He Walked by Night (1948)

★★★★★ · Excellent police drama · Kentworth · 2015-04-05

Solid five stars. Good acting, good sets, direction, and the story is compelling. Solid performances and a touch of humor here and there to put a smile on your face during a tough police drama. Highly recommended watch, it will keep your interest. Even a few twists and turns along the way.

★★★★ · I've seen this before, but it's worth seeing again. · rclo · 2011-05-21

This is a good flick, one of Jack Webb's earlier forays into the cop world. I realized I had seen it previously when the antagonist's name was revealed: Roy. I think the film might have been on TCM. Anyway, solid flick. Basehart gives a bravuro performance, and Webb gives a preview of Sgt. Friday's no-nonsense approach to policing. The sewer scenes are reminiscent of "The Third Man." It's a shame that they never ventured a guess as to what the antagonist's motivations were. Note the editorial slip-up when Webb's character analyzes the spent cartridge casings and observes the same striations…

★★★★ · Standout performance, and the beginning of a 60's icon. · Bluize56 · 2021-04-13

This is an enjoyable film, well shot and edited. The pace is brisk, and therefore holds your interest. Richard Baseheart's performance particularly stands out - while we never know Roy's motivations, we see some behaviors displayed suggesting something deeper that may trouble him. It is fun also to see here Jack Webb as the weapons expert. According to some, it is during the filming here that he came upon the ideas for what would become 'Dragnet'. You can certainly see the similarities in the narrations and the opening title card. Great choice of setting for finale - watch for it! Enjoy!

★★★★ · Great find. · floridacracker8188 · 2013-12-26

A surprisingly good movie. never lost interest and a straight forward story line.

★★★★ · Good Movies! · Bdaboy · 2017-03-29

It was very good. The acting was superb.

★★★ · Should be called "trapped like a rat"... · eggbone · 2016-03-22

...you will know why at the end. A good murder mystery? YES. Film Noir...NO Cimematoghraphy and screenplay make the mark, as does the acting., though somewhat predictable. Mr. Drucker and Joe Friday(refernece 1960s TV characters) was a pleasant surprise. Overall a watchable film.