Product Details

• Actors: George Raft, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Gale Page
• Directors: Raoul Walsh
• Writers: A.I. Bezzerides, Jerry Wald, Richard Macaulay
• Producers: Hal B. Wallis, Mark Hellinger
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: October 3, 2006
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000GIXLVG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,438 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "They Drive by Night (Keepcase)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

By turns hard-nosed and ribald, They Drive by Night smashes through a vintage Warner Bros. yarn about truck drivers, the Depression, and one duplicitous dame. The opening reels are a forceful look at the dangerous lives of independent truckers (George Raft and Humphrey Bogart as brothers--Bogie in the supporting role, though he would soon eclipse Raft in Hollywood), battling the system and the economy. The final section veers into a less exciting murder frame-up, but Ida Lupino is so delicious as the Black Widow, it works. The robust humor of director Raoul Walsh dominates the film, with some truly hilarious double entendres aimed at outfoxing the censors. At the center of many such one-liners is Ann Sheridan, as a waitress who slings more than hash. It's close to being a classic, and the road sequences are as vital as those in The Grapes of Wrath, made the same year. --Robert Horton

Product Description

George Raft and Humphrey Bogart share a driving ambition in They Drive by Night, a feisty tale of brothers trying to make a go of their independent trucking enterprise. Ann Sheridan plays a truck-stop waitress who can dish both the daily special and the patter. And Ida Lupino is the headstrong executive who mixes business and romance with murder. With Bogart again riding shotgun en route to leading-man stardom (a stature he would achieve the following year) and Raft handling the wheel in one of his best roles of the decade, this fine example of Warner Bros. social-conscience filmmaking (directed by Raoul Walsh) proved a sturdy vehicle for both actors. The movie proved even more fortuitous for Lupino. Her courtoom scene of babbling derangement made her a celebrated overnight sensation that resulted in a seven-year studio contract for her. 1940

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "The doors made me do it! The doors made me do it!" March 19, 2004

By Dave

Format:DVD

This awesome classic starts out as a drama about the hard lives of truckers but ends up being a sort of film noir! Ann Sheridan was perfectly cast as a sassy independant woman, & I loved seeing George Raft & Humphrey Bogart playing brothers! And of course let's not forget Ida Lupino, one of the best (& craziest) femme fatales of all time! Also there's Alan Hale, who adds a whole lot of humor to the mix! I won't go into the plot b/c other reviews have fully explained the plot, but I will say that you definitely need to add this gem to your dvd collection! Be aware that the real star of the film is George Raft, despite the misleading cover art, which tries to cash in on Bogey's fame. This wasn't disappointing to me at all, though. I thought George Raft was cool! I highly recommend this to fans of great classics.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Watch Lupino Go April 7, 2000

By James L.

Format:VHS Tape

They Drive By Night has a lot going for it. It's directed by Raoul Walsh, who knew how to make a tough guy movie, yet give it some heart. It has two of the screen's great tough guys, George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. It also has two of the screen's best tough guy girlfriends, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino. And it has some really great dialogue that time has not dated. It's the story of two truckers who are brothers, and it looks at the difficulties facing truckers (sleeplessness that can lead to accidents, suppliers that don't pay up, etc). Bogart and Raft are good as the brothers, although Raft doesn't have much of a range as an actor. Raft hooks up with Sheridan, a woman who can hold her own with any trucker. Sheridan plays her with just the right mix of outward toughness, but decency and tenderness, too. Unfortunately, Lupino wants Raft, and she won't be denied what she wants. Lupino gives the performance that you'll remember from this film. She becomes more intense with every scene, and by her last scene, she reaches a level that is amazing to behold. With Lupino's performance and the great dialogue, They Drive By Night is a Warner Brothers' film that should be seen.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Hidden Gem! April 11, 2001

By Michael O. Brown

Format:VHS Tape

They Drive by Night was so much fun to discover! Anyone who likes old movies will enjoy seeing this one. With Bogie as George Raft's little brother, working together as truckers, and the wonderfully wicked Ida Lupino married to the blissfully ignorant Alan Hale, this movie was a joy to watch from start to finish.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent August 17, 1999

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

I thought that the movie was very well written and acted, I was watching at 1 a.m. one night when I had nothing else to do, I was hooked right away. I think the movie is well worth the money you invest in it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Warners melodrama from the early 40's. May 5, 1999

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

This almost like a film with two personalities. The first and best half deals with truckers Raft and Bogart and the hazards of their profession. The second half deals with Ida Lupino's attempts to get her hooks into Raft after killing his boss (her husband) and her final mental breakdown in court. Classic lines (in a diner): Ann Sheridan: Anything you'd like? Raft: Yeah, but it ain't on the menu. Sheridan: And it ain't going to be.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dynamic Lupino! June 23, 2000

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

When I first watched this movie, I was only mildly interested in the first part which shows how hard life is for two trucker brothers (Raft and Bogart). Only when Ida Lupino is introduced as the off-kilter, man-killing Lana Carlson did I really sit up and take notice. She continued to steal all her scenes as she degenerates into madness after killing her buffoon of a husband for the cold Raft character. Her gradual breakdown is something to see and electrified audiences in l940. When she begins to shriek on the witness stand: "The doors made me do it!", you freeze in amazement at her powerful acting. Her "mad" scene was phenomenal. A note: compare her portrayal of the man-crazed heroine to the way Bette Davis portrayed her in the original, the l934 "Bordertown". Davis always bragged that the quiet way she went crazy on the stand was the right way but after seeing how Lupino did it, you'll think that Davis was wrong. Sorry, Bette, but Lupino did it a l00 times better and a hell of a lot more powerful. Lana Carlson--one mixed-up, crazy dame from Warner Brother's golden days--thanks to the genius of Ida Lupino!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A diverging story brought together under crime... March 31, 2004

By Kim Anehall VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Fabrini brothers, Joe (George Raft) and Paul (Humphrey Bogart), are truck drivers that struggle to make it on their own as a loan shark is on their heels trying to repossess their truck . It all seems futile as Joe and Paul's competition is full of bigger companies that do not care about the smaller companies as it is a dog eat dog world. This forces the Fabrini brothers to work long hours often without adequate sleep. One night after a rough day Joe and Paul pick up a hitchhiker, Cassie Hartley (Ann Sheridan), and together the three of them witness a truck accident where some friends die as they fell asleep behind the wheel. This is a wake up call for the brothers as they have different priorities in their lives, and it brings them in different directions. They Drive By Night is an interesting film with multiple themes, which offers a good cinematic experience

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "If we go over a cliff, wake me up." December 26, 2004

By Dymon Enlow

Format:DVD

What a cast! Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino. That's a dream come true for any classic movie lover, but an added bonus for me is the truck driving action and Joyce Compton - the hot blonde from THE AWFUL TRUTH (my favorite movie). I was so excited I watched the movie twice.

George Raft and Humphrey Bogart are two hard-working brothers just trying to get ahead in the truck driving business. Crazy drivers, bill collectors, worried wife, white line fever the cons far outweigh the money, but that ain't stopping them from trying.

The excitement level is running high until about halfway through when the whole thing changes gears (get it?!) and turns into a fatal attraction/legal drama. People who read my reviews on a normal basis would expect me to freak out at about this point and start yelling about how the blasphemous idea of detouring away from the truck driving to get into legal stuff is about as bad as having Burt Reynolds arrested 2/3 of the way into SMOKEY & THE BANDIT. But I'm not that upset solely based on the fact that the person responsible for this turn of events is one of my favorites: Ida Lupino.

She screams, she cries, she kills, she smolders and in no small feat she out acts Bette Davis who originally played the role this character is based on 5 years earlier in BORDERTOWN.