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DramaThrillerCrime

He Walked by Night

- Savage TRUTH! Stronger than Fiction!

Roy Morgan aka Roy Morgan (Richard Basehart) is a burglar and former war-time Radio & Electronics Engineer who listens in to radio police calls, allowing him to stay one step ahead of the cops.

Release Date : 1949-02-06

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Bryan Foy ProductionsEagle-Lion Films

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Richard Basehart

Character Name : Roy Martin / Roy Morgan

Original Name : Richard Basehart

Gender : Male

Scott Brady

Character Name : Police Sgt. Marty Brennan

Original Name : Scott Brady

Gender : Male

Roy Roberts

Character Name : Police Captain Breen

Original Name : Roy Roberts

Gender : Male

Whit Bissell

Character Name : Paul Reeves

Original Name : Whit Bissell

Gender : Male

James Cardwell

Character Name : Police Sgt. Chuck Jones

Original Name : James Cardwell

Gender : Male

Jack Webb

Character Name : Lee Whitey

Original Name : Jack Webb

Gender : Male

Reed Hadley

Character Name : Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Reed Hadley

Gender : Male

Frank Cady

Character Name : Pete Hammond

Original Name : Frank Cady

Gender : Male

Dorothy Adams

Character Name : Milk Customer

Original Name : Dorothy Adams

Gender : Female

Jane Adams

Character Name : Nurse Scanion (uncredited)

Original Name : Jane Adams

Gender : Female

Jack Bailey

Character Name : Witness in Pajamas and Robe (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Bailey

Gender : Male

Alma Beltran

Character Name : Miss Montalvo (uncredited)

Original Name : Alma Beltran

Gender : Female

Robert Bice

Character Name : Detective with Capt. Breen (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Bice

Gender : Male

Dolores Castelli

Character Name : Witness (uncredited)

Original Name : Dolores Castelli

Gender : Male

George Chan

Character Name : Chinese Suspect (uncredited)

Original Name : George Chan

Gender : Male

Garrett Craig

Character Name : Patrolman (uncredited)

Original Name : Garrett Craig

Gender : Male

John Dehner

Character Name : Assistant Bureau Chief (uncredited)

Original Name : John Dehner

Gender : Male

Ann Doran

Character Name : Dispatcher (uncredited)

Original Name : Ann Doran

Gender : Female

Rex Downing

Character Name : Young Hoodlum (uncredited)

Original Name : Rex Downing

Gender : Male

Michael Dugan

Character Name : Patrolman (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Dugan

Gender : Male

Paul Fierro

Character Name : Spanish-Speaking Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Fierro

Gender : Male

Byron Foulger

Character Name : Freddie (uncredited)

Original Name : Byron Foulger

Gender : Male

Kay Garrett

Character Name : Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Kay Garrett

Gender : Male

Tim Graham

Character Name : Uniformed Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : Tim Graham

Gender : Male

Kit Guard

Character Name : Suspect (uncredited)

Original Name : Kit Guard

Gender : Male

Harry Harvey

Character Name : Liquor Store Proprietor (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Harvey

Gender : Male

Thomas Browne Henry

Character Name : Dunning (uncredited)

Original Name : Thomas Browne Henry

Gender : Male

Peter Hobbes

Character Name : Milkman (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Hobbes

Gender : Male

Virginia Hunter

Character Name : Miss Smith (uncredited)

Original Name : Virginia Hunter

Gender : Female

Felice Ingersoll

Character Name : Records Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Felice Ingersoll

Gender : Male

Anthony Jochim

Character Name : Liquor Store Proprietor (uncredited)

Original Name : Anthony Jochim

Gender : Male

Stan Johnson

Character Name : Artist (uncredited)

Original Name : Stan Johnson

Gender : Male

Louise Kane

Character Name : Mrs. Rawlins (uncredited)

Original Name : Louise Kane

Gender : Male

Tommy Kelly

Character Name : Redhead (uncredited)

Original Name : Tommy Kelly

Gender : Male

Donald Kerr

Character Name : Mailman (uncredited)

Original Name : Donald Kerr

Gender : Male

Charles Lang

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Lang

Gender : Male

Lyle Latell

Character Name : Police Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : Lyle Latell

Gender : Male

Rory Mallinson

Character Name : Detective with Harry (uncredited)

Original Name : Rory Mallinson

Gender : Male

Billy Mauch

Character Name : Handsome (uncredited)

Original Name : Billy Mauch

Gender : Male

John McGuire

Character Name : Officer Robert Rawlins (uncredited)

Original Name : John McGuire

Gender : Male

Charles Meredith

Character Name : Hollywood Police Official (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Meredith

Gender : Male

Carlotta Monti

Character Name : Miss Montavio (uncredited)

Original Name : Carlotta Monti

Gender : Female

Bert Moorhouse

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Moorhouse

Gender : Male

Howard Negley

Character Name : Lt. Greeson (uncredited)

Original Name : Howard Negley

Gender : Male

James Nolan

Character Name : Harry (uncredited)

Original Name : James Nolan

Gender : Male

John Parrish

Character Name : Liquor Store Proprietor (uncredited)

Original Name : John Parrish

Gender : Male

Steve Pendleton

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Steve Pendleton

Gender : Male

John Perri

Character Name : Young Hoodlum (uncredited)

Original Name : John Perri

Gender : Male

Paul Scardon

Character Name : Liquor Store Proprietor (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Scardon

Gender : Male

Kenneth Tobey

Character Name : Detective Questioning Pete (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenneth Tobey

Gender : Male

Wally Vernon

Character Name : Postman (uncredited)

Original Name : Wally Vernon

Gender : Male

Harlan Warde

Character Name : Police Operator 27 (uncredited)

Original Name : Harlan Warde

Gender : Male

Mary Ware

Character Name : Reeves' Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Ware

Gender : Female

Robert B. Williams

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert B. Williams

Gender : Male

Harry Wilson

Character Name : Prison Inmate (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Wilson

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Lone bandit evades police clutches. This is a true story... It's known to the Police Department of one of our largest cities as the most difficult homicide case in its experience. Principally because of the diabolical cleverness, intelligence and cunning of a completely unknown killer.....The record is set down here factually-as it happened. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Cracking little noir picture this one. Richard Baseheart is Davis Morgan, a cold and calculated thief and murderer. He is not only unknown to the police, but also to the Los Angeles underworld. Something which made him a terrifying ghost on the streets. Based on the real life case of cop-killer come thief Erwin Walker, who in 1946 struck terror into the heart of LA, He Walked By Night zips along at a frenetic pace but maintains all the darkness requisites of the Film Noir genre. Directed by Alfred Walker (aided by one uncredited Anthony Mann) and also starring Jack Webb (who used the piece as inspiration for the popular "Dragnet" TV series), the picture has excellent use of shadows and a brilliant finale down in the Los Angeles drainage system. Where the sound of guns and running feet is just ferocious. Baseheart is suitably chilling as a man coming unhinged by the day, whilst a home surgery sequence shows Baseheart to have had no small amount of ability. It's notable with Morgan's character that it's people he just doesn't like, there's a very telling scene with his dog that is sweet but at the same time saying so much about the man himself. This film reminded me very much of Edward Dmytryk's similarly fine 1952 film, The Sniper. So much so I'd say that as a double bill they be perfect for each other. With added plot worth in the form of early police forensics (check out the photo fit technique) and a largely unknown support cast adding a raw reality to proceedings, He Walked By Night comes highly recommended to fans of the Noir and Crime genres. 8/10

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-09

This is actually quite a decent little murder mystery featuring the usually pretty uncharismatic Richard Basehart as a petty thief who kills a cop. The police chief allocates two detectives - Scott Brady and James Cardwell - with the seemingly impossible task of tracking down the criminal for a crime that nobody saw/heard etc... They start off by trawling the usual suspects and gradually begin to piece it together and to see the light. It's tensely directed with lots of help from Leonid Raab's score; some suitably eerie lighting and Crane Wilbur's adaptation of his own story is a bit more complex giving the investigator's characters a little more substance than usual. Although the ending does rather let it down somewhat, it still makes for quite an entertaining 80 minutes.