They Live by Night

They Live by Night

1948 Passed 1h 35m Criterion Collection

Chickamaw, T-Dub and Bowie have just escaped from prison. While Chickamaw and T-Dub are hardened criminals - bank robbers - twenty-three year old Bowie, who has been in prison since he was sixteen, was wrongly convicted of murder. As he felt he was rotting behind bars, Bowie, when given this opportunity by his two older colleagues, believed his best path forward was to help Chickamaw and T-Dub in their upcoming heists, in a case of knowing there was a payback in they choosing him, to make enough money to hire a lawyer to clear his name of the murder conviction. The plan is to hide out with Chickamaw's alcoholic brother, Mobley, until they have enough money to make other arrangements. Also with them is Mobley's daughter, Keechie, who doesn't much like her life with her father or that of her uncle. In their time together, Bowie and Keechie form a bond, both emotional and romantic, they who begin to dream of a life together where Bowie would not always have to look behind his back for the authorities to haul him away. Bowie escaping from the obligations to Chickamaw and T-Dub may not be as easy, which if he will be forever attached to them will factor into how much of a life he could have with Keechie.

Director
Nicholas Ray
Starring
Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva
Genre
Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
My Rating
★★★☆☆ 6.0 / 10
Format & Location
Format: Blu-ray
Location: Shelf
Date Added
July 3, 2025

Review

Kind of a wild story, but some standard fare for 40s noirs. The innovation here is the aerial shots. No idea if they used a helicopter or plane, but they stand out.