They Live by Night (1948) Nicholas Ray, dir.

Doomed from the start is how I like a lot of my romances.  In the noir classic, They Live by Night, no one is more doomed than (wait for it) Keechi and Bowie.  There are more great characters.  Bowie has just broken out of prison with Chickamaw and T-Dub. (I told you the names were great!) He’s injured along the way and is nursed by Chickamaw’s niece who runs a gas station with her alcoholic father.  Neither has much experience with the opposite sex or society in general but they fall softly in love and try to make their way in the world together.  Life on the lam isn’t easy, but they do have experience with that.  A series of blunders and wonders follow them around and you start to root for them and a simple life that is all they desire.  Danger is on every side.  All they have is each other. Will it be enough? 

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