They Drive by Night (1938 film)

They Drive by Night
British lobby card
Directed by	Arthur B. Woods
Produced by	Jerome Jackson
Written by	Paul Gangelin Derek Twist
Screenplay by	James Curtis
Based on	novel by James Curtis
Starring	Emlyn Williams Ernest Thesiger
Music by	Bretton Byrd
Cinematography	Basil Emmott
Edited by	Leslie Norman
Production company	Warner Bros.-First National Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros. (UK)
Release date	December 1938
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

They Drive by Night is a 1938 British black-and-white, crime thriller, directed by Arthur B. Woods starring Emlyn Williams as 'Shorty', an ex-con, Ernest Thesiger as Hoover, an ex-schoolteacher, and Ronald Shiner as Charlie, the café proprietor. It was produced by Warner Bros. - First National Productions. The film is based on the novel of the same name by James Curtis. The picture is sometimes confused with the 1940 American film, They Drive by Night, based on the novel The Long Haul by A. I. Bezzerides and featuring George Raft and Humphrey Bogart.

"Shorty" Matthews (Emlyn Williams) having recently been released from prison visits his girlfriend in London only to discover her murdered. Fearing he will be wrongly accused of being the culprit he disappears amongst the long-distance lorry driving community. Meanwhile, the real killer, unassuming ex-schoolteacher Walter Hoover (Ernest Thesiger), continues to prey on London women. As Shorty had feared he has become the main suspect. He returns to London with old flame Molly to prove his innocence.

James Curtis adapted his own novel, They Drive by Night to provide the screenplay for the film. The female victims of the book were prostitutes and to prevent censorship this aspect was watered down. Additionally, the book featured scenes of police brutality that were excised altogether. The film was made by Warner Brothers at the recently purchased Teddington Studios as a quota film under the "Cinematograph Films Act 1927".