6 Best Rex Downing Movies

By Vlad Zakh · September 2, 2026

Rex Downing was a Hollywood child and young adult actor of the 1930s and 40s who moved from Our Gang comedies to dramatic supporting roles. He Walked by Night hunts a brilliant cop-killer who uses police procedure, The Gangster crumbles a racketeer’s empire, The Invisible Wall spirals a gambler’s revenge, and The Mayor of 44th Street starts a swing dance hall. Mandrake the Magician and Pay As You Exit round out the list.

He Walked by Night (1949)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Rex Downing appears in this noir about police hunting a brilliant, elusive cop-killer who uses his knowledge of police procedure to avoid capture.

Directed by Alfred L. Werker · 1h 19m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus, FlixFling · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Invisible Wall (1947)

TMDB ★ 6.4

Rex Downing features in this noir about a gambler whose scheme for revenge against the man who ruined his life spirals into unexpected consequences.

Directed by Eugene Forde · 1h 12m · Rated NR

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Gangster (1947)

TMDB ★ 6.2

Rex Downing appears in this noir about a hardened racketeer whose criminal empire crumbles as rivals and his own paranoia close in on him.

Directed by Gordon Wiles · 1h 24m · Rated NR

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Mayor of 44th Street (1942)

TMDB ★ 5.9

Rex Downing is in this musical about a small-time promoter whose scheme to run a swing music dance hall draws the attention of local racketeers.

Directed by Alfred E. Green · 1h 26m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: TCM

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mandrake the Magician (1939)

TMDB ★ 5.3

Rex Downing is in this serial about a stage magician who uses his skills of illusion and hypnosis to battle a criminal mastermind's death ray.

Directed by Norman Deming & Sam Nelson · 3h 35m · Rated NR

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Pay As You Exit (1936)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Rex Downing is in this Our Gang short where the kids stage a play to raise money, only for a rival to sabotage their box office earnings.

Directed by Gordon Douglas · 0h 11m

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Rex Downing Movies

He Walked by Night (1949)

The Invisible Wall (1947)

The Gangster (1947)

The Mayor of 44th Street (1942)

Mandrake the Magician (1939)

Pay As You Exit (1936)

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