Pickup on South Street

1953

Action / Crime / Drama / Film-Noir / Mystery / Romance / Thriller

17
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 92% · 39 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 89% · 2.5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.6/10 10 18147 18.1K

noir pickpocket cold war film noir black and white preserved film

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Plot summary

In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. Unaware that she has been making deliveries of highly classified information to the communists, Candy, who has been trailed by FBI agents for months in hopes of nabbing the spy ringleader, is sent by her ex-boyfriend, Joey, to find Skip and retrieve the valuable microfilm he now holds.

Director

Samuel Fuller Photo
Samuel Fuller

Top cast

Thelma Ritter Photo
Thelma Ritter as Moe Williams
King Mojave Photo
King Mojave as Elevator Passenger
Harry Carter Photo
Harry Carter as Detective Dietrich
Henry Slate Photo
Henry Slate as Detective MacGregor
1080p.BLU
1.23 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
TV-PG
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 20 min
Seeds 25

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 7 / 10

Richard Widmark is quite effective in this quickly

Richard Widmark is quite effective in this quickly paced espionage thriller. He's a petty thief whom we see lifting something from a woman's purse on a busy subway train. He's not the only one watching her, though, and as he makes his exit he narrowly avoids capture the police. Why are others watching this woman? Well it turns out that she is suspected of passing secrets to the communists and that the police reckon the purse purse contains evidence. Of course, "Skip" (Widmark) knows nothing of this but is soon working with the authorities to find "Candy" (Jean Peters), trace her compatriots and thwart the deceit. Thelma Ritter always adds value - if perhaps not versatility - and it features a tightly knit supporting cast as Samuel Fuller keeps the dialogue focussed and the pace deft before quite an exciting ending. It does play a little to cold war politics and paranoia, but it's still a superior cat and mouse thriller well worth a watch.
Reviewed by John Chard 9 / 10

Forget the communist fervour and delve deeper. Skip

Forget the communist fervour and delve deeper. Skip McCoy is a three time loser pick pocket, unable to curb his instincts back on the street, he picks the purse of Candy on a subway train. What he doesn't realise is that Candy is carrying top secret microfilm, microfilm that is of high interest to many many organisations. Director Samuel Fuller has crafted an exceptional drama set amongst the seedy underworld of New York City. Communist spies and shady government operatives all blend together to make Pickup On South Street a riveting viewing from first minute to the last. Based around a Dwight Taylor story called "Blaze Of Glory", Fuller infused this adaptation with a heavy set political agenda, something that many at the time felt was over done, but to only focus on the anti communist leanings is doing it a big disservice. Digging a little deeper and you find characters as intriguing as any that Fuller has directed. The main protagonist for one is the hero of the piece, a crook and a shallow human being, his heroics are not born out of love for his country, they are born out of his sheer stubborn streak. It's quite an achievement that Fuller has crafted one of the best anti heroes of the 1950s, and I'm sure he was most grateful to the performance of Richard Widmark as McCoy. Widmark is all grin and icy cold heart, his interplay with the wonderful Jean Peters as Candy is excellent and is the film's heart. However, it is the Oscar nominated Thelma Ritter who takes the acting honours, her Moe is strong and as seedy as the surrounding characters, but there is a tired warmth to her that Ritter conveys majestically. It's a "B" movie in texture but an "A" film in execution, Pickup On South Street is a real classy and entertaining film that is one of the best from its most intriguing director. 9/10
Reviewed by perfectbond 9 / 10

Terrific film-noir political thriller

I really enjoyed this film. All aspects of the film were top notch including the most important, for me anyway, the screenplay and the acting. This is definitely one of Richard Widmark's strongest roles. He is totally convincing in his performance. Just out of curiosity, imagine how Humphrey Bogart or Robert Mitchum might have tackled this role. This is my first exposure to Jean Peter's work that I can remember. She impressed so much here that I will definitely be on the lookout for her other work. Thelma Ritter, in an unglamourous role, deserved the Oscar nomination she received for playing the informant. This film works on every level. The black and white photography is perfectly appropriate and the story hooks the viewer right from the beginning. Widmark and Peters have great chemistry in their difficult romance. Strongly recommended, 9/10.

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