Forensic Detective Mystery Thriller Noir Movie – He Walked by Night (1948)



PG

Told in semi-documentary style, the film follows police on the hunt for a resourceful criminal who shoots and kills a cop.

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49 Replies to “Forensic Detective Mystery Thriller Noir Movie – He Walked by Night (1948)”

  1. This is a great film, but one has to laugh at some of the lines. For instance: 9:30 – "It looks like some kind of an electrical device…" and 2:33 – "…the work of the police, like that of woman, is never done." But it was 1948, after all.
    Thank you. Films like this are an excellent relief, antidote even, from the madness of the present, 2020-2021.

  2. I'm betting that this is where the name of the 5o's cop show called DRAGNET was conceived……Sgt Friday(Jack Webb) was shown acting in a bit part briefly with the police at the initial crime scene. Right after that, there was mention of the word DRAGNET multiple times. The connection is simply too unique . Sgt Friday is seen several times as forensic policeman.

  3. I am happy to own a copy of this little masterpiece, as well as a step-by-step, before its time, forensic movie, “Mystery Street” (1950) with Ricardo Montalbán; a must see for anyone with an appreciation for this genre.

  4. Before Jack Webb was Joe Friday he was Jeff Regan on a radio show set in LA. He was a private detective. His partner had been shot and was in Intensive Care Unit. His boss yelled at him and told him to get out there and earn some money to pay this hospital bill. He said, "This hospital is charging $20 a day just to keep him in the ICU."

  5. Ed Mcbain books of the 87th precinct also did excellent job on procedural police work. Keep in mind that modus operandi

  6. "Using the garage as his base of operations, Walker continued to commit burglaries to pay his living expenses and acquire electronic equipment. His criminal spree eventually totaled more than a dozen armed robberies, safecracking, and burglaries, netting him a sum of approximately $70,000.[3][4][11] Walker later explained that his crimes were motivated by a desire to gather funds and equipment to build an electronic radar gun (which, by shooting a beam, would disintegrate metal into powder) so that he could force the government to pass legislation raising soldiers' pay. That would, in turn, increase the cost of war to a point that it could not profitably be waged.[5][12]" ~Wiki

  7. What a great movie! A logical, quiet, kinda classy young man, seemed super intelligent and efficient, except for showing his face to everyone. Couldn't understand the why of that, unless it was arrogance, thinking he'd always have a way out, never get caught. His fatal flaw maybe? Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the way he thought out and managed things, finally a good mind to force all the police to be at their best too! Even his dog ? was smart and efficient for his owner, poor little thing.
    It was great seeing all these stars in their much younger years, in good shape, smooth-faced, handsome, and a full head of dark hair. Everything out-of-the-ordinary crime drama, loved it! ????

  8. Yup! This is where Jack Webb got the idea for DRAGNET! First it was a RADIO SHOW for 9 years (1948-1957). My Mom and Dad used to listen to this. It went on the air with the endorsement of the Chief of Police for LA. The TV show aired in 1951 and ran for 9 years, too. But the radio show remained as it took quite a few years for TV to be available across the country. Webb did lots of research to ensure realism; something current shows lack.

  9. This is what's known as a police procedural. The process used by the police to solve a crime is used to guide the story. Fans of the genre will find the appearance of a young Jack Webb as a special treat. Web could be considered the most famous of those who popularized this type of movie. The movie is excellent, fast paced like a modern movie, good acting, and an interesting story.

  10. Why did everybody have to wear hats back then? I mean, here are cops out to sneak up on somebody and they gotta wear suits, ties AND hats??

  11. ..Jack Webb in the cast and the opening reminiscent of Dragnet — introducing and describing Los Angeles and the duties of the PD, etc. — one wonders if that inspired Webb?

  12. ? thanks for making my tv viewing more pleasurable .. no cable and tv sucks … so thank you.? for taking the time to put these out … even the worst is better then what's on today.. this isn't a bad movie .. my point is that there all better … thank you.?

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