He Walked by Night (1948)
He Walked by Night (1948)
He Walked by Night (1948)
He Walked by Night (1948)
(Alfred Werker, US 1948, 79 min., 35mm)
UCLA Festival of Preservation Tour. Inspired by the true story of Erwin “Machine Gun” Walker’s shocking LA crime spree throughout 1945 and 1946, He Walked by Night is a superbly crafted documentary-style noir thriller released by Eagle-Lion Films and produced by Bryan Foy. Known as the “Keeper of the Bs” during his previous stints at Warner Bros. and Fox, Foy’s team (led by director Alfred Werker and an uncredited Anthony Mann) imbued the production with impressive creativity despite the Poverty Row studio’s budgetary limitations. Critical praise was unanimous, with Variety calling it a “high-tension crime meller, supercharged with violence but sprung with finesse.” Preservation funded by the George Lucas Family Foundation and the Film Foundation.