They Live by Night

They Live by Night is a 1948 American film noir, based on Edward Andersons Depression era novel Thieves Like Us. The film was directed by Nicholas Ray his first feature film and starred Farley Granger as Bowie Bowers and Cathy ODonnell as Keechie Mobley.

Bowie Granger escapes from prison with bank robbers Chicamaw DaSilva and TDub Flippen. Bowie was unfairly convicted of murder. The three plan to rob a bank. Bowie needs the money to hire a lawyer to prove hes innocent. Bowie, injured in an auto accident, finds refuge with the daughter of the owner of a gas station, Keechie ODonnell. They marry and plan to live an honest life. But then Chicamaw and TDub return and demand that Bowie come with them for one more job. Bowie refuses but finds that he is unable to escape being hunted by the law. He is betrayed and meets a tragic end. Keechie carries on and is pregnant with their child.The novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson had been bought by RKO in 1941 for 10,000. After numerous writers tried to make a screenplay out of it, nothing became of it. According to producer John Houseman, I found the book and gave it to Nick to read, and he fell madly in love with itas indeed I did, but Nick particularly was very familiar with that territory. Hed been there when he worked with the Lomaxes, hed been there when he worked for the Department of Agriculture, and so on. And that whole Depression stuff was terribly his stuff. So he sat down and wrote the treatment. Id come home at night and wed go over it Id edit it a little, thats all, and it was very, very good. Houseman would repeatedly send in treatments, fronting for the novice Ray. Houseman, who had considerable authority as a producer, was aware of Rays passion for the project, and there was never any doubt that Ray would direct the film. ........

Source: Wikipedia