Farley is on the Run

Following their escape from jail, Arthur “Bowie” Bowers (Farley Granger), Elmo “Chickamaw” Mobley (Howard Da Silva), and Henry “T-Dub” Mansfield (Jay C. Flippen) arrive at the home of Chickamaw’s brother (Will Wright) and niece, Katherine “Keechie” Mobley (Cathy O’Donnell). As the days go by, Keechie and Bowie gradually fall in love. But there is a catch - the escapees pull a job that results in the death of a guard. Any hope Bowie has of getting a lawyer to prove his innocence on his original crime is now gone. The lovers hit the road in an attempt to avoid the police. Today we’ll be discussing They Live By Night (1949).

An excellent cast makes this noir romance a classic must-see.  While you might shake your head at some plot points (like, why don't Bowie and Keechie head as fast as they can to Mexico?), the love story mixes well with the crime elements.

This was Farley Granger's first film after returning from service during World War II. He bring a pathos to Bowie that keeps the audience interested in him. He often seems too naive and trusting, but the viewer needs to keep in mind that he's been in jail since he was 16 years old. As Eddie Muller points out in his commentary on the DVD, both he and Keechie are virgins when they marry; their mutual innocence is imperative for our appreciation of the characters.  Mr. Granger would later count this among his three favorite films (Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway by Farley Granger & Robert Calhoun). 

Cathy O'Donnell is equally good as Keechie. She's tough, yet innocent. Though not educated, she has the common sense that Bowie lacks, and her strength of character keeps the couple hopeful for their future. (Ms. O'Donnell actually worked in a gas station for two weeks in order to look natural in the film (AFI Catalog)). The relationship between the two actors is lovely - in fact, there were discussions that they should be paired on a regular basis. A complication to that plan arose when Ms. O'Donnell married Robert Wyler, the brother of director William Wyler. When William left Samuel Goldwyn's employ, Goldwyn insisted that Ms. O'Donnell divorce her husband. When she refused, Goldwyn cancelled her contract (More Magnificent Mountain Movies by W. Lee Cozad). Mr. and Mrs. Wyler were married from 1948 until her death from cancer in 1970.

Bowie's two accomplices are ably played by Howard Da Silva and Jay C. Flippen. Mr. Da Silva bring menace to the hot-tempered Chickamaw, a part that was coveted by Robert Mitchum. (Mr. Mitchum was eliminated from consideration, as his recent film successes made him too important for what was seen as a minor part. This TCM article says that Mr. Mitchum was being considered for Bowie, but Eddie Muller's DVD commentary and this Medium article confirm that it was Chickamaw that intrigued Mr. Mitchum). Mr. Flippen's T-Dub at first seems a reasonable, calm man, set in contrast to the volatile Chickamaw. But, we eventually learn beneath the surface is a cold nature that will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Mr. Flippen is scary as he flips from sympathy to menace.

Ian Wolfe (Hawkins) gives a well acted performance to interesting character - a man who runs a quickie marriage chapel.  Mr. Muller, in his commentary noted that the film was careful not to label Hawkins a Justice of the Peace. The PCA objected to the man being a legal official.  Hawkins has strange morals, that by the end of the film make you almost sympathetic to him. Mr. Wolfe was in two other Nicholas Ray's films: Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and On Dangerous Ground (1952).

In the middle of production, RKO was bought by Howard Hughes, who had no use for the film. Not being one to release a movie he didn't personally like, Mr. Hughes shelved it for several years. Eventually, it was given a limited released in England; the reviews there were so favorable that RKO finally released in the U.S.

The film was based on the novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson; working film titles included Your Red Wagon and The Twisted Road. The Production Code Administration originally thought the book was unfilmable; it took a great deal of work to adapt the script so that the PCA would approve it. (Lonely Places, Dangerous Ground: Nicholas Ray in American Cinema edited by Steve Rybin & Will Scheibel).

The New York Times review by Bosley Crowther was moderately positive, though very complimentary of the actors, especially Ian Wolfe who he called "disturbingly shifty." Today, it is on Eddie Muller's list of the Top 24 Noir Films (at #14). We highly recommend this excellent film, and leave you with this trailer: