Gerardrobertson61
This is a great movie and one I really enjoyed. The cast are all excellent with Ida Lupino being a stand out principle. The story about 2 brothers hauling across the States is gripping story mixed with a bit of humour, drama and murder. Ida Lupino's court room scene is memorable as she tries to lie her way out. Along with excellent performances by a great supporting actors including Alan Hale as the jolly happy trucking company owner and Roscoe Karns as the humorous Irish. This is not a Humprey Bogart movie, his big break was to come in his next movie, but he delivers along fine performance alongside George Raft. I really enjoyed this movie.
Hot 888 Mama
The riveting courtroom testimony recounted above in my summary for the 1940 film noir classic, THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, was echoed by several witnesses this month in the latest "trial of the century" in Sanford, FL. These lines are delivered in this movie by Joyce Compton, who does a wonderful job of portraying pinball-wizard trucker Irish's floozy girlfriend, Sue Carter, who hits the acme of clueless obliviousness with her testimony on the witness stand late in the film, as she struggles to recall what was going on in an interchange between George Raft's character Joe Fabrini and GILLIGAN ISLAND skipper Alan Hale, playing Joe's boss, Ed Carlson, the night Ed died. This is the final Humphrey Bogart feature in which Captain Queeg did not receive top billing; FDR was still President of the United States in real life, and gas was selling for 15 cents a gallon. Though it is tempting to say America's experience has been all downhill ever since, you cannot blame that on THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, which has some of the elements of a WPA Depression-era make-work project, skillfully blended with many Hitchcock-like touches (especially Ida Lupino's breakdown on the witness stand at the very end in the character of black widow Lana Carlsen, which Hitchcock echoes in MARNIE).
OutsideHollywoodLand
They Drive By Night shows the tough and tight world of truckers, circa 1940. George Raft and Humphrey Bogart play the Fabrini brothers, Joe and Paul, who live in a world of long distance driving across the country's winding roads, cozy diners, smart-talking waitresses, and the camaraderie of their fellow truckers. George Raft gives a solid performance as Joe Fabrini, who's driven by his dream of owning his own truck one day, and answering to no one. Humphrey Bogart as Paul Fabrini, is more comfortable with his lot, yet would literally give his right arm in service to his brother's dreams. Always one step ahead of frustrated bill collectors and the wrath of their bosses, the scrappy and wise-cracking Fabrini brothers are a popular duo on the road. Along the way, Joe meets a waitress, Cassie, (a lovely Ann Sheridan) who sparkles through his gritty world, slinging snappy backtalk and steak with the best of them. Gale Page delivers as Pearl Fabrini, the devoted wife of Paul, who is weary of seeing her husband drive off into the sunrise after a few scant hours of domestic bliss. Alan Hale, Roscoe Karns, and George Tobias round out the cast. Yet all eyes are riveted on Ida Lupino, who steals the show with her tour-de-force performance as bitter and ill-tempered Lana, who stops at nothing to get her man – in this case our boy, Joe. Whether carping about Joe's clothes and lack of attention or sniping at her working class husband, Ed, Lupino hammers the point home that hell than no fury like a woman in heat who is ignored. The unforgettable moment comes during the climatic courtroom scene, which is strictly vintage Lupino all the way. This black-and-white classic, skillfully directed by veteran Raoul Walsh (White Heat, The Strawberry Blonde, Sadie Thompson, What Price Glory), has many film noir elements, but is too optimistic in this reviewer's opinion to be assigned a place within the noir library. The screenplay by Jerry Wald and Richard Macaulay, moves along at a steady pace, full of good humor, drama, and thrills. And you'll never look at an automatic garage door the same way again!
drystyx
This is drama, with enough action put in to keep the yawns away. Two brothers drive trucks for a living, and their story is one of rags to riches.A little too much of rags to riches, even by Hollywood standards.However, the characters are very believable, as are the events. One exception is the psycho played by Ida Lupino. Psychos do exist, but this one is poorly written, and we never believe it for a moment. Psychotic women love money too much, and power over others. In real life, a psycho woman never tries to latch onto a romantic type male as Raft is, so this falls flat, and looks very stupid.The rest of the characters are written with great credibility, and we are put into their world. This is the life of truckers, even today to some degree.
AD
