They Drive By Night (1938)

They Drive By Night (1938)

„They Drive By Night“ is a 1938 crime thriller film directed by Arthur B. Woods. The screenplay by Paul Gangelin, James Curtis and Derek N. Twist is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by James Curtis.

Having recently been released from Pentonville Prison, „Shorty“ Matthews intends to return to the arms of his girlfriend. Unfortunately, someone has murdered her that very day.

Fearing he will be wrongly accused of being the culprit, Shorty takes to the road, hitchhiking rides with truck drivers, traveling North to Manchester. Hoping to stay free long enough for the police to find the real killer, Shorty disappears amongst the long-distance lorry driving community. From there he meets an old flame, Molly O’Neill, a dance hostess, and a friend of the victim. They worked together at the Palais de Dance. Shorty convinces Molly of his innocence.

Meanwhile, the real killer, unassuming ex-schoolteacher Walter Hoover, a highbrow, effeminate, erudite former teacher and student of psychology, continues to prey on London women. Hoover is introduce on film by the camera starting on his hands, to only see what he’s doing, pasting newspaper clippings about lurid murders into a scrapbook. Naturally, as Shorty had feared he has become the main suspect, and the police think he is the killer.

Shorty returns to London with Molly to prove his innocence, and they both embark on a quest to find the real killer. In Hitchcockian fashion, he tries to stay one jump ahead of the police while seeking the real killer. Half the pursuit takes place at night in an effectively conveyed torrent of wind and rain. Very atmospheric.

A 1938 British Black & White crime noir suspense thriller film directed by Arthur B. Woods, produced by Jerome Jackson, screenplay by James Curtis, based on his novel „They Drive by Night“ (1938), cinematography by Basil Emmott, starring Emlyn Williams, Ernest Thesiger, Anna Konstam, Allan Jeayes, Anthony Holles, Ronald Shiner, William Hartnell, and Leonard Sharp. Screen debut appearance of Iris Vandeleur.

The female victims of Curtis’ novel, „They Drive by Night“ (1938), were prostitutes and to prevent censorship this aspect was watered down. Additionally, the book featured scenes of police brutality that were excised altogether. The film was made by Warner Brothers at the recently purchased Teddington Studios as a quota film under the „Cinematograph Films Act 1927“.

Ernest Thesiger is best known as Dr. Pretorius in „Bride of Frankenstein“ (1935).

Arthur Bickerstaffe Woods (1904 – 1944) was an English film director with 27 credits between 1933 and 1940. In 1932 Woods was awarded the Royal Aero Club aviator certificate at the Brooklands School of Flying. In 1933, Woods joined British International Pictures, becoming the company’s youngest director. His first solo assignment „On Secret Service“ (1933) was well received. It was a thriller, but Woods spent the next four years making comedies and musical films (including three with popular singer Keith Falkner which represented Falkner’s entire screen output) before starting also to take on crime films, starting with „The Dark Stairway“, made in 1937 and released in early 1938. Many of his films involved collaborations with producer Irving Asher, cinematographer Basil Emmott and screenwriter Brock Williams, while another frequent association was with actress Chili Bouchier. As was the case with many non-prestige British films of the 1930s, little attention or care was given to Woods’ films after their original cinema run, and most of his films from the mid-1930s are now considered lost. Woods’ films were mainly quota quickies but were diverse in style, from light comedy and musicals to dark crime thrillers. His most acclaimed film is this one. By the end of the 1930s Woods was gaining a reputation as one of Britain’s most promising and versatile young directors, but put his career on hold to volunteer for war service in the Royal Air Force, the only British film director to do so. His final film was „Busman’s Honeymoon“ (1940), a Dorothy L. Sayers adaptation. Woods was killed while on active service in February 1944, leaving his potential largely unfulfilled.

This pre-World War II British noir suspenser is often confused with the American film „They Drive by Night“ (1940), based on a different novel, featuring George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. This British film also has the alternative title, perhaps only in the United States, of „Murder on the Run“.

As a portrait of pre Second World War British society it’s gloomy and unrelentingly bleak, with Woods and Emmott achieving a stunning sense of time and place by way of dim lights and contrasts that ensures moody atmospherics go hand in hand with the machinations of the story. This can very much be seen as a forerunner (influence) to some of the great British noirs that followed a decade later.

A good, old-fashioned fast-paced suspense story that starts out as a crime drama then takes a startling turn into horror. It’s interesting as a timepiece. The truck drivers and their local pit stops are all captured well in this entertaining slice of early British cinema.

Cast:

• Emlyn Williams – Albert „Shorty“ Matthews
• Anna Konstam – Molly O’Neil
• Allan Jeayes – Wally Mason
• Ernest Thesiger – Walter Hoover
• Jennie Hartley – Landlady
• Ronald Shiner – Charlie
• Anthony Holles – Murray
• William Hartnell – Bus Conductor
• Kitty de Legh – Mrs. Mason
• Joe Cunningham – Detective Pryor
• Yolande Terrell – Marge
• Julie Barrie – Pauline
• George Street – 2nd Detective at Billiard Hall
• Frederick Piper – Bartender
• Charles Rolfe – Card Player at Billiard Hall
• Leonard Sharp – Card Player at Billiard Hall
• Harry Terry – Convict Being Released
• Edgar Driver – Customer at Charlies
• George Merritt – Detective
• Bernard Miles – Detective at Billiard Hall
• Vi Kaley – Flower Seller
• Iris Vandeleur – Flower Seller
• Leslie Weston – Jack
• Jack Vyvyan – Jock McKenzie
• Basil McGrail – Lorry Driver at Crash Scene
• Philip Ray – Lorry Driver Attacking Molly
• Bill Shine – Minor Role
• Hyma Beckley – Newspaper Seller
• Mike Johnson – Old Convict Being Released
• Robert Brooks Turner – Police Constable Outside Prison
• Simon Lack – Roy Allen - Brother of Man to Be Executed
• Brenda Harvey – Unknown Role
• William John Davies – Youth

„They Drive By Night“ ist ein Krimi von 1938 unter der Regie von Arthur B. Woods. Das Drehbuch von Paul Gangelin, James Curtis und Derek N. Twist basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Roman von James Curtis aus dem Jahr 1938.

„Shorty“ Matthews, der kürzlich aus dem Pentonville-Gefängnis entlassen wurde, will in die Arme seiner Freundin zurückkehren. Unglücklicherweise hat jemand sie an diesem Tag ermordet.