MAGNET contributing writer Jud Cost is sharing some of the wealth of classic films he’s been lucky enough to see over the past 40 years. Trolling the backwaters of cinema, he has worked up a list of more than 500 titles—from the silent era through the ’90s—that you may have missed. A new selection, all currently available on DVD, appears every week.
They Drive By Night (1940, 95 minutes)
A road-weary, independent long-haul trucker pulls his rig loaded with apples into a filling station and lifts a pack of cigarettes from the shirt pocket of the man sleeping next to him. He hops out of the cab and throws the empty cigarette pack on the ground. “Fill ‘er up,” he says to the grizzled gas station attendant.
“How’s it goin,’ Joe? How’s your brother?” asks the attendant. “Asleep,” says Joe (George Raft). “Seems like every time you come in here, Paul’s asleep, and you’re doin’ the drivin,'” remarks the gas jockey. “He drives as much as I do! You run your station, and we’ll take care of our rig!” snaps Joe. He bends over and pours water from the radiator fill-up hose over the top of his head like he’s hosing down an overheated horse. “That’s the nearest thing to a bath I’ve had in two weeks,” he says. “I’ve noticed,” smirks the gas pumper.
Paul (Humphrey Bogart) doesn’t wake up until Joe has the truck back on the highway. “Where are we?” he says. “Near Lansdale,” answers Joe. “We’ll grab a cup of coffee at Barney’s. Then you can drive it into Los Angeles.” Paul stretches and says, “I’d like to stay in bed for a week.” “So would I, but that ain’t the way we get ahead.”
Suddenly, some idiot in a sedan, tries to pass a truck coming toward the boys, forcing them into the ditch alongside the highway and directly into a large tree. The Fabrini brothers escape with minor injuries, but apple boxes are scattered everywhere and their left front wheel is shattered. “You dirty son of a roadhog!” shouts Paul at the retreating car. “You should have smacked into him!” “Well, what is that gonna get us?” says Joe, inspecting the damage. “You stay here and watch the load. I’ll hop up to Barney’s and telephone William, see if he’ll send us some of the dough he owes us.”
Jumping off the running board of a fellow trucker, Joe limps toward Barney’s front door. “Hello, Joe. Where’s your rig?” says Harry (John Litel), another trucker. “Down the road, busted wheel.” “Oh, tough goin.’ Can I help?” “I’m gonna phone William to send me some of the dough he owes me.” Harry lights a hand-rolled cigarette and says, “I hope ya get it. I quit haulin’ for that crook. He ran me ragged, and I hardly ever got paid.” “He’ll pay me, all right, or he won’t get his apples in L.A. on time.” “Well, If you’ve got him over a barrel, maybe you’ll get it.” Joe walks up to the hard-boiled dame behind Barney’s lunch counter and asks, “Gimme a Frisco phone book.” She tosses him a dog-eared volume and says, “Be sure you bring back all the pages.”
