Pretty Good

one of my absolute favorites!

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This is one of the earliest film portrayals of a spree killer and the first film directed by Ida Lupino. Hence it has some historical interest. However, it is by no stretch of the imagination in the "film noir" genre, as many suggest. Classic film noir involves urban settings, a motley crew of criminals and their associates, a double and preferably a triple cross, a femme fatale, lots of rain and dark shadows, and a hero who enters into the underworld reluctantly and inadvisedly. Although no "film noir" classic has all of these conventions, most have a great many. This film has none. It does have great film noir cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca ( "Stranger on the 3rd Floor", "Cat People", "Out of the Past", "They Clash By Night", "The Blue Gardenia") and he does use some of his sharp black and white photography to make this a very watchable film.Don't expect film noir, nor will you get much psychological analysis of the spree killer. The performances are good and the direction is taut, but there are far better films from this era, and certainly people like Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy did far better jobs in far better films.

Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy star in this taut little thriller about a couple of guys on a fishing trip, when they pick up a hitchhiker, despite the fact there's a escaped inmate loose. We know it, when it happens by the shadows, the music score, the sharp instincts of director Ida Lupino. In fact, despite the fact Ms. Ida Lupino directed several other films, this is considered to her best. This has everything a film noir should have: strong characters, pace, the great use of black and white cinematography, suspense, and a scary bad guy. A femme fatale is good, but not necessarily needed, as there is not one in sight here. But who has time to think about that! With a guy in the back seat ready to slit your throat, this delivers a wallop of intense emotions and activity. Sure, there's a lot of talking between the three men, but you're never bored. The only critique is that the climax happens so quickly and rather matter-of-factly. Then it's over, the end. You'll be entertained by this little but loud film, directed by actress Ida Lupino.

Seeing SEVEN MEN FROM NOW was a revelation to me and I immediately hunted down everything I could find by Budd Boetticher. THE HITCH-HIKER, directed brilliantly by Ida Lupino, was an even greater revelation. THE HITCH-HIKER manages, in just over an hour, and with an economy of motion that Boetticher himself probably appreciated, to tell a terrifying tale of kidnapping and murder. The stage is set early on, with the serial killer Meyers (William Talman, in an outstanding performance) murdering half a dozen people before hitching a ride with O'Brien and Lovejoy. It's clear from the moment they pick him up that their days are numbered, and in a GREAT dramatic scene late in the going, O'Brien beseeches a search plane with arms uplifted, pleading for them to land and save himself and Lovejoy. It's an unusual scene in that it shows a man in fear for his life doing what I've actually seen people in life-threatening situations DO: he begs for his life; loudly, and unashamedly. Another fascinating aspect of this movie is Talman as the killer, whose right eye never closes: his defective eye makes for some tense and even genuinely funny moments. My favorite is the scene where the two victims stare at him for quite some time trying to determine if he's actually watching them or not before eventually trying to make a run for it- only to have him open his other eye and grin as he watches them run. THE HITCH-HIKER has been ripped off a thousand times over the years, but nobody ever- EVER- did it as well as director Ida Lupino.

Don't let that Awkwardly Written Opening from the Producers Dissuade You.The Only Women in this Film are Peripheral, but it was Directed by a Woman, Ida Lupino. Known as a Very Good, Edgy Actress that Played Smart, Tough, Good-Lookers, and Capable of Anything a Man could do. So Moving into the Director's Chair was Never a Stretch and in Character for this Groundbreaking Female.The Movie is Relentlessly Suspenseful to a Fault. Although it is Based on a True Maniacal Killer who Murdered Men, Women, Children, and Dogs, You can't Stop the Feeling that Somehow, Somewhere, Two Able Bodied Men could have Overcome Their Captor and Tormentor. So that Frustration becomes Increasingly Troublesome as the Film is Forever Showing the Killer Berating, Teasing, and Shoving Them around.It is Undeniably an Unnerving Story that is Carried by William Talman ("My Parents were tough, they took one look at me and told me to get lost.")as the Killer and some Stark, Sharp, and Sprawling Cinematography. Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy are the Innocents.After a Killer Opening of Sleazy Nighttime Neon in Mexico and some Exploits of the Villain, the Movie does become more Conventionally Staged.The Ending is Quite Sudden and May be a Disappointment to some that Expect more Exploitation or Action, but it is in Keeping with the Subtlety of Tone in the Movie. Overall, Slightly Overrated, but a Gripping Thriller Throughout.Note...Beware Public Domain Copies that are mostly awful and diminish drastically the style and enjoyment of this well-crafted Film-Noir.