippling accident. a quaint social drama which discusses the bloody grimness about the prole trucking business, the labour and sweat from the working men, also emblemished with the pleasant romance between raft and ann sheridan, particularly their witty flirtation about "red means stop"...and sheridan utters her quick wits as the dainty waitress whom the customers drool over. lack of his usual mystic aura, bogart still gives a nice performance of a tough trucker even it's not quite riveting, and raft is quite in the right niche of his ambitiously clever truck leader with charisma. the three of them all inspire audience's empathetic approval of their hardship and occupational dignity..a peacefully cozy scenarios with likable characters that shelter you in an easefully relaxed atmosphere.... it all works harmoniously until the emergence of the sharp-tongued spunky ida lupino takes the spotlight from everyone who turns out to be lackluster compared to lupino's deliriously edgy performance as the love-struck rich wife who desperately craves for raft then disposes of her own husband to facilliate herself to court him, eventually ends up in a straitjacket. no one could ignore her running-amok scene in the court room that sets her overnight reputation. this twist transforms the whole flick into a semi-film-noir which is quite uneven. besides it's dealt with thick melodramaticity..(accordingly it was recycled from the plotline of bettie davis' "border town" with paul muni from warner bros.....) but the arrangement of lupino's doom is a bit too coincidental just to deliberately grant audience a crowd-pleasing happy ending. sketchily "they drive by night" is a well-acted movie which is a bit un-usual and deserves more credits and applauds toward today. and it has enough social topicality and flamy dramatization to keep your interests throughout the whole flick. it's worthy taking a view in holiday just to shift into a congenial mood.
  Veronique K Super Reviewer