Amazon.com

By turns hard-nosed and ribald, They Drive by Night smashes through a vintage Warner Bros. yarn about truck drivers, the Depression, and one duplicitous dame. The opening reels are a forceful look at the dangerous lives of independent truckers (George Raft and Humphrey Bogart as brothers--Bogie in the supporting role, though he would soon eclipse Raft in Hollywood), battling the system and the economy. The final section veers into a less exciting murder frame-up, but Ida Lupino is so delicious as the Black Widow, it works. The robust humor of director Raoul Walsh dominates the film, with some truly hilarious double entendres aimed at outfoxing the censors. At the center of many such one-liners is Ann Sheridan, as a waitress who slings more than hash. It's close to being a classic, and the road sequences are as vital as those in The Grapes of Wrath, made the same year. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A diverging story brought together under crime...
The Fabrini brothers, Joe (George Raft) and Paul (Humphrey Bogart), are truck drivers that struggle to make it on their own as a loan shark is on their heels trying to repossess their truck . It all seems futile as Joe and Paul's competition is full of bigger companies that do not care about the smaller companies as it is a dog eat dog world. This forces the Fabrini brothers to work long hours often without adequate sleep. One night after a rough day Joe and Paul pick up a hitchhiker, Cassie Hartley (Ann Sheridan), and together the three of them witness a truck accident where some friends die as they fell asleep behind the wheel. This is a wake up call for the brothers as they have different priorities in their lives, and it brings them in different directions. They Drive By Night is an interesting film with multiple themes, which offers a good cinematic experience

"The doors made me do it! The doors made me do it!"
This awesome classic starts out as a drama about the hard lives of truckers but ends up being a sort of film noir! Ann Sheridan was perfectly cast as a sassy independant woman, & I loved seeing George Raft & Humphrey Bogart playing brothers! And of course let's not forget Ida Lupino, one of the best (& craziest) femme fatales of all time! Also there's Alan Hale, who adds a whole lot of humor to the mix! I won't go into the plot b/c other reviews have fully explained the plot, but I will say that you definitely need to add this gem to your dvd collection! Be aware that the real star of the film is George Raft, despite the misleading cover art, which tries to cash in on Bogey's fame. This wasn't disappointing to me at all, though. I thought George Raft was cool! I highly recommend this to fans of great classics.

A Hidden Gem!
They Drive by Night was so much fun to discover! Anyone who likes old movies will enjoy seeing this one. With Bogie as George Raft's little brother, working together as truckers, and the wonderfully wicked Ida Lupino married to the blissfully ignorant Alan Hale, this movie was a joy to watch from start to finish.

Dynamic Lupino!
When I first watched this movie, I was only mildly interested in the first part which shows how hard life is for two trucker brothers (Raft and Bogart). Only when Ida Lupino is introduced as the off-kilter, man-killing Lana Carlson did I really sit up and take notice. She continued to steal all her scenes as she degenerates into madness after killing her buffoon of a husband for the cold Raft character. Her gradual breakdown is something to see and electrified audiences in l940. When she begins to shriek on the witness stand: "The doors made me do it!", you freeze in amazement at her powerful acting. Her "mad" scene was phenomenal. A note: compare her portrayal of the man-crazed heroine to the way Bette Davis portrayed her in the original, the l934 "Bordertown". Davis always bragged that the quiet way she went crazy on the stand was the right way but after seeing how Lupino did it, you'll think that Davis was wrong. Sorry, Bette, but Lupino did it a l00 times better and a hell of a lot more powerful. Lana Carlson--one mixed-up, crazy dame from Warner Brother's golden days--thanks to the genius of Ida Lupino!

Watch Lupino Go
They Drive By Night has a lot going for it. It's directed by Raoul Walsh, who knew how to make a tough guy movie, yet give it some heart. It has two of the screen's great tough guys, George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. It also has two of the screen's best tough guy girlfriends, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino. And it has some really great dialogue that time has not dated. It's the story of two truckers who are brothers, and it looks at the difficulties facing truckers (sleeplessness that can lead to accidents, suppliers that don't pay up, etc). Bogart and Raft are good as the brothers, although Raft doesn't have much of a range as an actor. Raft hooks up with Sheridan, a woman who can hold her own with any trucker. Sheridan plays her with just the right mix of outward toughness, but decency and tenderness, too. Unfortunately, Lupino wants Raft, and she won't be denied what she wants. Lupino gives the performance that you'll remember from this film. She becomes more intense with every scene, and by her last scene, she reaches a level that is amazing to behold. With Lupino's performance and the great dialogue, They Drive By Night is a Warner Brothers' film that should be seen. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When James Cagney starred in the 1948 movie adaptation of The Time of Your Life, it was hotly debated whether William Saroyan's stage play was really filmable at all. Because of its small cast, because all the action takes place on a single claustrophobic set, because the "plot" consists entirely of sub-plots, and because Saroyan's "dirty sentimentality" isn't to everyone's taste, such doubts are still understandable today.

However, accept the movie for what it is--a play in a box--and you'll be captivated. The story revolves around a down-at-heel bar-restaurant, where a group of disparate characters come and go as their stories gradually unfold.They include an ex-prostitute desperately seeking a new life, a dancer looking for a break into show business, a down-and-out who discovers a vocation as a pianist, and a beer-sodden cowboy. This gaggle of misfits is presided over by an enigmatic, champagne-drinking philanthropist (brilliantly played by Cagney) who gently nudges them towards their goals while indulging his own fascination with the minutiae of daily life.--Roger Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A bar where everybody knows you name, circa 1948
"The Time of Your Life," based on the play by William Saroyan, shows us a group of eccentrics who hang out in a San Francisco waterfront bar and philosophize about life. James Cagney plays Joe, a barfly who believes in encouraging everybody to fulfill their dreams. Whether this means encouraging an old man named "Kit Carson" (James Barton) to spin his fanciful tales about the old west or conning Nick (William Bendix), the bartender, into giving Harry (Paul Draper), the vagabond dancer, a part-time job. The film is filled with fine character actors, such as Ward Bond and Broderick Crawford, and including Cagney's sister Jeanne as Kitty Duval and Natalie Schafer, the future Mrs. Howell on "Gilligan's Island," as the Society Lady. Admittedly, this film is not everybody's cup of tea, although Saroyan was particularly pleased with how his play translated to the film, even though the original ending was reshot. This story takes place in a bar that is obviously more reminiscent of "Cheers" than it is a Eugene O'Neill play like "The Iceman Cometh." I would even argue that Cagney's character is one of the least interesting people in the story, although he is certainly an amiable enough fellow. The important thing is that this bar is a nice place to visit for a while. This 1948 film directed by H. C. Potter features photography by James Wong Howe. Oh, and the piano player is really good too.

Come in and Be Yourself.
THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE was based upon William Saroyan's Pulitzer Prize-winning play and was brought about, in part, by a collaboration of the Cagney siblings (James, Jeanne, and William). Except for one brief shot of the Salvation Army singing outside the establishment, the entire movie takes place inside Nick's, a saloon, restaurant, and entertainment palace on the waterfront in San Francisco. James Cagney plays Joe, a man who has a lot of cash and spends his time observing, listening, and helping people and fulfilling his every whim. Wayne Morris plays Tom, Joe's gopher man; Jeanne Cagney plays Kitty, a former "burlesque queen" who falls for Tom; and William Bendix plays Nick. The floating characters at Nick's also include, among others, a lovesick young man, an out of work fellow, a drunk, a cowboy who calls himself "Kit Carson", a pinball wizard, a dancer who is a comedian that has no funny jokes, a police officer, and a couple of socialites.

There really isn't much plot in THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. However, neither the movie nor the play it was based upon are about "plot". There may not seem to be a lot going on, but actually there is. The plot of the story is it's characters. Each person that comes into Nick's has a story and some of them we learn, some of them we don't. However, while listening to each person (just as Joe does) we learn something about them and in the process we discover things about ourselves. THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE is art in it's highest form because it entertains, yet also enlightens.

The quality of this DVD isn't all that bad, especially considering how inexpensive it is to purchase a copy (the Laserlight edition can be purchased for less than $5). The sound is good through most of the film except for the occasional scratch and the picture is great (the one scene where you can't read what is on the piece of paper was filmed that way intentionally because you are not supposed to see what's written on the paper because it's too small).

Overall a good movie well worth the time to watch it.

James Cagney knows your name
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight edition of THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. This budget release pretty much defines the concept of "no-frills".)

Other reviewers have pointed out the fact that this movie skimps on plot and I cannot help but completely agree with that sentiment. But for what the movie lacks in action, it more than makes up for in the presentation of fascinating characters. Each person's story is interesting and unique. And the movie manages to give us enough detail so that we can find these people intriguing, but leaves enough unsaid so that no one overstays their welcome. We're left liking these people and wanting to hear more about them.

Since the characters are at the forefront of this movie, it's certainly a relief to have such splendid actors playing them. The Cagney siblings are wonderful. Jeanne Cagney does a wonderful job at becoming the streetwise blonde who stands up to gangsters and James Cagney is a compelling, gentle enigma. While so many of the roles could have easily fallen into stereotypes, the actors are strong enough to keep them as individuals.

Although I haven't experienced the original play that this film is based upon, I can only imagine that there weren't too many script changes between the stage and the screen. The movie is heavily performance-based, with the interesting material coming from the conversations and the soliloquies. The action is completely centered on a single barroom, as during the entire length of the movie only one short sequence takes place outside the bar's swing doors. Even a fight scene inside the same building occurs off-camera so that all we view are people in one room hollering at the unseen people in another. As some characters leave the action, they are immediately replaced by other people beginning conversations of their own. In fact, if you pay close attention, you'll probably notice that the amount of real time that people spend off-camera isn't nearly long enough to do all the things that they claim to have done in that span.

Fortunately, none of this affects one's enjoyment of the film at all. In fact, it gives the entire production a great sense of the theatrical nature of the performances. Unlike some other translations from play to movie, this one never feels as though it's being limited by the theatre. It retains the trappings and atmosphere of a stage production, while never feeling claustrophobic. What makes for good theatre doesn't always make for a good film (and vice versa), yet it's a testament to the skills of the director and the cast that they manage to make the transition here without a hitch.

The image quality on this Laserlight DVD is perfectly watchable. It's scratchy in a few places, but never so much that it becomes distracting. The picture is a bit bright and slightly washed out, but this is really only a problem in one scene where the audience is expected to read something that's a character has written on a piece of paper. The sound quality is variable, but mostly falls on the good side of variable. As the DVD itself is absolutely dirt cheap, it's well worth putting up with these slight imperfections.

Thin plot, not very interesting, always expecting more!
The other review subject lines hit it on the head: Thin plot, a bar where everyone knows your name.

This movie does not have a very good subject. Is just about a rich man in post WWII era hanging out in a bar and throwing around small amounts of money. Not much of a climax either.

A bar where everybody knows you name, circa 1948
"The Time of Your Life," based on the play by William Saroyan, shows us a group of eccentrics who hang out in a San Francisco waterfront bar and philosophize about life. James Cagney plays Joe, a barfly who believes in encouraging everybody to fulfill their dreams. Whether this means encouraging an old man named "Kit Carson" (James Barton) to spin his fanciful tales about the old west or conning Nick (William Bendix), the bartender, into giving Harry (Paul Draper), the vagabond dancer, a part-time job. The film is filled with fine character actors, such as Ward Bond and Broderick Crawford, and including Cagney's sister Jeanne as Kitty Duval and Natalie Schafer, the future Mrs. Howell on "Gilligan's Island," as the Society Lady. Admittedly, this film is not everybody's cup of tea, although Saroyan was particularly pleased with how his play translated to the film, even though the original ending was reshot. This story takes place in a bar that is obviously more reminiscent of "Cheers" than it is a Eugene O'Neill play like "The Iceman Cometh." I would even argue that Cagney's character is one of the least interesting people in the story, although he is certainly an amiable enough fellow. The important thing is that this bar is a nice place to visit for a while. This 1948 film directed by H. C. Potter features photography by James Wong Howe. Oh, and the piano player is really good too. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A bar where everybody knows you name, circa 1948
"The Time of Your Life," based on the play by William Saroyan, shows us a group of eccentrics who hang out in a San Francisco waterfront bar and philosophize about life. James Cagney plays Joe, a barfly who believes in encouraging everybody to fulfill their dreams. Whether this means encouraging an old man named "Kit Carson" (James Barton) to spin his fanciful tales about the old west or conning Nick (William Bendix), the bartender, into giving Harry (Paul Draper), the vagabond dancer, a part-time job. The film is filled with fine character actors, such as Ward Bond and Broderick Crawford, and including Cagney's sister Jeanne as Kitty Duval and Natalie Schafer, the future Mrs. Howell on "Gilligan's Island," as the Society Lady. Admittedly, this film is not everybody's cup of tea, although Saroyan was particularly pleased with how his play translated to the film, even though the original ending was reshot. This story takes place in a bar that is obviously more reminiscent of "Cheers" than it is a Eugene O'Neill play like "The Iceman Cometh." I would even argue that Cagney's character is one of the least interesting people in the story, although he is certainly an amiable enough fellow. The important thing is that this bar is a nice place to visit for a while. This 1948 film directed by H. C. Potter features photography by James Wong Howe. Oh, and the piano player is really good too.

Come in and Be Yourself.
THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE was based upon William Saroyan's Pulitzer Prize-winning play and was brought about, in part, by a collaboration of the Cagney siblings (James, Jeanne, and William). Except for one brief shot of the Salvation Army singing outside the establishment, the entire movie takes place inside Nick's, a saloon, restaurant, and entertainment palace on the waterfront in San Francisco. James Cagney plays Joe, a man who has a lot of cash and spends his time observing, listening, and helping people and fulfilling his every whim. Wayne Morris plays Tom, Joe's gopher man; Jeanne Cagney plays Kitty, a former "burlesque queen" who falls for Tom; and William Bendix plays Nick. The floating characters at Nick's also include, among others, a lovesick young man, an out of work fellow, a drunk, a cowboy who calls himself "Kit Carson", a pinball wizard, a dancer who is a comedian that has no funny jokes, a police officer, and a couple of socialites.

There really isn't much plot in THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. However, neither the movie nor the play it was based upon are about "plot". There may not seem to be a lot going on, but actually there is. The plot of the story is it's characters. Each person that comes into Nick's has a story and some of them we learn, some of them we don't. However, while listening to each person (just as Joe does) we learn something about them and in the process we discover things about ourselves. THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE is art in it's highest form because it entertains, yet also enlightens.

The quality of this DVD isn't all that bad, especially considering how inexpensive it is to purchase a copy (the Laserlight edition can be purchased for less than $5). The sound is good through most of the film except for the occasional scratch and the picture is great (the one scene where you can't read what is on the piece of paper was filmed that way intentionally because you are not supposed to see what's written on the paper because it's too small).

Overall a good movie well worth the time to watch it.

James Cagney knows your name
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight edition of THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. This budget release pretty much defines the concept of "no-frills".)

Other reviewers have pointed out the fact that this movie skimps on plot and I cannot help but completely agree with that sentiment. But for what the movie lacks in action, it more than makes up for in the presentation of fascinating characters. Each person's story is interesting and unique. And the movie manages to give us enough detail so that we can find these people intriguing, but leaves enough unsaid so that no one overstays their welcome. We're left liking these people and wanting to hear more about them.

Since the characters are at the forefront of this movie, it's certainly a relief to have such splendid actors playing them. The Cagney siblings are wonderful. Jeanne Cagney does a wonderful job at becoming the streetwise blonde who stands up to gangsters and James Cagney is a compelling, gentle enigma. While so many of the roles could have easily fallen into stereotypes, the actors are strong enough to keep them as individuals.

Although I haven't experienced the original play that this film is based upon, I can only imagine that there weren't too many script changes between the stage and the screen. The movie is heavily performance-based, with the interesting material coming from the conversations and the soliloquies. The action is completely centered on a single barroom, as during the entire length of the movie only one short sequence takes place outside the bar's swing doors. Even a fight scene inside the same building occurs off-camera so that all we view are people in one room hollering at the unseen people in another. As some characters leave the action, they are immediately replaced by other people beginning conversations of their own. In fact, if you pay close attention, you'll probably notice that the amount of real time that people spend off-camera isn't nearly long enough to do all the things that they claim to have done in that span.

Fortunately, none of this affects one's enjoyment of the film at all. In fact, it gives the entire production a great sense of the theatrical nature of the performances. Unlike some other translations from play to movie, this one never feels as though it's being limited by the theatre. It retains the trappings and atmosphere of a stage production, while never feeling claustrophobic. What makes for good theatre doesn't always make for a good film (and vice versa), yet it's a testament to the skills of the director and the cast that they manage to make the transition here without a hitch.

The image quality on this Laserlight DVD is perfectly watchable. It's scratchy in a few places, but never so much that it becomes distracting. The picture is a bit bright and slightly washed out, but this is really only a problem in one scene where the audience is expected to read something that's a character has written on a piece of paper. The sound quality is variable, but mostly falls on the good side of variable. As the DVD itself is absolutely dirt cheap, it's well worth putting up with these slight imperfections.

Thin plot, not very interesting, always expecting more!
The other review subject lines hit it on the head: Thin plot, a bar where everyone knows your name.

This movie does not have a very good subject. Is just about a rich man in post WWII era hanging out in a bar and throwing around small amounts of money. Not much of a climax either.

A bar where everybody knows you name, circa 1948
"The Time of Your Life," based on the play by William Saroyan, shows us a group of eccentrics who hang out in a San Francisco waterfront bar and philosophize about life. James Cagney plays Joe, a barfly who believes in encouraging everybody to fulfill their dreams. Whether this means encouraging an old man named "Kit Carson" (James Barton) to spin his fanciful tales about the old west or conning Nick (William Bendix), the bartender, into giving Harry (Paul Draper), the vagabond dancer, a part-time job. The film is filled with fine character actors, such as Ward Bond and Broderick Crawford, and including Cagney's sister Jeanne as Kitty Duval and Natalie Schafer, the future Mrs. Howell on "Gilligan's Island," as the Society Lady. Admittedly, this film is not everybody's cup of tea, although Saroyan was particularly pleased with how his play translated to the film, even though the original ending was reshot. This story takes place in a bar that is obviously more reminiscent of "Cheers" than it is a Eugene O'Neill play like "The Iceman Cometh." I would even argue that Cagney's character is one of the least interesting people in the story, although he is certainly an amiable enough fellow. The important thing is that this bar is a nice place to visit for a while. This 1948 film directed by H. C. Potter features photography by James Wong Howe. Oh, and the piano player is really good too. ... Read more