Crime by Night

1944 Hollywood crime film

September 9, 1944 (1944-09-09)

Running time

72 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Crime by Night is a 1944 American crime film directed by William Clemens starring Jane Wyman, Jerome Cowan and Faye Emerson. It tells the story of Sam Campbell (Jerome Cowan) and his secretary Robbie Vance (Jane Wyman), who take a vacation and uncover a murder.

Plot

Larry Borden's career as a concert pianist ended when a dispute with wealthy father-in-law Harvey Carr wound up with his hand chopped by an ax. Carr is found dead from a blow by an ax, and Larry is sure to be the prime suspect. He hires New York detective Sam Campbell and his secretary-partner Robbie Vance. Harvey's daughter and Larry's ex-wife, Irene, also turn up, along with another dead body, the estate's handyman.

Irene is now engaged to Paul Goff, a singer, who has an agent, Ann Marlow. A theory develops that Carr's death involved a wartime spy ring and a chemical plant he owned, and Goff is implicated. Goff is the next murder victim, though. Sam and Robbie eventually deduce that Ann is the actual spy. They solve the case and save Larry, freeing them to return to New York.

Cast

Jane Wyman as Robbie Vance
Jerome Cowan as Sam Campbell
Faye Emerson as Ann Marlow
Charles Lang as Paul Goff
Eleanor Parker as Irene Carr
Stuart Crawford as Larry Borden
Cy Kendall as Sheriff Max Ambers
Charles C. Wilson as District Attorney Hyatt

Production

The film was based on the novel Forty Whacks by Geoffrey Homes. In December 1941 Warners announced they would film it as a vehicle for Humphrey Bogart instead of a sequel to The Maltese Falcon.^[1]