Pickup on South Street (1953)

A pickpocket unwittingly lifts a message destined for enemy agents and becomes a target for a Communist spy ring.

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writers:

Samuel Fuller (screenplay), Dwight Taylor (story)

Stars:

Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Widmark	...	Skip McCoy
Jean Peters	...	Candy
Thelma Ritter	...	Moe Williams
Murvyn Vye	...	Captain Dan Tiger
Richard Kiley	...	Joey
Willis Bouchey	...	Zara (as Willis B. Bouchey)
Milburn Stone	...	Detective Winoki

Storyline

On a crowded subway, Skip McCoy picks the purse of Candy. Among his take, although he does not know it at the time, is a piece of top-secret microfilm that was being passed by Candy's consort, a Communist agent. Candy discovers the whereabouts of the film through Moe Williams, a police informer. She attempts to seduce McCoy to recover the film. She fails to get back the film and falls in love with him. The desperate agent exterminates Moe and savagely beats Candy. McCoy, now goaded into action, confronts the agent in a particularly brutal fight in a subway.

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Plot Keywords:

communist | purse | subway | microfilm | pickpocket | 

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Taglines:

How the law took a chance on a B-girl... and won!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 1953 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Blaze of Glory

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min 75 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Sam Fuller's book "A Third Face," Betty Grable had wanted the role of Candy, and she demanded that there be a dance number in the film with it. Fuller refused to have a dance number in the film. Grable then said she would do the film without the dance number, but by that point Fuller had been rehearsing with Jean Peters and didn't want to lose her for the role.

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Goofs

When Joey leaves the basement after assaulting the police officer, he walks out of the shot, then a cat is obviously thrown into the frame.

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Quotes

Moe Williams: What's the matter with you? Playing footsie with the Commies!
Skip McCoy: You waving the flag, too?
Moe Williams: Listen, I knew you since you was a little kid. You was always a regular kind of crook. I never figured you for a louse.
Skip McCoy: Stop, you're breaking my heart.
Moe Williams: Even in our crummy line of business you gotta draw the line somewhere.

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Connections

Featured in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Again"
(uncredited)
Music by Lionel Newman
Played occasionally in the score

User Reviews

Thelma Ritter kicks butt in Pickup on South Street

Directed by Samuel Fuller, who also wrote the screenplay, Pickup on South Street is a tough, brutal, well made film about a pickpocket (Richard Widmark) who inadvertently aquires top-secret microfilm and becomes a target for espionage agents. Also involved are Jean Peters as a tough broad who is used as a courier by her evil ex-lover Richard Kiley. It's film-noir at its best and although the performances are very good its grand character actress Thelma Ritter who steals the movie. As Moe a weary street peddler selling neck ties (and who also sells information) she is terrific in a role that brought her another Oscar nomination. Its amazing that Miss Ritter was nominated six times for an Academy Award and she never won. This should have been the role that copped it for her!