He Walked by Night (1948); The Naked Spur (1953)

February 9, 2014 - 7:00 pm

Billy Wilder Theater

He Walked by Night (1948)

Directed by Alfred L. Werker, Anthony Mann

This story following the cat-and-mouse pursuit of a cop-killing, black marketeer is the quintessential “police procedural,” featuring a degree of technical detail heretofore unknown. An un-credited Anthony Mann (who assumed directorial duties from Alfred Werker) is generally acknowledged as the creative force behind this innovative noir, featuring cutting-edge location shooting by cinematographer John Alton, and climaxing in a gripping chase through the Los Angeles sewer system.

Eagle-Lion Films, Inc. Producer: Robert T. Kane. Screenwriter: John C. Higgins, Crane Wilbur, from a story by Crane Wilbur. Cinematographer: John Alton. Editor: Alfred De Gaetano. Cast: Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts, Whit Bissell, James Cardwell.

35mm, b/w, 80 min.

Preview a clip below.

The Naked Spur (1953)

Directed by Anthony Mann

Actor James Stewart portrays relentless bounty hunter Howard Kemp, who together with a drifter and morally dubious ex-soldier pursues outlaw Ben Vandergroat (played to perfection by Robert Ryan) for the $5,000 reward on his head. Stewart delivers a morally complex performance as he struggles to resist killing and violence, only to finally give in to his primal urges.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. Producer: William H. Wright. Screenwriter: Sam Rolfe, Harold Jack Bloom. Cinematographer: William Mellor. Editor: George White. Cast: James Stewart, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Ralph Meeker, Millard Mitchell.

35mm, color, 93 min.

Watch the trailer below.

Part of:

Dark City, Open Country: The Films of Anthony Mann

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He Walked by Night (1948); The Naked Spur (1953)