The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Ida Lupino

Writers:

Robert L. Joseph (adaptation)
Ida Lupino (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 October 1953 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

When was the last time you invited death into your car?

Plot:

Two fishermen pick up a psychotic escaped convict who tells them that he intends to murder them when the ride is over.

Plot Keywords:

Escaped Convict | Hostage | Fishing Trip | Murder | Road Trip

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Edmond O'Brien	...	Roy Collins
Frank Lovejoy	...	Gilbert Bowen
William Talman	...	Emmett Myers
José Torvay	...	Captain Alvarado (as Jose Torvay)
Sam Hayes	...	Himself (Radio Broadcaster)
Wendell Niles	...	Himself (as Wendel Niles)
Jean Del Val	...	Inspector General
Clark Howat	...	Government Agent
Natividad Vacío	...	Jose (as Natividad Vacio)

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Norway:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1953) | USA:Approved (PCA #15999) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Filmakers, The

Trivia:

Based upon an incident that happened in California in the early 1950s. A man named Billy Cook murdered a family of five, including three children, and then killed a traveling salesman. He then kidnapped two hunters and took them across the border into Mexico, intending to kill them, too, but before he could he was captured by Mexican police and subsequently extradited to the US, where he was tried for the murders, convicted, and died in the gas chamber at San Quentin on Dec. 12, 1952.

Quotes:

Emmett Myers: You guys are soft. You know what makes you that way? You're up to your neck in IOU's. You're suckers! You're scared to get out on your own. You've always had it good, so you're soft. Well, not me! Nobody ever gave me anything, so I don't owe nobody!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

A motorist's worst nightmare

I saw this movie recently for the first time on Turner Classic Movies. This is a tough and suspenseful little movie. The killer is a truly evil character; no ambiguity about his character as you might expect in a more recent film. It must have been considered a brutal film when it was made, though its mild by today's standards. The location setting in the bleak desert adds to movie's atmosphere and tone. And, it was directed by a woman, rare today, and even more rare in the 50s.

Exciting, fast-paced, and never boring.