I am a fan of film noir and They Live By Night (1948) was the first film by noted film director Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without A Cause and In A Lonely Place). In the opening shot that of the gang's getaway from a bank robbery was filmed from a helicopter clearly establishes that Ray is no ordinary neophyte. It was adapted from the Edward Anderson novel Thieves Like Us (which was later made into a film by Robert Altman). Farley Granger stars as Bowie a young criminal that escapes form prison with a couple of harden criminals and robs a bank where he is wounded. While recovering in a hideaway, he fall in love with Keechie (Cathy O'Donnell), the girl that nurses him to health. He decides to go straight and goes on the lam with his girl hoping to start a new life. Of course things never end well in a film noir and tragedy ensues ultimately. A well-made first film and an entertaining film noir overall.
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