They Live by Night
Synopsis
An innocent, 23-year-old youth sentenced to prison at age sixteen for an accidental murder escapes from an Oklahoma prison camp with two hardened bank robbers, hiding out in a rural garage where he falls into a tender, doomed romance with an unloved mechanic's daughter, buying twenty-dollar wedding rings and fleeing across motel cabins trying to live honest lives: 'This boy and this girl were never properly introduced to the world we live in.' Nicholas Ray and Edward Anderson's poetic, heartbreaking debut film noir starring Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell, opening with historical helicopter tracking shots.
Official Trailer
Click poster preview to play
They Live by Night
Curator Notes
No curator notes yet
Start documenting your personal thoughts about this edition.
Director Spotlight
Nicholas Ray
Editorial Context
The Canon
The permanent living editorial archive curated by Pedro Neves, Founder of Parallax.
Criterion Collection
A continuing series of important classic and contemporary films.
Film Noir
Stories where morality is uncertain and every decision carries a cost.
Continue Exploring
Cast & Crew
Technical Specifications
Catalogued Editions
Collector Status
Production Details
Enjoying Parallax? Buy me a coffee and help keep the lights on. ☕