They Drive by Night 1940

     Paul and Joe Fabrini are brothers living in California.  They work together in the trucking business and they usually deliver fruit from farms to the markets in Los Angeles.  The company they work for is always ‘forgetting’ to pay them and they get behind on their truck payments.  The lien holder is just waiting around the corner to tow the truck for past due bills.  They drive long hours, incur expenses for repairs and they still need gas and oil whether they are paid or not.  It’s common for drivers to fall asleep at the wheel and they can lose everything in an instant.  Their load, the truck and their lives.

     There are two parts to this movie.  The first section is the driving and in the second section the brothers have given up being on the road and they are working for a shipping company.  You can really see how hard this choice of employment can be in both sections.  It’s not easy for wives and girlfriends either.  A lot of lonely times in the driving business, more money but some other headaches in the company business.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

95 min, Crime directed by Raoul Walsh with George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Alan Hale, Roscoe Karns, John Litel, George Tobias.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 95% critic 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Slant Magazine 3 1/2* out of 5*.

Special Note:  I had not seen several of the lead actors in films when they were younger.  I didn’t recognize George Raft and Ida Lupino.