Both Granger and O'Donnell were under contract to Samuel Goldwyn and had limited acting experience behind them, Granger had been in two films before being drafted for World War II while O'Donnell had just made the classic "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) but Ray was fiercely loyal and fought for both of them. Granger later said that " and John Houseman were among the few people who fought for me in my career. They said no, we will not make the film without him. When Nick believed in you, he was very loyal." In his autobiography, Granger lists "They Live by Night" as one of his two or three favorite films.