They Drive by Night (1940)

They Drive By Night (dir. Raoul Walsch) develops a rather American line of critique of capitalism: the economic system is bad in so far as it turns people into wage slaves or slaves of commercial relations: people are no longer their own masters. Utopia is becoming one's own boss. Even though They drive by night doesn't belong to the best film noir movies of the period, it has its good parts and strong sides - and it has Ida Lupino in a leading role. The story revolves around a pair of brothers who drive trucks and have a hard time making a living out of it. They strive to be independent but the loan sharks loom over their dreams. Another problem is the Wife: one of the brother's has a wife who is concerned about them being on the road. The two brothers' lives are drastically changed when one brother loses an arm in an accident. The other driver starts to work a white-collar job for one of his friends whose wife (Lupino) is after him ... big time. I'm not sure what led to this HUGE hang-up about "the ravenous woman"; this film is yet another example of a film about the Dangerous Woman who destroys the life of the decent and simple-minded man. The first part of the movie has some interesting (and beautifully filmed) scenes about the trucking business and the film's social commentary is apt (the very American slant on it notwithstanding). The second part - even though that's where Lupino enters the story - is almost a parody of film noir, even if no private eye is involved, the formula and the sentiment is there: there's murder, there's scheming, there's regret and there's dangerous love - and the way to destruction is paved with good intentions. To me, They Drive by Night is too similar to what other noir films do far better: The Postman always rings twice and Double indemnity are two movies that have a similar plot but are superior in my book.