He Walked by Night (1949)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

"He Walked By Night" (1948) fully deserves its good reputation as a classic noir, thanks mainly to its chilling performance by Richard Basehart and a great deal of atmospherically low-key location filming in Los Angeles by ace cameraman, John Alton. "He Walked by Night" is also one of Hollywood's rare movies with no romance. Absolutely none at all! In fact, not even a hint of one. It's Mr. Whit Bissell, not some well endowed Hollywood starlet, who shines in the support case. Anthony Mann is reputed to have directed some scenes in this movie, but I have no idea what they were, as it was not an assignment that he claimed in his credits."He Walked by Night" is currently available on an Alpha DVD. I would give this DVD a mark of least eight out of ten.

Roy Martin / Roy Morgan is a thief and man out to kill cops - he'll also harm anyone that gets in his way of doing so. Little to no explanation is given in the film as to his motives but the film is pretty good anyway.The film is a good example of film noir - very dark, disturbing and has the makings to be a great film if they would have added more to the ending - giving us some sort of explanation of Roy's motives.The movie is a semi-documentary loosely based on the real life burglar and cop killer Erwin "Machine-Gun" Walker. Walker unleashed a crime spree of burglaries and shootouts in the Los Angeles area during 1945 and 1946.8.5/10

Atmospheric and detailed in every way, shape and form, this is what tension is all about. Cop killings are a serious matter, and nearly 70 years later, this film still hits raw nerves. After the titles dedication to the world of law enforcement is followed by stock footage narration that takes you to downtown Los Angeles where calls come in one after another that the narrator describes as a city gone mad. Corrupt or not, the police force has a job to do, and when real criminals are taken off the streets of any big city, it is something to celebrate. There are moments of silence here that in some films indicates that nothing is going on, but here, something is always happening. Richard Basehart gives a truly creepy performance as a cop killer who kills the officer simply asking him where he is going in total cold blood. Witnesses surface who saw the fleeing Basehart are gathered together where little descriptions provide enough of a picture of who they are looking for. Los Angeles streets turn sinister as the killer leads the police force (among them Scott Brady and Jack Ebb) on a not so merry chase.If you like tight camera work that really goes into the structure of the new wave, then this is a great example of how film noir and crime dramas, whether on the big screen or the then new invention of television. It's a chase not only between cop and criminal, but camera and cast, turning precincts, streets, sewers and various other types of locations into characters. The end of the war gave filmmakers new tricks to try, and this one succeeded in abundance.

The film starts with Roy (Richard Basehart) killing a policeman. No-one deserves to die but this policeman was on his way home so what was he doing interfering with someone else's business, especially as we are told his dying words were "he seemed such a nice kid". Well, what was he doing stopping him then? Anyway, the film follows the police department's search for the killer. They have little to work on and Roy is quite a prolific offender.This started off with one of those annoying narration intros by someone who sounds like he is a cartoon character narrating "Whacky Races". The cast are good with Richard Basehart standing out in the lead role. There are many memorable scenes including the beginning sequence where Roy shoots the jobsworth policeman, the scene where Roy removes the bullet from where he has been shot - you can feel the pain, and the end sequence from when Roy is in his house and he senses the police closing in which includes a memorable chase through the sewers. I can't remember any music being played during the film and this adds to the realism and tension in every scene.It's a good film that's worth watching again and it's based on a true story.