Wed 8 Jul 2009
A Movie Review by Walter Albert: THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1938).
Posted by Steve under Crime Films , Reviews[4] Comments
THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT. Warner Brothers-First National (UK), 1938. Emlyn Williams, Shorty Matthews, Ernest Thesiger, Anna Konstam, Allan Jeayes, Anthony Holles. Based on the book by James Curtis, who also wrote the screenplay. Director: Arthur B. Woods. Shown at Cinevent 19, Columbus OH, May 1987.
Film historian William Everson was very much in evidence at the convention, and his interest in the British mellers was responsible for the appearance of They Drive by Night on the program.
(Only the title made its way across the Atlantic. The American film of the same name was based on the A. I. Bezzerides novel Long Haul.)
In the first half of the film, Emlyn Williams is a recently released convict trying to evade the police, who believe he has murdered his former girl friend. Much of this is shot at night, in the rain, and is a taut chase in the Fritz Lang vein.
In the second half of the film, Williams and a new girl friend set a trap for the real “mad sex killer” (in Everson’s pithy description) who is played by Ernest Thesiger, the unforgettable Dr. Pretorious of James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein.
The style clashes irreconcilably in the two sections of the film, but the casting and a nicely designed and staged scene in a period dance hall give the film some interest.
July 8th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
I’ve long wanted to see this one, now more than ever. Always worthwhile seeing Ernest Thesiger, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Williams in the lead in a film — usually character parts.
Come to think of it Everson’s discussion of this film is why I wanted to see it in the first place.
Still, the Hollywood one had some things going for it — namely Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino — even if it did star George Raft. Great script though and interesting to see Bogie as Raft’s brother. Lupino is great as the evil woman framing Raft and Bogie. You can see her relishing the role and the twinkle in her eye.
As for Sheridan, well they didn’t call her the oommph girl for nothing, and it is no accident Tex Avery modeled Red Hot Riding Hood on her in those MGM cartoons.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I’ve been wanting to see this film, too, for as long as I’ve known about it, which wasn’t until I found Walter’s review of it in an old issue of The MYSTERY FANcier earlier this week.
I imagine that if I ever saw or heard anyone talking about the movie, I assumed it was the one with George Raft. I have to pay closer attention more often, no two ways about it.
— Steve
July 13th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Walter summed it up very nicely (as usual!) and I might add the opening and closing of this film form a haunting coda to the whole, which become very much like James Whale towards the end.
August 18th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
David–
She, Lupino, does not frame Bogie only Raft, who is the star and lights out. Wonderful. More than holds the screen.