Starring Richard Basehart (Time Limit), Scott Brady (Undertow), and Jack Webb (Appointment with Danger), this film noir classic was the inspiration not only for TV’s Dragnet (also with Webb) but for many other subsequent “ripped-from-the-headlines” crime dramas. Taken from actual case files, He Walked by Night is the suspenseful, action-packed tale of a manhunt for the most cunning criminal in the history of the LAPD. With a combination of ingenuity, state-of-the-art technology, sweat, and sheer determination, the police painstakingly track down a brilliant, elusive thief and cop-killer (chillingly played by Basehart in only his third film) who seems to have the ability to vanish into thin air. But can they catch him before he murders again? This gritty, groundbreaking police procedural features direction by Alfred L. Werker (Shock) and an uncredited Anthony Mann (T-Men) with stunning cinematography by John Alton (Raw Deal). City Story), it also features Jack Webb who went on to create and star in the aforementioned Dragnet.

For thoughts on He Walked By Night, please check out my piece on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/T1k_26UOHJw?si=yC6ptLxW-Wm–iKx&t=584]

Video Quality

He Walked By Night returns to Blu-Ray thanks to Kino Classics with a 1080p master from a 16-bit 4K scan of the 35mm Fine Grain that looks incredible. We previously reviewed the ClassicFlix Blu-Ray release from 2017 that went out of print a couple of years ago. We thought that release was quite strong, but if Kino was going to go through the trouble of rescuing the film, we are glad they at least gave it a fresh look. The black-and-white photography from John Alton dazzles in high definition with natural grain intact and a strong handle on density fluctuations.

The contrast is improved on this latest release with strong black levels with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. There is also less in the way of damage as the image has been cleaned up a bit. There is a favorable amount of detail present with rich textures on the clothing and within the production design. Where the previous release suffered from a bit of softness, this transfer stays much more consistent. The improvements of this new transfer and not night and day, but anyone who checks it out will be struck by the difference. Kino Classics has treated this one well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a fine DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that sounds pretty much identical to the previous release from what we hear. Dialogue and background noises are represented in pleasant harmony with all competing elements. The music never really overpowers the dialogue or other important information. This track does present some amount of age-related wear and tear, as it sometimes struggles with the Leonid Raab score. This is a recurring theme for audio tracks for classic films, as age has not been kind to the fidelity of certain recordings. Certain instances of dialogue sound a bit hollow, but typically it sounds natural with the overbearing narration coming through especially clearly. Even with some source issues, Kino Classics has done a commendable job of providing the most stable track possible for this one. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary #1: Film Historian Imogen Sara Smith provides a new commentary track in which she explores the style of the film, the background of the performers, the contested facts over who directed portions of the film, and more.

Audio Commentary #2: Biographer and Producer Alan K. Rode & writer and film historian Julie Kirgo provide an in-depth and entertaining archival commentary track in which they discuss the history behind the creation of this picture, the blending of fact and fiction, the presumed contributions of Anthony Mann, the careers of the talent involved, recycled footage from T-Men, the creative ways Eagle-Lion tried to get their scripts approved by the censors and much more that makes for a very enlightening track. There is also an amusing story that Rode tells about his mother going on a double date with one of the performers that you will have to tune into to hear.

Trailers: There are trailers provided for The Lodger, Calcutta, The Web, Cry of the City, Force of Evil, Kiss The Blood Off My Hand, The Lady From Shanghai, Alias Nick Beal, Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Detective Story, He Ran All The Way, The Turning Point, 99 River Street, Human Desire, and Touch Of Evil.

Final Thoughts

He Walked By Night has some presentational drawbacks like its comrade T-Men when it comes to underlining the story with unnecessary narration, but once you put these elements aside the film engages you pretty thoroughly. The villainous turn by Richard Basehart is unsettling enough to keep you peeping around dark corners. There is a slightly erratic feel to the film which can likely be tied back to the behind-the-scenes turmoil, but most will fall into the exciting rhythms once the investigation gets going properly. Kino Classics has released a Special Edition Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation along with a fine assortment of special features. If you are a fan of film noir, this should be a worthwhile purchase for you. Recommended

He Walked By Night (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.