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When was the last time that anyone of you picked a hitch-hiker? A practice that used to be common in the first half of the 20th century started to decline as the century entered its second half. We see someone on the street with his/her hand out and we just speed by them and look the other way. The reasons? Some people might say a lack of trust of strangers, which in turn might've been sparked by films like this... or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre... or The Hitcher.
The Hitch-Hiker follows a pair of fishing friends (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) who pick up a mysterious hitch-hiker (William Talman) on their way to Mexico. The hitch-hiker, called Emmett Myers, turns out to be a psychopath and a killer. Myers, who is running from the law, forces the friends to drive him to Santa Rosalia, Mexico. But on the meantime, he gets off terrorizing them.
One of the film's biggest assets is Talman's performance as Myers. He is a truly menacing and terrifying figure, not because of his physique, but because you actually believe the guy is crazy, thanks to a devilish half-smirk and his lost eyes. Add to that director Ida Lupino's wonderful direction, particularly in Myers' first scene and you will probably lose the desire to pick up any hitch-hiker. Both O'Brien and Lovejoy are pretty good as well as the two friends that try to stay strong, but slowly unravel during their trip.
At 71 minutes, The Hitch-Hiker is a fairly short and simple film that doesn't overstay its welcome. There are some brief interruptions to see how the American and Mexican police deal with Myers' manhunt that break the momentum a bit, but not too much. Through most of its duration, the film is as tense as it gets. Realizing that it is all based on a real-life killer (Billy Cook), might just get you all more tense and more against hitch-hiking.
Grade:
THE HITCH-HIKER
(1953, Lupino)
(1953, Lupino)
"You haven't got a chance. You haven't got a thing except that gun! You'd better hang onto it because without it, you're finished!"
When was the last time that anyone of you picked a hitch-hiker? A practice that used to be common in the first half of the 20th century started to decline as the century entered its second half. We see someone on the street with his/her hand out and we just speed by them and look the other way. The reasons? Some people might say a lack of trust of strangers, which in turn might've been sparked by films like this... or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre... or The Hitcher.
The Hitch-Hiker follows a pair of fishing friends (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) who pick up a mysterious hitch-hiker (William Talman) on their way to Mexico. The hitch-hiker, called Emmett Myers, turns out to be a psychopath and a killer. Myers, who is running from the law, forces the friends to drive him to Santa Rosalia, Mexico. But on the meantime, he gets off terrorizing them.
One of the film's biggest assets is Talman's performance as Myers. He is a truly menacing and terrifying figure, not because of his physique, but because you actually believe the guy is crazy, thanks to a devilish half-smirk and his lost eyes. Add to that director Ida Lupino's wonderful direction, particularly in Myers' first scene and you will probably lose the desire to pick up any hitch-hiker. Both O'Brien and Lovejoy are pretty good as well as the two friends that try to stay strong, but slowly unravel during their trip.
At 71 minutes, The Hitch-Hiker is a fairly short and simple film that doesn't overstay its welcome. There are some brief interruptions to see how the American and Mexican police deal with Myers' manhunt that break the momentum a bit, but not too much. Through most of its duration, the film is as tense as it gets. Realizing that it is all based on a real-life killer (Billy Cook), might just get you all more tense and more against hitch-hiking.
Grade: