They Drive by Night was released on August 3, 1940, and had a stellar cast of George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, and Humphrey Bogart supported by Alan Hale and Roscoe Karns.
This is one of those films that was perfectly cast and director Raoul Walsh knew exactly how to bring out the best from his actors. Joe Fabrini played by George is ambitious, tough, kind and friendly. His brother Paul, played by Bogart, is less ambitious and has more interest in his wife and getting a good night’s sleep than in driving a truck. George wanted Bogie for the role and they played the brothers very well.
Ann Sheridan as Cassie proves to be a good match for Joe. The scenes between them show chemistry, affection, and a natural comfort with each other that makes the romantic element of the storyline believable and charming. Ida Lupino plays Lana to the hilt proving her an actress of significant talent.
The story is famously bifurcated. The first half is a hard-driving tale of two brothers scrabbling to make a living from independent long-haul trucking. In the second half of the film, the story shifts to Joe managing a trucking firm as well as managing the boss’s wife, the troublemaking Lana. The pace is slower than the first half and lacks the trucking dangers, but dangers of a different sort come from a difficult and unpredictable Lana.
By all accounts, this movie was a big hit for Warner Bros. with top-notch performances by all. Even the critics liked it. Out of 24 reviews, the movie has received a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
They Drive by Night is available from the movies section at georgeraft.com.
Hello, such a delight to find your blog. I am a Japanese girl who has recently started to watch George Raft movies and became a big fan of him. I am fond of the Golden Age of Hollywood and watched Scarface and Some Like It Hot several years ago, but I never knew that he was a great dancer as well. Now I watched Bolero and Rumba, They Drive by Night, You and Me, and I like all of them. Unfortunately few movies of George are available in Japan, so I am very grateful for your playlists on YouTube and articles.
I am looking forward to seeing your posts!
I am so happy to hear from you! George would be pleased to learn that he has a new fan and friend in Japan. So am I for that matter.
Movies from that era have been an interest of mine for a long time and over the years I have seen hundreds of them. Availability in the U.S. is good though many films from the era were not preserved properly. Consequently, the quality is grainy and the sound isn’t always clear. Nevertheless, I will take what I can get. If you go to my YouTube account from either the movie or the video sections of the homepage, you can access my playlist for movies from the Golden Age. Many would be considered film noir while others would be classified as B movies though still worth watching.
As for George’s films, Broadway (1942) is in part auto-biographical and has several dance numbers in it. It is rarely available on YouTube but is for now. Watch soon if it is of interest because it could disappear at any moment. There are several dances in his videos playlist especially in the fourth through tenth entries although there are many further down in the list. Gonetopersia,chas on YouTube is a good source for clips of George set to contemporary music.
Of his other films, I am fond of Nocturne, Red Light, Limehouse Blues, Every Night at Eight, The Glass Key, It Had to Happen, Souls at Sea, Spawn of the North, and probably most every other film he made. Not all are available on YouTube but they do come and go. His list is updated regularly so check back from time to time to see if there is anything new.
It is a pleasure to hear from you. Please contact me at support*at*georgeraft.com if you have any comments, questions or suggestions.
Thank you!
Margana