They Drive by Night (novel)
Encyclopedia
'They Drive By Night' is the second novel by British
author James Curtis published in 1938. It is a crime thriller set in 1930s London and the North of England dealing with working-class themes in a Social realism
style.
. Now free he goes to visit his girlfriend in Camden only to discover her dead having been strangled. Realising he will be the prime suspect he flees the scene and attempts to evade the law by travelling with lorry drivers across the UK. The title, They Drive By Night, is a reference to the long distance logistical community who work, predominately, at night.
The antagonist Hoover is the real killer. He goes by the alter-ego of Lone-Wolf as he trawls the West End of London for more destitute female victims. His motivation to kill is part social cleansing, part mental degeneration.
Alongside both accounts is the police investigation into the murders. Their enquiries proceed, with varying degrees of success, punctuated by corruption and brutality. Needing to wrap up the case there is little choice but to set a trap. Whoever is caught will face the hangman.
's A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (1937).
In 2008 London Books republished it as part of their London Classics imprint. The reissue features an introduction by Jonathan Meades
, author and cultural commentator.
, They Drive By Night
, with James Curtis himself supplying the screenplay. Due to the themes of sex and prostitution certain aspects of the book were toned down for the screen version but the core murder remains unchanged.
On release it was both commercially and critically successful and is still considered a classic British film noir.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author James Curtis published in 1938. It is a crime thriller set in 1930s London and the North of England dealing with working-class themes in a Social realism
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
style.
Plot
The main protagonist of the novel is Shorty Mathews, a petty criminal just released from Pentonville PrisonPentonville (HM Prison)
HM Prison Pentonville is a Category B/C men's prison, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. Pentonville Prison is not actually within Pentonville itself, but is located further north, on the Caledonian Road in the Barnsbury area of the London Borough of Islington, in inner-North London,...
. Now free he goes to visit his girlfriend in Camden only to discover her dead having been strangled. Realising he will be the prime suspect he flees the scene and attempts to evade the law by travelling with lorry drivers across the UK. The title, They Drive By Night, is a reference to the long distance logistical community who work, predominately, at night.
The antagonist Hoover is the real killer. He goes by the alter-ego of Lone-Wolf as he trawls the West End of London for more destitute female victims. His motivation to kill is part social cleansing, part mental degeneration.
Alongside both accounts is the police investigation into the murders. Their enquiries proceed, with varying degrees of success, punctuated by corruption and brutality. Needing to wrap up the case there is little choice but to set a trap. Whoever is caught will face the hangman.
Cultural impact
The novel is notable for its use of colloquial language and cockney picked up by the author's first hand experience. It was referenced as a source in Eric PartridgeEric Partridge
Eric Honeywood Partridge was a New Zealand/British lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the Army Education Corps and the RAF correspondence department during World War II...
's A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (1937).
Publication history
The novel was originally published in 1938, the same year as its film adaptation.In 2008 London Books republished it as part of their London Classics imprint. The reissue features an introduction by Jonathan Meades
Jonathan Meades
Jonathan Turner Meades is a British writer on food, architecture, and culture, as well as an author and broadcaster. He is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.-Education:Meades was born in Salisbury Wiltshire, and...
, author and cultural commentator.
Film adaptations
The novel was filmed in 1938 by Arthur WoodsArthur Woods
Colonel Arthur Hale Woods was an American educator, journalist, military and law enforcement officer. One of the most prominent police reformers during the early 20th century, he served as deputy New York City Police Commissioner from 1907 to 1909 and later became New York City Police Commissioner...
, They Drive By Night
They Drive by Night (1938 film)
They Drive by Night is a 1938 British black-and-white, crime thriller, directed by Arthur B. Woods starring Emlyn Williams as 'Shorty', an ex-con and Ronald Shiner as Charlie, the café proprietor. It was produced by Warner Brothers - First National Productions. The film is based on the novel of the...
, with James Curtis himself supplying the screenplay. Due to the themes of sex and prostitution certain aspects of the book were toned down for the screen version but the core murder remains unchanged.
On release it was both commercially and critically successful and is still considered a classic British film noir.