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of her convicted husband Robert. Hawkins tells Bowie that he is unable to help him, and Bowie returns to the motel and informs Mattie that he will leave by himself to ensure the safety of
Keechie and their unborn child. Mattie is wracked with guilt over her deal with the police but urges that Bowie say a final goodbye to Keechie, hoping to delay him long enough for the police to arrive. He agrees and writes a farewell letter to bring to Keechie. As he is about to enter the cabin, police descend on the scene, provoking Bowie to draw a gun. In response, the police fire, killing Bowie. Keechie, kneeling over Bowie's dead body, reads the farewell letter.
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another robbery. Bowie reluctantly agrees, but
Keechie, fearing that Bowie will be killed, gives him his Christmas gift early, a wristwatch. The three men commit another robbery, but T-Dub is killed. Bowie and Chicamaw flee the scene by car. While driving, Bowie learns from a drunken Chicamaw that he is jealous of all the press attention that Bowie and Keechie have received. Bowie eventually forces Chicamaw out of the car at gunpoint.
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over their lack of experience in the world and soon develop a romance. Meanwhile, the press reports heavily on Bowie, wrongly pinning him as the ringleader of the robbery. Bowie and
Keechie leave town by bus. Late one night, they find a chapel that performs quick marriages for $ 20. Bowie asks Keechie to marry him, and she agrees. Hawkins, the local
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Keechie becomes very ill, and they seek refuge at a motel owned by Mattie, T-Dub's sister-in-law. Mattie reluctantly allows them to stay. Bowie visits
Hawkins, seeking help to cross the border, but Mattie reluctantly strikes a deal with police to identify Bowie's location in exchange for the release
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The robbery goes smoothly. However, shortly after Bowie crashes his car, Chicamaw kills a police officer who had arrived at the scene. Chicamaw leaves an injured Bowie in the care of
Keechie and joins T-Dub in another town. The sheepish Keechie swiftly grows fond of Bowie, who is also shy. They bond
651:(1946). Ray insisted on the casting of Granger and O'Donnell. Granger later said: "Ray and John Houseman were among the few people who fought for me in my career. They said no, we will not make the film without him. When Nick believed in you, he was very loyal." In his autobiography, Granger listed
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When Bowie returns to the resort, he learns that
Chicamaw was killed in a liquor-store robbery. In radio broadcasts, Bowie is again described as the ringleader of the robbery. Keechie reveals that she is pregnant. The couple depart the resort and head east, traveling mainly at night to not be seen.
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Bowie and
Keechie travel to a remote mountain resort where Keechie once stayed during her childhood and rent a cabin there, dreaming living openly together. Chicamaw arrives at the resort after tracking the couple there. He has gambled away his money and wants Bowie to help him and T-Dub commit
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a "commonplace little story" and wrote: "Although it—like others—is misguided in its sympathies for a youthful crook, this crime-and-compassion melodrama has the virtues of vigor and restraint ... 'They Live by Night' has the failing of waxing sentimental over crime, but it manages to generate
602:, and so on. And that whole Depression stuff was terribly his stuff. So he sat down and wrote the treatment. I'd come home at night and we'd go over it; I'd edit it a little, that's all, and it was very, very good." Houseman, who had considerable authority as a producer, repeatedly submitted
343:, Chicamaw and T-Dub. The men take shelter with Chicamaw's brother, who operates a service station, and niece Catherine "Keechie" Mobley, who works there. Hoping to also free his incarcerated brother Robert, T-Dub concocts a plan to rob a bank and use the funds to hire a lawyer to prove a
735:(1941), also made at RKO for Houseman, Ray experimented with sound and cinematography. Ray's biographer noted: "Only Welles similarly tried to define acoustic and even verbal textures as much as the visual." Renowned film editor
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However, they spend a leisurely time in public, visiting a park and then a nightclub. In the club, Bowie is recognized by a gangster who orders him to leave town. Bowie suggests escaping to Mexico, and
Keechie agrees.
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to write the screenplay, but
Houseman did not want Schnee to alter Ray's treatment. Ray and Schnee worked together to adapt the treatment into a completed script, which was submitted to RKO in May 1947.
594:, "I found the book and gave it to Nick to read, and he fell madly in love with it–as indeed I did, but Nick particularly was very familiar with that territory. He'd been there when he worked with the
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Filming began on June 23, 1947, with the opening scene, a tracking shot of Bowie, T-Dub and
Chickamaw escaping from prison in a stolen car. The action sequence was filmed from a helicopter, making
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by Edward Anderson had been acquired by RKO in 1941 for $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 207,100 in 2023). Numerous writers unsuccessfully tried to adapt the story as a screenplay. According to producer
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wanted the part of Chicamaw, but as he was a rising star who had recently received an Oscar nomination, RKO deemed the role of a bank robber unfit for him. The role of Chicamaw went to
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shelved it for two years before releasing it to a single theater in the UK to enthusiastic reviews. The film was finally released in the U.S. in November 1949 under the title
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became RKO's production chief, hoping to transform it into Hollywood's most adventurous studio. Schary read Ray's treatment and signed Ray to a studio contract.
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and had limited acting experience. Granger had appeared in just two films before his World War II service, while O'Donnell had just made the classic
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by eight years. Four takes were required, and the second take was used in the final cut.
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directed another adaptation of the novel in 1974 using the original title of the novel,
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1078:"Review: Nicholas Ray's They Live by Night on Criterion Blu-ray"
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interest with its crisp dramatic movement and clear-cut types."
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Filming completed in October 1947. Despite an excellent
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Crowther, Bosley (1949-11-04). "The Screen in Review".
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the first major studio production to do so, predating
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445,000 (equivalent to $ 5.7 million in 2023).
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598:, he'd been there when he worked for the
567:Learn how and when to remove this message
270:and was released in the United States by
1010:Include Me Out: From Goldywn to Broadway
766:rather than the source novel's title of
295:(1967), the story was first depicted in
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716:'s celebrated final helicopter shot in
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241:in his directorial debut and starring
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1045:Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin,
1012:(New York: St. Martin's Press, 2007)
694:on the children's television series
505:adding citations to reliable sources
729:had done in his directorial debut,
19:For the album by The Hamsters, see
1486:English-language crime drama films
1028:(London: Faber & Faber, 1993)
859:from the original on June 7, 2019.
14:
1167:They Live by Night: Dream Journey
1151:Collection of reviews on the film
1026:Nicholas Ray: An American Journey
977:Nicholas Ray: An American Journey
1076:Lund, Carson (August 15, 2017).
666:, who had made an impression in
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262:The film opened theatrically in
963:They Live by Night at Criterion
871:They Live by Night at Criterion
492:needs additional citations for
266:in August 1948 under the title
1461:Films directed by Nicholas Ray
1456:Films based on American novels
1431:American black-and-white films
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1466:Films scored by Leigh Harline
1329:The True Story of Jesse James
791:In a contemporary review for
380:as Catherine "Keechie" Mobley
249:. Based on Edward Anderson's
1441:1940s English-language films
1421:1948 directorial debut films
1145:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
921:American Antiquarian Society
901:American Antiquarian Society
848:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
392:as Chicamaw "One-Eye" Mobley
979:. Faber & Faber, 1993.
648:The Best Years of Our Lives
606:created by novice director
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1436:American crime drama films
1345:Wind Across the Everglades
655:among his favorite films.
398:as Henry "T-Dub" Mansfield
185:November 5, 1949
21:They Live by Night (album)
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1471:Films shot in Los Angeles
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600:Department of Agriculture
321:and his work in general.
40:Theatrical release poster
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16:1948 film by Nicholas Ray
1451:Films about bank robbery
386:as Arthur "Bowie" Bowers
853:American Film Institute
814:The film was issued on
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682:as a nightclub singer,
1426:1948 crime drama films
1385:We Can't Go Home Again
633:Houseman arranged for
1305:Rebel Without a Cause
948:Video Interview with
1481:1940s American films
1393:Lightning Over Water
1361:The Savage Innocents
1176:Criterion Collection
1157:2002 Article on film
843:"They Live by Night"
820:Criterion Collection
673:The Cradle Will Rock
516:"They Live by Night"
501:improve this article
467:Guy Beach as Plumber
353:justice of the peace
282:, losing the studio
1273:On Dangerous Ground
1265:Flying Leathernecks
1172:Bernard Eisenschitz
1022:Bernard Eisenschitz
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973:Bernard Eisenschitz
345:wrongful conviction
233:is a 1948 American
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1211:Films directed by
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1133:TCM Movie Database
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1117:They Live by Night
1106:They Live by Night
1062:The New York Times
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803:They Live by Night
794:The New York Times
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710:They Live by Night
653:They Live by Night
302:You Only Live Once
280:box-office failure
276:They Live by Night
272:RKO Radio Pictures
230:They Live by Night
161:RKO Radio Pictures
151:RKO Radio Pictures
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1213:Nicholas Ray
1170:an essay by
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1153:at Indiewire
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934:February 29,
932:. Retrieved
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732:Citizen Kane
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727:Orson Welles
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499:Please help
494:verification
491:
456:Teddy Infuhr
446:as Schreiber
432:Marie Bryant
426:Harry Harvey
365:
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341:bank robbers
338:
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315:Jim Jarmusch
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237:directed by
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202:Running time
126:Sherman Todd
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63:Nicholas Ray
50:Nicholas Ray
905:1700–1799:
885:1634–1699:
745:movie ranch
684:Curt Conway
670:'s musical
615:Dore Schary
580:Development
444:James Nolan
408:Will Wright
402:Helen Craig
313:. Director
307:Henry Fonda
305:, starring
193: (U.S.)
84:Produced by
46:Directed by
1416:1948 films
1410:Categories
1353:Party Girl
826:References
810:Home media
779:Box office
692:Mr. Hooper
604:treatments
584:The novel
527:newspapers
473:Production
464:as Lambert
440:as Jeweler
422:as Hawkins
297:Fritz Lang
206:95 minutes
189:1949-11-05
143:Production
77:1937 novel
1446:Film noir
1313:Hot Blood
797:, critic
434:as Singer
420:Ian Wolfe
410:as Mobley
404:as Mattie
235:film noir
122:Edited by
1122:AllMovie
1088:Archived
910:(1992).
890:(1997).
857:Archived
688:Will Lee
458:as Alvin
438:Will Lee
219:Language
132:Music by
94:Starring
68:Based on
1174:at the
1142:at the
1131:at the
816:Blu-ray
801:called
774:Release
756:preview
704:Filming
629:Casting
596:Lomaxes
541:scholar
222:English
211:Country
187: (
178:1948-08
176: (
145:company
1396:(1980)
1388:(1976)
1380:(1963)
1372:(1961)
1364:(1960)
1356:(1958)
1348:(1958)
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1036:p. 102
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987:pg. 90
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749:Encino
719:Picnic
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264:London
253:novel
917:(PDF)
897:(PDF)
548:JSTOR
534:books
1111:IMDb
1030:ISBN
981:ISBN
936:2024
686:and
520:news
371:Cast
335:Plot
309:and
245:and
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747:in
743:'s
741:RKO
725:As
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