But before getting to that he had to rise in the ranks of acting. That meant many supporting roles. In 1940 Bogart would be cast in a film noir alongside amazing acting talents of George raft, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino for They Drive by Night!
It is hard to believe but this film is celebrating its 84th anniversary of its release. So, on such an epic anniversary Warner Archive Collection have decided to give this road movie a Blu-ray release it so richly deserves.
After ten years of the Great Depression, scrappy Joe and Paul Fabrini (Raft and Bogart) are still--just barely--in business. Paul dreams of spending more time with his wife, and Joe has his eye on waitress Cassie Hartley (Ann Sheridan). Then Paul loses an arm in an accident and can no longer drive. But when Lana Carlson (Ida Lupino), the wife of the Fabrini's main rival, falls in love with Joe, she murders her husband and offers an interest in the company to the Fabrini brothers. Joe refuses to marry her, however, and Lana accuses Joe of her husband's murder in this hard-edged, classic drama directed by Raoul Walsh.
The screenplay was written by Jerry Wald and Richard Macaulay and directed by Raoul Walsh (White Heat). The screenplay uses great dialogue and awesome action sequences to maximize the tension and bring the most entertainment value to the viewer. Raoul Walsh is really at his best here in the direction of this film.
Warner Archive Collection have transferred this film noir classic to Blu-ray in 1080p in 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The audio is a DTS-Master Audio 2.0. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
This new Blu-ray release feature a brand new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. Warner Archive continually impresses with this 4K scans. The love and attention to detail they put into restoring these films are remarkable. And They Drive by Night is no different. The picture quality is simply stunning. The film looks clean and crisp, and the audio is clear with no hiss or pops. It really is beautiful.
But a simply gorgeous 4K scan of this picture is not all that this Blu-ray has going for it. Warner Archive Collection has added some amazing bonus features to this Blu-ray. Take a look at the bonus features included.
* Lux Radio Theater Broadcast (6/2/1941) This radio performance features George Raft, Lana Turner and Lucille Ball
* Divided Highway: The Story of They Drive By Night: This 11 Minute featurette stars Film Historians Leonard Maltin and Robert Osborne and Bogart Biographer Eric Lax as they talk about this film noir classic.
* WB Short Film: Swingtime in the Movies (1938) A director is frustrated with an actress in his western but makes an unexpected discovery at the studio cafe.
* Original Theatrical Trailer
As a fan of old-time ratio programs, I never tire of seeing Warner Archive add the radio versions of these classic films on Blu-ray. I think this makes such a nice bonus feature. Not only do you get the classic film, but the classic radio program as well. That is just too cool. Then you add a featurette a short and the trailer. Now that is a lot of bang for your buck.
So, if you love film noirs and the early films of Humphrey Bogart, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this Blu-ray release of They Drive by Night. With a restored picture and bonus features. This release really is a can't miss. Head over to MovieZyng and order your copy today!
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) The Blu-ray release of They Drive by Night receives....
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