"He Walked By Night" is a low budget crime drama which tells the true story of an exceptionally resourceful cop killer and the way in which he was pursued by the LAPD. The methods used by the police and the killer couldn't be more different, as the LAPD place a high value on adhering to standard procedures whereas their quarry uses his considerable ingenuity and expert knowledge of electronics to outwit his pursuers. This all makes for a fascinating cat and mouse game which is compelling to watch and becomes increasingly intense as it moves towards its exciting and visually impressive climax.
In the early hours of a summer morning, Roy Martin (Richard Basehart) is trying to break into an electronics store when he sees a police patrol car approaching and casually walks away. The police car follows him and when he's asked to produce some identification, Martin pulls out a gun and shoots the police officer at point blank range. Detective Sergeants Marty Brennan (Scott Brady) and Chuck Jones (James Cardwell) are assigned to the case by Police Captain Breen (Roy Roberts) but their initial efforts to identify the killer draw a blank because there are no leads to follow.
Martin regularly sells electronic equipment to a dealer called Paul Reeves (Whit Bissell) who becomes suspicious after one of his customers recognises a television projector (which Martin had supplied) as one that had been stolen from him. After Reeves reports the matter to the police, Brennan and Jones wait in the dealer's office with the intention of arresting Martin but his eventual arrival culminates in a shootout which ends with both Martin and Detective Jones having been shot. Jones is seriously injured and Martin goes home and successfully operates on himself to remove the bullet.
The LAPD are determined to hunt down Martin but he continues to keep one step ahead of them by regularly changing his appearance and listening in to their radio communications until Detective Jones has a hunch which enables the police to positively confirm the identity of the killer. This piece of knowledge together with information that they subsequently find about Martin's previous employment, soon enables them to continue their manhunt with greater speed and success than had previously been possible.
Roy Martin's story is told in typical docu-noir style complete with the obligatory solemn narration (by Reed Hadley) and some acting which, by today's standards, is rather stiff and formal. Richard Basehart, however, is exceptionally good in his role as the psychopathic loner and World War 11 veteran who's cold, calculating and extremely ruthless. He's a particularly interesting character as he's both intelligent and highly skilled in some areas but also paranoid and a man of few words.
It's widely acknowledged that Jack Webb (who appears in this movie as a laboratory technician) was inspired by the experience to create his own very popular radio and TV show "Dragnet" which also emphasised the value of methodical police work.
"He Walked By Night" looks very realistic and is often suspenseful but its most impressive feature is John Alton's incredible cinematography which enhances the look of the whole movie considerably and contributes to the claustrophobic feel of certain passages. His use of low key lighting, deep focus photography and interesting camera angles is inspired, effective and dramatic and at times, bathes the screen in compositions which create a rather disconcerting atmosphere.
In the early hours of a summer morning, Roy Martin (Richard Basehart) is trying to break into an electronics store when he sees a police patrol car approaching and casually walks away. The police car follows him and when he's asked to produce some identification, Martin pulls out a gun and shoots the police officer at point blank range. Detective Sergeants Marty Brennan (Scott Brady) and Chuck Jones (James Cardwell) are assigned to the case by Police Captain Breen (Roy Roberts) but their initial efforts to identify the killer draw a blank because there are no leads to follow.
Martin regularly sells electronic equipment to a dealer called Paul Reeves (Whit Bissell) who becomes suspicious after one of his customers recognises a television projector (which Martin had supplied) as one that had been stolen from him. After Reeves reports the matter to the police, Brennan and Jones wait in the dealer's office with the intention of arresting Martin but his eventual arrival culminates in a shootout which ends with both Martin and Detective Jones having been shot. Jones is seriously injured and Martin goes home and successfully operates on himself to remove the bullet.
The LAPD are determined to hunt down Martin but he continues to keep one step ahead of them by regularly changing his appearance and listening in to their radio communications until Detective Jones has a hunch which enables the police to positively confirm the identity of the killer. This piece of knowledge together with information that they subsequently find about Martin's previous employment, soon enables them to continue their manhunt with greater speed and success than had previously been possible.
Roy Martin's story is told in typical docu-noir style complete with the obligatory solemn narration (by Reed Hadley) and some acting which, by today's standards, is rather stiff and formal. Richard Basehart, however, is exceptionally good in his role as the psychopathic loner and World War 11 veteran who's cold, calculating and extremely ruthless. He's a particularly interesting character as he's both intelligent and highly skilled in some areas but also paranoid and a man of few words.
It's widely acknowledged that Jack Webb (who appears in this movie as a laboratory technician) was inspired by the experience to create his own very popular radio and TV show "Dragnet" which also emphasised the value of methodical police work.
"He Walked By Night" looks very realistic and is often suspenseful but its most impressive feature is John Alton's incredible cinematography which enhances the look of the whole movie considerably and contributes to the claustrophobic feel of certain passages. His use of low key lighting, deep focus photography and interesting camera angles is inspired, effective and dramatic and at times, bathes the screen in compositions which create a rather disconcerting atmosphere.