Good movie, except it's overridden with plot, about two brothers in the trucking industry and the perils they encounter. One of them (played by George Raft) gets a job at a trucking firm, only to find the wife of the boss still playing footsy with him (they had a thing in the past). He's got a dame now! The trucker's boss wife kills the boss and makes the trucker the new boss! Oh, there's still a lot lot more to be told, but as I said, this seems to be a movie with plenty of ideas, and only 90 minutes to tell it in. The MAIN plot (which, yes, is taken from the Bette Davis movie Bordertown) doesn't kick in til the final half hour of the movie. Still entertaining to watch though.

Truck-driving brothers George Raft and Humphrey Bogart have nightly adventures hauling produce to local markets until Raft lands himself a position in the office; unfortunately, this means having to mingle with the raucous boss and the boss's wife, a scheming shrew with murder on her mind. Raoul Walsh ably directed this quintessential Warner Bros. drama, hard-bitten and yet humorously disengaged. However, one can easily sense the narrative coming unhinged in the second-half, which leads to a jailhouse-and-courtroom finale that seems to have nothing to do with the promising earlier scenario of working stiffs on the open road. The pungent, pithy dialogue from screenwriters Jerry Wald and Richard Macaulay (working from A.I. Bezzerides' novel "Long Haul") can't camouflage the shift in priorities, and the 'winking' tag seems like a put-on. Still entertaining, with Raft a smoldering (if somewhat stationary) screen presence. **1/2 from ****

They Drive By Night shows the tough and tight world of truckers, circa 1940. George Raft and Humphrey Bogart play the Fabrini brothers, Joe and Paul, who live in a world of long distance driving across the country's winding roads, cozy diners, smart-talking waitresses, and the camaraderie of their fellow truckers. George Raft gives a solid performance as Joe Fabrini, who's driven by his dream of owning his own truck one day, and answering to no one. Humphrey Bogart as Paul Fabrini, is more comfortable with his lot, yet would literally give his right arm in service to his brother's dreams. Always one step ahead of frustrated bill collectors and the wrath of their bosses, the scrappy and wise-cracking Fabrini brothers are a popular duo on the road. Along the way, Joe meets a waitress, Cassie, (a lovely Ann Sheridan) who sparkles through his gritty world, slinging snappy backtalk and steak with the best of them. Gale Page delivers as Pearl Fabrini, the devoted wife of Paul, who is weary of seeing her husband drive off into the sunrise after a few scant hours of domestic bliss. Alan Hale, Roscoe Karns, and George Tobias round out the cast. Yet all eyes are riveted on Ida Lupino, who steals the show with her tour-de-force performance as bitter and ill-tempered Lana, who stops at nothing to get her man – in this case our boy, Joe. Whether carping about Joe's clothes and lack of attention or sniping at her working class husband, Ed, Lupino hammers the point home that hell than no fury like a woman in heat who is ignored. The unforgettable moment comes during the climatic courtroom scene, which is strictly vintage Lupino all the way. This black-and-white classic, skillfully directed by veteran Raoul Walsh (White Heat, The Strawberry Blonde, Sadie Thompson, What Price Glory), has many film noir elements, but is too optimistic in this reviewer's opinion to be assigned a place within the noir library. The screenplay by Jerry Wald and Richard Macaulay, moves along at a steady pace, full of good humor, drama, and thrills. And you'll never look at an automatic garage door the same way again!

Story of the Fabrini brothers Joe (George Raft) and Paul (Humphrey Bogart), who are trying to make it as independent truck drivers. Despite the opportunity for stable employment from the big trucking companies, Joe in particular wants them to go it alone, as he sees that as the only way they can get to the top and truly succeed. Paul is uncertain, because he wants stability so he and his wife can have children, and the life of an independent is fraught with difficulties and dangers.As the leading man Raft has two women to contend with, Cassie (Ann Sheridan) is the waitress he falls in love with and Lana (Ida Lupino) the wife of a friend and truck company owner whose love he does not return.Director Raoul Walsh gives us a fairly fast moving film which is somewhat difficult to categorize as it includes good measures of action, humor, romance and drama.The greatest strengths of the picture is the top flight cast. We have Humphrey Bogart in a somewhat limited but effective role, just before he would make the jump to leading man status (he gets 4th billing here). Ida Lupino makes a star turn with her performance, in particular with the courtroom scene, she would re-team with both Bogart and Walsh a year later for High Sierra. The star of the picture George Raft gives a very good performance in one of his infrequent non-gangster roles. Ann Sheridan also gives a good performance, she was known as Warner Brothers Oomph Girl. Also good are Alan Hale as the truck company owner and Roscoe Karns a fellow trucker.