He Walked by Night 09/17 Blu-ray (Rental)

Blu-ray pressing. Beautifully restored special edition. When a Los Angeles police officer is savagely gunned down, a city-wide manhunt ensues for his cunning and ruthless killer. But finding the murderer, chillingly played by Richard Basehart in only his third film, proves difficult for Detective Marty Brennan (Scott Brady) and his colleagues as Basehart's Roy Morgan is always one step ahead of the law. Will modern police methods and sheer determination be enough to find the elusive cop-killer before he strikes again? Visually stunning, cinematographer John Alton's brilliant use of light and shadows shine in this ground-breaking police procedural that paved the way for the TV series Dragnet; which itself spawned an entire sub-genre of television crime-dramas that are still popular to this day. Based on true events, He Walked by Night was directed by Alfred L. Werker, along with an uncredited Anthony Mann (who is believed to be responsible for the film's most iconic scenes). Co-written by John C. Higgins (Raw Deal) and Crane Wilbur (The Phenix City Story), it also features Jack Webb who went on to create and star in the aforementioned Dragnet.