they drive by night ( not to be confuse with the bogart ) have a rare showing in a new york theater in 2009 and a part of a series on british film noir . the only reason the theater screen matter be because of crowd reaction . and the reaction to this film and especially the final sequence and be absolutely joyous . the movie be at least 2/3rds over before one of the main character appear and the former schoolmaster walter hoover and play by the unbelievably urbane and stick figure thin ernest thesiger . the camera start on his hand and so you only see what he do paste newspaper clipping about lurid murder into a scrapbook but when his face be finally reveal and the whole audience seem to sit a bit straight and and we stay that way through the end and react with open delight to this character every movement and his every phrase . i mean to take nothing away from the star of the film and emlyn williams ( who write almost a many film a he star in ) and but ernest thesiger be capable of turn a lousy movie into a watchable one and and a good movie into an unforgettable one . this be definitely the latter .