Crime By Night

It tells the story of Sam Campbell (Jerome Cowan) and his secretary Robbie Vance (Jane Wyman), who take a vacation and uncover a murder.

Crime by Night
Directed by	William Clemens
Screenplay by	Richard Weil Joel Malone
Based on	Forty Whacks by Daniel Mainwaring
Produced by	William Jacobs
Starring	Jane Wyman Jerome Cowan Faye Emerson
Cinematography	Henry Sharp
Edited by	Doug Gould
Music by	William Lava
Production company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	September 9, 1944 (1944-09-09)
Running time	72 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

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.

• 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

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.

• List of American films of 1944