He Walked by Night (1949)

In the shadowy depths of post-World War II Los Angeles, LAPD Officer Robert Rawlins, a steadfast sentinel of the night, stumbles upon a seemingly routine burglary in progress. The radio store, the latest victim in a string of similar burglaries, becomes the stage for a fatal encounter. The suspected burglar, as elusive as he is lethal, shoots Rawlins and slips away into the enigmatic darkness, leaving behind a puzzling array of evidence: a disabled vehicle brimming with weapons, peculiar electronic equipment, a pair of gloves, a vial of nitroglycerin, and a discarded set of pick locks. Captain Breen, desperate to solve the murder and stop the crime spree, assigns partnered Detectives Marty Brennan and Chuck Jones to the case. The investigation takes on a personal edge for Marty, a close acquaintance of the fallen Rawlins. Despite their relentless dragnet of local lowlifes and intricate scrutiny of the cryptic evidence, the detectives find themselves in a labyrinth of dead ends and misinformation. The elusive perpetrator always seems to be one step ahead, casting a chilling shadow of frustration and doubt over the investigation. In the midst of the arduous inquiry, the detectives stumble upon a significant lead: a piece of specialized electronic equipment stolen from a previous burglary. However, the perpetrator's uncanny ability to anticipate their every move continues to thwart their efforts, leaving the detectives grappling with how he seems to know as much as he does about the investigation. In this nerve-wracking game of cat and mouse, Brennan and Jones, aided by the cutting-edge forensics, must unravel the enigma of the cunning perpetrator. They must delve into the criminal underworld, targeting low-level criminals like Paul Reeves, in the hope that they'll lead them to their elusive quarry. The stakes are high, and the city's peace hangs in the balance as they race against time to apprehend the cop killer in this gripping noir thriller.

He Walked by Night is a crime movie featuring Richard Basehart and directed by Anthony Mann.

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