While traveling in a fishing trip to San Felipe, the draftsman Gilbert Bowen (Frank Lovejoy) and his friend, the garage owner Roy Collins (Edmond O'Brien) give a ride to a stranger. Sooner they learn that the man is the psychopath serial-killer Emmett Myers (William Talman), who has escaped from prison and wants to reach Santa Rosalia in Mexico. The sadistic criminal also tells them that he will kill them in the end of the line.
"The Hitch-Hiker" is a thriller that discloses the tense true story of a man and a gun and a car with two friends that intend to spend a couple of days together fishing. Ida Lupino is the sole female director in Hollywood in this genre and "The Hitch-Hiker" is the one of the seven classic film-noirs produced by a minor studio ("The Filmmakers") that have been chosen by the National Film Registry that is the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of the US Congress. William Talman is very impressive in the role of a criminal that never closes his right eye. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "O Mundo Odeia-me" ("The World Hate Me")
The Hitch-Hiker
1953
Action / Crime / Drama / Film-Noir / Thriller
The Hitch-Hiker
1953
Action / Crime / Drama / Film-Noir / Thriller
Plot summary
Roy and Gilbert's fishing trip takes a terrifying turn when the hitchhiker they pick up turns out to be a sociopath on the run from the law. He's killed before, and he lets the two know that as soon as they're no longer useful, he'll kill again. The two friends plot an escape, but the hitchhiker's peculiar physical affliction, an eye that never closes even when he sleeps, makes it impossible for them to tell when they can make a break for it.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
August 02, 2016 at 06:24 AM
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The Tense True Story of a Man and a Gun and a Car
He'll kill them when the time is right
This film The Hitch-Hiker should serve as a warning not to pick anyone up on the road. You might just be picking up a mad dog killer like William Talman.
Which is what good friends and fishing buddies Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy do on a fishing trip. No good deed ever goes unpunished as Talman uses their car for transportation and them for hostages.
Talman was a real piece of work in this film. He bullies and taunts them for the entire running time of the film. He'll kill them when the time is right. As for now their plight serves as an object for his sick amusement. Talman is one terrifying and conscienceless human being.
As for O'Brien and Lovejoy they're a pair of averages guys caught up in a bad situation. Lovejoy is the cooler of the two, but even he is close to breaking.
The Hitch-Hiker is directed with crisp style by Ida Lupino. It's a terrifying film, as much horror as a Hitchcock effort without the froth.
A lotta bang for the buck!
At the beginning of "The Hitch-Hiker", it claims that it's based on a true story. Well, back in the day, Hollywood often claimed that films were based on real life and the truth was far different from the film. In this case, I sure hope this wasn't close to the real story, as it's very harrowing and I would hate this to have actually occurred! Two guys (Frank Lovejoy and Edmond O'Brien) are on an outing to Mexico. When they see a guy hitching, they stop—assuming he's had car trouble. Plus, they are in the desert and don't want to leave the guy. Unfortunately, the hitchhiker turns out to be a total psycho—one who's already left a long trail of bodies in his wake. And, unless they get very lucky, these two are bound to be next.
While this film has a very simple idea and a relatively low budget, it's a wonderful example of a film which makes the most of what it has. The acting was great (especially William Talman as the nut-case), the script very taut—all working together to make a wonderful South of the Border version of film noir. Well worth your time—and a must-see for young filmmakers who need to know you don't need a lot of glitz and bucks to make a great film. Oh, and by the way, this film was co-written by Ida Lupino.