La pasión manda

If you could distil the essence of the actors in this quite ordinary film and add to it the forfeit George Raft paid for his poor future choices, the oyster and the world would be yours.

They Drive by Night (AKA: The Road to Frisco) is directed by Raoul Walsh and adapted by Jerry Wald & Richard Macaulay from the novel "The Long Haul" written by A. I. Bezzerides. It stars George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart. Adolph Deutsch scores the music and Arthur Edeson is the cinematographer. Plot finds Raft & Bogart playing the Fabrini brothers, two guys trying to make a living as truck drivers during the Depression era. Just about keeping afloat in a very competitive market, the boys find that they have to work longer hours to stay ahead in the game. But that brings fatigue and danger, and with the repo men after them they could do with a break; a break that comes by way of work for Ed Carlson (Alan Hale). But the fortune is short lived as trouble awaits, not only on the road, but also in the form of Carlson's wife, Lana (Lupino).

Warner Brothers produce a film of two differing halves that blends social realism with film noir edges. The script is tight as the narrative firstly deals in an adventure with period detail, then shifts to drama as bad luck and a bad woman come into play. There's zippy dialogue to digest, too, while Walsh keeps the pace brisk and provides good attention to detail in relation to the subject of the trucking industry. With Bogart a year away from leading man status (High Sierra/The Maltese Falcon), he was fourth billed for this movie. He gets relegated to the sidelines for the second half of the piece but by then he had made his mark. Sheridan is effective, in what ultimately is a love interest role, while Raft dominates as the centre piece character. But it's Lupino's movie all the way. True enough to say that her pivotal scene has a touch of the over theatrical histrionics about it, but it works in context to how she had formed the character up to then. Playing it man hungry and vixen like; yet with a sternness that oozes business woman sensibilities, her performance earned her a studio contract.

Two movies for the price of one, then, and nary a dull moment in either of them. 7.5/10

Two truck driving brothers (George Raft, Humphrey Bogart) get tired of being screwed over by bosses and decide to strike out on their own and start their own trucking company. But tragedy strikes and their dreams come crashing down. That's just the beginning of their problems.

Gritty, ballsy WB crime drama with a cast of colorful characters. Best truck driver movie ever. Raft and Bogart are great. This is Bogey pre-leading man but at least he's not the villain this time so he was making progress. Lovely Ann Sheridan is good as the tough working class dame who falls for Raft. Ida Lupino is particularly wicked as the sarcastic woman after Raft who goes completely bonkers before it's all said and done. Her performance is over the top in the best way. Great WB supporting cast includes people like Alan Hale and Henry O'Neill. Love getting to see the inner workings of the trucking industry back then and seeing how things have changed (and how they haven't). Love those old trucks, too. Fantastic movie. An underrated classic.

Truck-driving brothers GEORGE RAFT and HUMPHREY BOGART not only have to put up with the hazards of wildcat driving but the manipulations of the scheming wife of boss ALAN HALE, played with intense conviction by IDA LUPINO.

But it's a plodding tale that takes awhile to work up any steam while director Raoul Walsh concentrates on the rough-housing camaraderie of the blue collar set before getting to the heart of the story involving two very different women--the good one, ANN SHERIDAN, and the femme fatale played with relish by IDA LUPINO. It is the romantic trio that ends in tragedy that gives the film its potent interest.

Lupino's mad scene on the stand is worth waiting for--although not entirely convincing. Nevertheless, she creates a vixen you won't soon forget.

George Raft ambles pleasantly through a rather dull role while Humphrey Bogart, as his brother, attracts more attention in a sideline role. Ann Sheridan is a sheer delight, adding her usual warmth and zest to a typical Sheridan role. The script crackles with tart remarks.

Not exactly great filmmaking--and too long in getting started--but worth the wait for some good performances. Only drawback seemed to be ALAN HALE as an oafish boss who becomes even more obnoxious when he's drunk. Hale overplays the role to such a degree that, in a way, it comes as a relief to see Ida knock him off with those car doors. "The doors made me do it!" is her scream from the witness stand.

Summing up: the kind of melodrama Warner was famous for in the '40s with the right cast doing it justice.

The film noir 'genre' has delivered a lot of great films, but few top this one; and that's really saying something considering just how many great noirs there are. The film is something of an odd one with regards to the way the plot moves; it's really a movie of three sections, and the way it jumps from the first section to the second section is wholly unexpected. I suppose the way that the film moves may be the reason why this isn't universally accepted as one of the best films of its type; but if you ask me the strange plot is one of the film's strongest points - nobody wants to sit through a predictable movie, and They Drive by Night is anything but predictable. The plot focuses on two brothers - Joe and Paul Fabrini. The pair drive a truck delivering things to the market and not making a lot of money. They finally get a break when Joe takes a risk and decides to buy his own consignment; but their luck takes a turn for the worse when Paul crashes the truck and becomes unable to work. Joe then takes a job working for his old friend Ed's company, which brings about problems of its own...

One of the trademarks of the noir style of film-making is a thick foreboding atmosphere; this film features that and then some. They Drive by Night takes it further than most, and the film almost has an affinity with the horror genre for its dark atmosphere, plot and characters. Once the film moves into the second stage, the horror elements are rampant. The acting in the film is excellent; George Raft and Humphrey Bogart are entirely convincing as the rag-tag pair of brothers, while excellent support is given from two ladies; Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino. It's Ida Lupino that really makes this film what it is for me; her icy cold persona is breathtaking, and she holds the screen excellently. The murder scene in this film is extremely effective also; and while not as spectacular as some of the death scenes in the gory horror flicks that I often watch, its subtleness makes it memorable. The final third of the film is a courtroom drama and it's the worst part of it for me, but that isn't enough to ruin what is a brilliant film and I certainly would not hesitate to recommend They Drive by Night to noir fans and everyone else.