The Hitch-Hiker: Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman (1953 Movie)

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The Hitch-Hiker (1953) is a film noir directed by Ida Lupino about two fishing buddies who pick up a mysterious hitchhiker during a trip to Mexico.

The movie was written by Robert L. Joseph, Lupino, and her husband Collier Young, based on a story by Out of the Past screenwriter Daniel Mainwaring, who was blacklisted at the time and did not receive screen credit. The film is based on the true story of Billy Cook, a psychopathic murderer.

It has been called the first film noir directed by a woman, despite Norwegian director Edith Carlmar having made a noir already back in 1949 ("Døden er et kjærtegn"). The director of photography was RKO Pictures regular Nicholas Musuraca.

In 1998, The Hitch-Hiker was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

Two men (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) on a fishing trip pick up a hitchhiker named Emmett Myers (William Talman), who turns out to be a psychopath who has committed multiple murders.

Cast Edmond O'Brien as Roy Collins Frank Lovejoy as Gilbert Bowen William Talman as Emmett Myers José Torvay as Captain Alvarado Wendell Niles as Himself Jean Del Val as Inspector General Clark Howat as Government Agent Natividad Vacío as Jose Rodney Bell as William Johnson Nacho Galindo as Proprietor

Cast notes: Collier Young, husband of director Ida Lupino and the co-writer of the screenplay, makes an uncredited appearance in the film as a Mexican peasant.

In California in 1950, Billy Cook murdered a family of five and a traveling salesman, then kidnapped two prospectors and took them to Mexico to kill them -- the Mexican police captured him before he could carry out his plan. He was extradited back to the United States and was tried and convicted. On December 12, 1952, Cook was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin.

The Hitch-Hiker went into production on 24 June 1952 and wrapped in late July. Location shooting took place in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine and Big Pine, California. Working titles for the film were "The Difference" and "The Persuader."

Director Ida Lupino was a noted actress who began directing when Elmer Clifton got sick and couldn't finish the film he was directing for Filmways, the company started by Lupino and her husband Collier Young to make low-budget issue-oriented movies. Lupino stepped in to finish the film, and went on to direct her own projects. The Hitch-Hiker was her first hard-paced fast-moving picture after four "woman's" films about social issues.

Lupino interviewed the two prospectors that Billy Cook had held hostage, and got releases from them and from Cook as well, so that she could integrate parts of Cook's life into the script. To appease the censors at the Hays Office, however, she reduced the number of deaths to three.

The Hitch-Hiker premiered in Boston on 20 March 1953 and immediately went into general release. It was marketed with the tagline: When was the last time you invited death into your car?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitch-Hiker_%281953_film%29

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Film & Animation

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[760BANGIN]

this film is god damn brilliant!

[kirkwallboy]

Very fine film, with suspenseful story and some great acting. William Talman was simply sublime as the evil, taunting fellow.

[goon143]

i thought this was the one about the musician hitching from the east to the west in america and its the guy that gives him a lift is the psycho

[goon143]

wow i saw this years ago cool film