They Live by Night
“Cops or no cops I'm going through!”
Synopsis
An escaped convict, injured during a robbery, falls in love with the woman who nurses him back to health, but their relationship seems doomed from the beginning.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Imogen Sara Smith on THEY LIVE BY NIGHT and the Myth of the American Open RoadOfficial
Type: Featurette • Published 2017-06-19
Top Cast
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Cathy O'Donnell
Catherine "Keechie" Mobley
Farley Granger
Arthur "Bowie" Bowers
Howard Da Silva
Chicamaw One-Eye Mobley
Jay C. Flippen
Henry "T-Dub" Mansfield
Helen Craig
Mattie
Will Wright
Mobley
William Phipps
Young Farmer
Ian Wolfe
Hawkins
Harry Harvey
Hagenheimer
Marie Bryant
Singer
Will Lee
Jeweler
James Nolan
Schreiber
Charles Meredith
Comm. Hubbell
Teddy Infuhr
Alvin
Byron Foulger
Lambert
Guy Beach
Plumber
Release History & Theatrical Window
November 1, 1949
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Nicholas Ray
- Screenplay & Story
- Charles Schnee
- Original Score
- Leigh Harline
- Original Title
- They Live by Night
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 36m
- Production Studios
- RKO Radio Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Nicholas Ray
Charles Schnee, Edward Anderson, Nicholas Ray
Leigh Harline
George E. Diskant
Sherman Todd
John Houseman, Dore Schary
Department Leadership Roster
John Houseman
Producer
Nicholas Ray
Director
Charles Schnee
Screenplay
Leigh Harline
Original Music Composer
George E. Diskant
Director of Photography
Adele Balkan
Costume Design
Sherman Todd
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for They Live by Night.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring They Live by Night.
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TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
Criterion Collection
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Frequently Asked Questions About They Live by Night
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is They Live by Night about?
An escaped convict, injured during a robbery, falls in love with the woman who nurses him back to health, but their relationship seems doomed from the beginning.
Who directed They Live by Night?
They Live by Night was directed by Nicholas Ray.
Who stars in They Live by Night?
The principal cast of They Live by Night includes Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen, Helen Craig.
When was They Live by Night released and how long is it?
They Live by Night was released in 1949 with a total runtime of 1h 36m.
Who composed the musical score for They Live by Night?
The original motion picture soundtrack for They Live by Night was composed by Leigh Harline.
Is They Live by Night based on a book or true story?
They Live by Night is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Edward Anderson".
What is the age rating and content advisory for They Live by Night?
They Live by Night holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).