Richard Basehart and Scott Brady star in “He Walked by Night”

He Walked by Night (1948) is an American film noir directed by Alfred L. Werker and an uncredited Anthony Mann. The film stars Richard Basehart and Scott Brady. Others in the cast include Roy Roberts, Whit Bissell, James Cardwell, Dorothy Adams, and Jack Webb. The cinematography is by the legendary John Alton.

Set in Los Angeles, California, the film is based on the real-life crime spree by Edwin “Machine-Gun” Walker. Walker, a former police department employee and World War II veteran committed a series of burglaries, robberies, and shootouts in the Los Angeles area between 1945 and 1946.

Office Rob Rawlings (John McGuire), a Los Angeles patrolman, on his way home, stops a man whom he thinks might be a burglar. Roy Morgan/Martin (Basehart) shoots the patrolman and mortally wounds him. Thus begins the cat and mouse game between Morgan and Sgt. Marty Brennan (Brady) and Captain Breen (Roberts).

How many lives will be in danger while Roy walks by night?

Richard Basehart

Albert L. Werker (1896 – 1975) was an American film director who got his start during the silent era. He continued working into the sound era, mostly directing B-pictures. Two A-pictures he directed include The House of Rothschild (1934) and Kidnapped (1938) starring Warner Baxter and Freddie Bartholomew. In the late-1940s, Werker signed on with Eagle-Lion Films where he directed Repeat Performance (1947) starring Louis Hayward, Joan Leslie, and Richard Basehart.

Richard Basehart (1914 - 1984) was an American actor who worked steadily in film and television. Basehart starred in several films noirs of the late 1940s and early 1950s. He also had a lead role in director Federico Fellini’s La Strada (1954). Other film roles include Moby Dick (1956), Decision Before Dawn (1951), The Brothers Karamazov (1958). Baby Boomers would remember Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson on Irwin Allen’s science fiction television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964 -1968).

Scott Brady (1924 – 1985) was an American film and television actor who achieved fame in a series of movie westerns. Brady followed his older brother Lawrence Tierney to Hollywood. He studied acting at The Beverly Hills Dramatic School under the G.I. Bill of Rights. Brady made his movie debut in 1948 and worked steadily in film until his death. His last film role was in Gremlins (1984). Other films featuring Brady include Johnny Guitar opposite Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden, Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), co-starring Jeanne Crain and Jane Russell, Marooned (1969), Doctor’s Wives (1971), and The China Syndrome (1979). Brady guest starred on many television shows starting in the 1950s to the mid-80s. He was offered the role of Archie Bunker in All in the Family but turned it down! He appeared on the show as Joe Foley for four episodes. He also guest starred on Laverne & Shirley as Shirley Feeney’s father.

 

He Walked by Night trivia

• During the filming, Jack Webb became acquainted with the movie’s technical advisor, Sgt. Marty Wynn. It was from this relationship that Dragnet was born.
• This was the first film to use the Los Angeles underground sewer and storm-drain system and its canals and tunnels as a backdrop.
• The film featured Jack Webb’s first credited screen appearance.
• Part of the film was directed by Anthony Mann who was uncredited.
• Both Webb and Scott Brady would become popular TV cops. Webb in Dragnet and Brady who played a retired officer and bar owner on Police Story.

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

 

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Discussion questions

1. What did you think of the procedural style of the film?
2. Did you enjoy seeing what Los Angeles looked like in 1948? Did anything surprise you?
3. The performances of the actors were praised when the film was released, especially that of Richard Basehart as Roy Morgan/Martin. What did you think of Basehart’s performance? Did any other performances impress you?
4. During the late-1940s, procedural crime dramas were popular. Did this film remind you of other procedural films you’ve seen?