Writers: James Curtis, Paul Gangelin, Derek N. Twist
Composer: Bretton Byrd
Starring: Emlyn Williams, Anna Konstam, Allan Jeayes, Ernest Thesiger, Jennie Hartley, Ronald Shiner, Anthony Holles, William Hartnell, Kitty de Legh, Joe Cunningham, Yolande Terrell, Julie Barrie
More info: IMDb
Plot: A convict, just out of prison, is implicated in a murder and goes on the run, hitching a ride with a truck driver.
My rating: 7.5/10
Will I watch it again? No.
In the first ten minutes Shorty (Williams) discovers the dead body of Alice, his old girlfriend. He does the wrong thing and flees but on his way out the landlady stops him and asks questions. BIG mistake. Those few minutes grabbed me by the short and curlies. I cared about Shorty for some reason and I was frightened for him. This well made thriller has Shorty almost getting caught several times and it's up to him and others to keep that from happening. There's a good deal of tension in this story and it's well played out all the way to the end. The real killer doesn't seem a likely fit but he is and the last few minutes set up another chance for him to strike again. It, too, is nicely played out. For a flick from the 30s, this is pretty damn suspenseful and it's one of the earliest takes on the serial killer that I'm aware of that doesn't have a monster or Jack the Ripper as the killer. I don't know why they titled it the way they did. He's only riding/driving trucks for a little while. I don't know where the 'they' come into it either.
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