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They Drive by Night

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For the 1938 British film, see They Drive by Night (1938 film).
They Drive by Night
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRaoul Walsh
Screenplay byJerry Wald
Richard Macaulay
Produced byMark Hellinger
StarringGeorge Raft
Ann Sheridan
Ida Lupino
Humphrey Bogart
CinematographyArthur Edeson
Music byAdolph Deutsch
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • July 27, 1940 (1940-07-27) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryTemplate:Film US
LanguageEnglish

They Drive by Night (1940) is a black-and-white film noir starring George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, and Humphrey Bogart, and directed by Raoul Walsh. The picture involves a pair of embattled truck drivers and was released in the UK under the title The Road to Frisco. The film was based on A. I. Bezzerides' novel The Long Haul, which was later reprinted under the title They Drive by Night to capitalize on the success of the film.[1]

Plot

Joe (Raft) and Paul Fabrini (Bogart) are Wildcat or, independent truck drivers who have their own small one truck business. The Fabrini boys constantly battle distributors, rivals and loan collectors, while trying to make a success of their transport company.

Overworked Paul falls asleep at the wheel causing an accident that costs him his right arm. Meanwhile Joe is romancing a local waitress Cassie (Ann Sheridan), but is being seduced by Lana Carlsen (Ida Lupino), the wife of trucking executive Ed Carlsen (Alan Hale, Sr.). Lana, now in love with Joe, murders her husband and makes it look like an accident. She then offers Joe one half interest as a partner in Carlsen's organization. Initially bitter, Paul eventually gets over his self pity and returns to work after Joe is made partner of the company, now as a dispatcher for the Fabrinis' company. Joe accepts but turns away from Lana's sexual advances and says he plans to marry Cassie. This enrages Lana who then accuses Joe of plotting Carlsen's murder. However, eventually, the tide turns when Lana becomes hysterical on the witness stand and breaks down and confesses everything. The case is dismissed because the only witness (Lana) is insane and Joe reunites with Cassie.

Cast

Reception

When the film was released, The New York Times film critic, Bosley Crowther, gave the film a positive review, writing, "But for fanciers of hard-boiled cinema, They Drive By Night still offers an entertaining ride. As Mr. Raft modestly remarks of his breed, 'We're tougher than any truck ever come off an assembly line.' That goes for the picture, too."[2]

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 94% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 17 reviews."[3]

References

  1. ^ They Drive by Night at IMDb
  2. ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, July 27, 1940. Last accessed: February 27, 2011.
  3. ^ They Drive by Night at Rotten Tomatoes. Last accessed: February 27, 2011.
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