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They Live by Night
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They Live by Night is a 1948 American film noir about an escaped convict, injured during a robbery, who falls in love with the woman who nurses him back to health, but their relationship seems doomed from the beginning.
Directed by Nicholas Ray. Written by Charles Schnee and Nicholas Ray, based on the 1937 novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson.
Cops or no cops I'm going through! (taglines)
Catherine "Keechie" Mobley
[reading Bowie's letter to herself, as she walks back to her cabin] "Hello girl. I'm gonna miss you, but I got to do it this way. I'll send for both of you when I can. No matter how long it takes, I got to see that kid. He's lucky. He'll have you to keep him squared around. I love you, Bowie." [turns to look at Bowie's lifeless body on the ground, whispers] I love you.
Other
Hawkins: [Bowie has just asked Hawkins to arrange a passage to Mexico for Keechie and himself] Son, I'd sure like that money. I'm old, and money's a real comfort to an old man. And maybe I did help you before, but not now. I believe in helping people get what they want, as long as they can pay for it. I've married people 'cause there's a little hope that they'll be happy. But I can't take this money of yours. No, sir. In a way, I'm a thief just the same as you are, but I won't sell you hope when there ain't any.
Dialogue
Bowie: You having trouble?
Keechie: Could be.
Bowie: Who are you? You live around here?
Keechie: Could be.
Bowie: You haven't had a couple of visitors lately, have you?
Keechie: That wouldn't be a sore foot making you limp, would it?
Bowie: Could be.
Bowie: You said you weren't here when the pipes bust. Where were you?
[Keechie gives no response]
Bowie: I asked you where you were!
Keechie: Seein' a doctor.
Bowie: About what?
Keechie: The baby we're gonna have.
Bowie: [angry] Well, that's just fine. That's all I need!
Keechie: You don't see me knittin' anything, do you?
Bowie: Fifteen hundred bucks for a secondhand car?
T-Dub: That's right.
Bowie: Whoever sells them for that, that's worse than robbin' a bank!
T-Dub: They're thieves, just like us.
Bowie: She got a real house.
Chickamaw: Why not? We're real people.
Bowie: Well, don't you have a place a little away from the others?
Lambert: [looking at the couple and smiling] Uh-huh, just married, ain't ya?
Bowie: Yeah.
Lambert: Learn that, Alvin. Just-married people like to be alone.
Alvin: I should think so.
Bowie: [waking up mother on bus] Ma'am, you're baby's crying.
Mother on Bus: Well, I've been on this bus three days. When we get to the next stop, I'll fix her bottle. [ignoring the baby and going back to sleep] Till then, I just don't care.
Taglines
Cops or no cops I'm going through!
"We're in a Jam!"
Desperate... Hunted... Yet so in love! This is their story... The one the screaming headlines never told!
The headlines screamed their crime... but they told only half the story. Would YOU give these kids another chance?
"WE'RE IN A JAM! You're crazy to stick to me... but I'd rather die than let you go!"
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
Harry Harvey - Hagenheimer
Marie Bryant - Singer
Will Lee - Jeweler
James Nolan - Schreiber
Charles Meredith - Comm. Hubbell
Teddy Infuhr - Alvin
Byron Foulger - Lambert
External links
0040872 They Live by Night
49416 They Live by Night
Category:Film noir
Category:Films set in Los Angeles
Category:Heist films
Category:Films directed by Nicholas Ray
Category:1948 American films
Category:1948 English-language films
Category:American crime drama films
Category:Films about bank robbery
Category:Films based on American novels