The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

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

Director:

Ida Lupino

Writers:

Collier Young (screenplay), Ida Lupino (screenplay)

Stars:

Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman

1 win.

Cast

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

Storyline

Two friends on a fishing trip pick up a stranded motorist who turns out to be a psychotic escaped convict. This sociopath has already murdered other good Samaritans in his efforts to evade authorities. He sadistically taunts and threatens the two men and perversely delights in telling them that he has them both marked for death sometime before the end of the trip. His destination is a ferryboat in Baja, California, which he hopes will help him get to the mainland. The hostages hope to stay alive long enough to escape or be rescued by Mexican authorities.

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Plot Keywords:

trip | mexico | serial killer | hostage | national film registry | 

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Taglines:

Who'll be his next victim... YOU?

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

29 April 1953 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Difference

Filming Locations:

Big Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures,The Filmakers

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely (and usually badly) edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation (or more) copies of the film.

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Goofs

When Frank Lovejoy shoots the can from Edmund O'Brien's right hand with his rifle, the next scene shows the rifle with the hammer cocked which it would not be if he just fired the rifle. The rifle is a pump .22, not a semi-automatic.

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Quotes

Emmett Myers: My folks were tough. When I was born, they took one look at this puss of mine and told me to get lost.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: This is the true story of a man and a gun and a car. The gun belonged to the man. The car might have been yours-or that young couple across the aisle. What you will see in the next seventy minutes could have happened to you. For the facts are actual.

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Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Post-War Cinema (2011)

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Soundtracks

Violin Concerto No 2 in E Minor, Op 64--Andante
Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

User Reviews

Fascinating thriller with a terrific performance from William Talman.

Supposedly the only Film Noir directed by a woman (Ida Lupino of 'High Sierra' and 'On Dangerous Ground'), 'The Hitch-Hiker' is a fascinating thriller that holds your attention from start to finish. Edmond O'Brien ('D.O.A.') and Frank Lovejoy ('in A Lonely Place') play two buddies on a road trip who pick up a hitch-hiker (William Talman, best remembered as Hamilton Berger on the old "Perry Mason" TV show). BIG MISTAKE! He is actually notorious psycho killer Emmett Myers. Talman gives a terrific performance as Myers, a real nasty piece of work with a bum eye so you never know if he's asleep or awake. He holds the men hostage, bullies and provokes them, even uses them as target practice. We've seen many similar plots over the years but I thought this was a fresh and unpredictable. Lupino's direction really suits the material, the tension builds throughout, and Talman is unforgettable. If you like thrillers track this one down. Highly recommended.