He Walked By Night (1948)

"He Walked by Night" is a 1948 police procedural film noir, directed by Alfred L. Werker and an uncredited Anthony Mann.

The film, shot in semidocumentary tone, was loosely based on newspaper accounts of the real-life actions of Erwin "Machine-Gun" Walker, a former Glendale, California police department employee and World War II veteran who unleashed a crime spree of burglaries, robberies, and shootouts in the Los Angeles area during 1945 and 1946.

During production, one of the actors, Jack Webb, struck up a friendship with the police technical advisor, Detective Sergeant Marty Wynn, and was inspired by a conversation with Wynn to create the radio and later television program Dragnet.

"He Walked by Night" was released by Eagle-Lion Films and is notable for the camera work by renowned noir cinematographer John Alton.

Director: Alfred L. Werker - Anthony Mann (uncredited)
Producer: by Bryan Foy - Robert Kane
Screenplay: John C. Higgins - Crane Wilbur
Story: Crane Wilbur
Starring: Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts, Jack Webb, Whit Bissell
Music: Leonid Raab
Cinematography: John Alton
Edit: Alfred DeGaetano
Production: Bryan Foy Productions
Release: 1948
Running time: 79 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English

Source: "He Walked By Night" Wikipedia

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[roger]

Quite extraordinary photography down in the sewers. The lighting is brilliant. Whoever did that was a genius ahead of their time.

[elmagodelmaryahoo]

Always such a well-written and Gooood time after time!!!

[aadamtx]

Excellent atmospheric drama, with many familiar faces in small roles - Frank "Sam Drucker" Cady as one of the hoods brought in for questioning, Ann Doran as a police dispatcher, John Dehner as the assistant bureau chief. This was one of Basehart's first films, before he did Fellini's LA STRADA and starred in the tv series VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

[garywilloughby]

I love those cars especially the coupes.

[costrio]

This movie came out 4 years before the TV show Dragnet starring Jack Webb who also appears in this movie. I suspect this movie is the inspiration for the TV show which Webb also produced.

[randomdudelife]

check out the true story of Erwin Walker. really interesting stuff. he survived in real life and lived til 2008

[gavinstockton]

Feel that the ending chase may have inspired the one in The Third Man but for the years of release of being so close '48 & '49, so would the screen play have already been written?

[ArtfulService]

1950s Police in 2 piece suit, dress loafers and fedoras running in a sewer...they get the criminal and look sharp and spotless in the process

[scarygary-qqpj]

I knew this was going to be a good movie when I saw that it was approved with certificate #13365.🙄

[Drumsholic]

Τι ειναι αυτο φιλε;Αναμεταδοση απο δορυφορο??