Sunday, August 27, 2017

The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

Director: Ida Lupino

Writers: Collier Young, Ida Lupino, Robert L. Joseph

Composer: Leith Stevens

Starring: Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman, Jose Torvay, Sam Hayes, Wendell Niles, Jean Del Val, Clark Howat, Natividad Vacio

More info: IMDb

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.



My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

Great flick.  It's mean, hard and just plain good.  Director Lupino (her only noir as director) does an excellent job of maintaining the tension from start to finish and it's right up to the end, too. The performances are great, especially from William Talman who plays the mad dog killer, Emmett Myers.  I especially like how Emmett toyed with his two captives.  You might as well have some fun with your victims, right?  The supporting cast is great, too.  Considering the crime films I've seen from this era, this one is edgier than most and it's that edge that helps place this picture in a much better class of film.  This is a strong recommend for fans of the genre. How about that incredible poster?  I'm sure that caused a stir back then.  The movie is in the public domain so it's easy to find for free.


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