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Information
- Year
- 1953
- Runtime
- 71 min.
- Director
- Ida Lupino
- Genres
- Crime, Drama, Thriller, Film-Noir
- Rating *
- 6.9
- Votes *
- 3,231
- Checks
- 1,696
- Favs
- 71
- Dislikes
- 19
- Favs/checks
- 4.2% (1:24)
- Favs/dislikes
- 4:1
Top comments
-
Camille Deadpan
From Imdb:
:) 10 years 6 months agoquote:In an interview Talman recalled an incident that happened shortly after the release of The Hitch-Hiker (1953), in which he gave a chilling portrayal of escaped murderer and serial killer Emmett Meyers. He was driving his convertible in Los Angeles with the top down, and he stopped at a red light. Another driver in a convertible who was stopped next to him stared at him for a few seconds, then said, "You're the hitchhiker, right?" Talman nodded, indicating that he was. The other driver got out of his car, went over to Talman's car and slapped him across the face, then got back in his car and drove off. In recalling the story, Talman said, "You know, I never won an Academy Award but I guess that was about as close as I ever will come to one." -
Siskoid
1953's The Hitch-Hiker, by Ida Lupino, is based on true events, tracks the last free days of fugitive on a killing spree, and specifically the experience of two men on a fishing trip, who meander down to Mexico and get themselves carjacked and taken hostage by the killer. More psychological horror than action thriller, the two men offer a quiet heroism, simple resolve under pressure, but are largely impotent before a crazy man with a gun, and this despite their military background. None or little of the macho bullshit Hollywood normally would have churned out, so if you want a feminist reading of it, there you have it. William Talman is creepy in the lead role, with his lazy eye keeping watch through the night, and both Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy exude a weary everyman quality even before things take a turn for the worse. As for Lupino, her film is well shot, economical, and turns the sunny California desert into a sort of noir western wasteland. 4 years 5 months ago -
Elvislaw
got this on one of those DVDs with several old movies in the bargain bin. I must say it was a great find. not the best film ever but one of the best acted killers in my book. 12 years 8 months ago
Friends
Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!In 7 official lists
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This movie ranks #23 in BBC's The 100 Greatest Films Directed by Women
BBC's The 100 Greatest F…
23 -
This movie ranks #87 in TSPDT's 100 Essential Noir Films
TSPDT's 100 Essential No…
87 -
This movie ranks #87 in TSPDT's 1,000 Noir Films
TSPDT's 1,000 Noir Films
87 -
This movie ranks #192 in Mark Cousins's The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Mark Cousins's The Story…
192 -
This movie ranks #250 in Library of Congress's National Film Registry
Library of Congress's Na…
250 -
This movie ranks #830 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…
830 -
This movie ranks #990 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
Sight & Sound's The Grea…
990