They Drive by Night
Starring: George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Alan Hale, Roscie Karns
Directed by: Raoul Walsh
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Thriller
1940

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two truck driver brothers (George Raft, Humphrey Bogart) struggle to succeed in the business, search for love, and try to cope with the death of two truck driver friends who fell asleep at the wheel.

Review:

Tim: So this is a 1940 film about truck drivers. Knowing nothing else about the film prior to my first viewing, I wasn't expecting much. Let me just say that I was blown away. They Drive by Night us far better than I ever imagined it could be. This is a hugely enjoyable film.

The cast is fantastic. George Raft gives an outstanding performance. This film came out shortly before Humphrey Bogart shot to stardom, and you can see here that he is just itching for the chance to explode into something great (which would certainly happen over the next two years).

Ann Sheridan is remarkably entertaining. She is so wonderful in the role and just flat out appeals to you. Her fast paced dialogue and her snappy attitude help her stand out in a great cast. I was thoroughly impressed with her. Ida Lupino also gives a good performance, starting off slow, and just gets better and better until the over-the-top, but incredibly memorable finale.

This is one of those movies that could completely not work, but something holds it all together to make it thoroughly entertaining. Part of it is Raft headlining the film, help with Bogart as a supperting player, Sheridan shattering all her scenes and commanding our attention, and Lupino keeping us interested in her increasingly alarming performance.

They Drive by Night is an incredible gem to come out of one of Hollywood's best decades. Most regular movie goers have never heard of this movie- set yourself apart and track it down.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, Treasure of the Sierra Madre