Nightfall is a 1956 American crime film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Aldo Ray, Brian Keith and Anne Bancroft. The low-budget film is remembered today for camera work by cinematographer Burnett Guffey. It uses flashbacks as a device to tell the story, which was based on a 1948 novel by David Goodis. The theme song, "Nightfall," was composed by Peter De Rose and "Charles Harold" (Charles H. Cuppett), with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and sung by Al Hibbler. Plot At night on a busy Los Angeles sidewalk, James "Jim" Vanning (Aldo Ray) wanders aimlessly, avoiding bright lights and police cars, while he's being watched by another man, later revealed to be insurance investigator Ben Fraser (James Gregory). At a corner, Fraser asks Vanning for a light, and the two men chat briefly, with Vanning revealing that he is a veteran who fought on Okinawa in the war. Vanning enters a bar, sitting next to Marie Gardner (Anne Bancroft), who has been nursing her drink because she has no cash to pay for it. Vanning pays for her drink, and the two have dinner together. As happens several times in the film, the scenes with Vanning are intercut with scenes of Fraser and his wife (Jocelyn Brando) discussing Vanning, who is wanted for murder. Fraser's real interest is in retrieving $350,000 in stolen money for his company. At dinner, Marie reveals that she is a model, while Vanning is a commercial artist who has lived in several places but does not say much else about his past. Leaving the restaurant, Marie and Vanning are encountered by two thuggish men, John (Brian Keith) and "Red" (Rudy Bond). They thank Marie for distracting Vanning and she quickly goes away. The two men drive Vanning to a deserted spot by some oil pumps, demanding that Vanning tell them where to find the $350,000 that he took from them and threatening to torture him. Vanning insists that he does not know where the money is. The men discover a slip of paper with Marie's name, address, and phone number. In intermittent flashbacks, the story of Vanning's troubles is revealed. Near the town of Moose, Wyoming, Vanning and his friend Dr. Edward Gurston ("Doc") have been camping, hunting, and fishing. As they plan to leave because of an impending snowstorm, they see a car go off the road. John, whose arm has been