They Live by Night

"Cops or no cops I'm going through!"

1949 1h 36m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 191

CrimeRomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An escaped convict, injured during a robbery, falls in love with the woman who nurses him back to health, but their relationship seems doomed from the beginning.

“Cops or no cops I'm going through!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Cathy O'Donnell
Catherine "Keechie" Mobley
Farley Granger
Arthur "Bowie" Bowers
Howard Da Silva
Chicamaw One-Eye Mobley
Jay C. Flippen
Henry "T-Dub" Mansfield
Helen Craig
Mattie
Will Wright
Mobley
William Phipps
Young Farmer
Ian Wolfe
Hawkins

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nicholas Ray
Writers: Charles Schnee
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nicholas Ray, shot by George E. Diskant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Leigh Harline. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sherman Todd shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger and Howard Da Silva carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Cops or no cops I'm going through!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0040872 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nicholas Ray directs. George E. Diskant behind the camera. Leigh Harline scores. Sherman Todd cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

177 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Nicholas Ray, shot by George E. Diskant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Leigh Harline. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Sherman Todd shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger and Howard Da Silva carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Cops or no cops I'm going through!".
7IMDB entry: tt0040872 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.