Hi-Jacked (1950)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writers:

Orville H. Hampton (screenplay)
Fred Myton (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

7 July 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

ORGANIZED ROAD AGENTS HI-JACKING $40,000,000 LOOT PER YEAR! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

A truck driver stops on a rainy road at night to help a stranded motorist, but it turns out to be a ruse--he is attacked...

Plot Keywords:

Truck | Truck Driver | Hijacker

Cast

Jim Davis	...	Joe Harper
Marcia Mae Jones	...	Jean Harper (as Marsha Jones)
Sid Melton	...	'Killer'
David Bruce	...	Matt
Paul Cavanagh	...	Hagen
Ralph Sanford	...	Stephen Clark
House Peters Jr.	...	Hank
Iris Adrian	...	Aggie
George Eldredge	...	Digbey
William E. Green	...	Arthur Kent
Margia Dean	...	Dolly, the Waitress
Kit Guard	...	Parolee (as Kid Guard)
Lee Phelps	...	Highway Patrolman
Myron Healey	...	Police Broadcaster
Lee Bennett	...	Charlie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Haade	...	Highway Patrol Inspector (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Strongarm (uncredited)
Steve Pendleton	...	Detective (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Highway Patrolman (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Newfield

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Orville H. Hampton		screenplay (as Orville Hampton)
Fred Myton		screenplay
Fred Myton		story
Raymond L. Schrock		story (as Ray Shrock)

Produced by
Jack Leewood	....	associate executive producer
Murray Lerner	....	executive producer
Sigmund Neufeld	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul Dunlap

Cinematography by
Philip Tannura		(as Phil Tennura)

Film Editing by
Edward Mann

Art Direction by
Frank Paul Sylos		(as F. Paul Sylos)

Set Decoration by
Harry Reif

Makeup Department
Harry Ross	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Bert Sternbach	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eddie Davis	....	assistant director

Art Department
George Bahr	....	property

Sound Department
Frank Webster	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Ray Mercer	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Clifford Kling	....	still photographer (uncredited)
George Neff	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Howard Roessel	....	grip (uncredited)
Ernest Smith	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bert Offord	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Emilie Ehrlich	....	script supervisor (as Emily Ehrlich)
Robert L. Lippert	....	presenter
Sloat	....	furrier

Production Companies

• Lippert Pictures

Distributors

• Lippert Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kit Parker Films (2004) (USA) (all media) (copyright owner)
• VCI Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Lippert Pictures

Very Solid Noir Programmer

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

HI-JACKED is another pleasant surprise for those seeking enjoyable minor films noirs from the B movie era. Like many others of its kind, this film begins with a stiff-voiced announcer warning us of the dangers of the crime at hand. Here, the featured crime is truck hi-jacking. A criminal organization sets up road blocks and other subterfuges to lead truck drivers into stopping, at which point their cargo is stolen.

Once past the extremely brief announcer's segment, the film opens in a compelling noir mode. On a rainy, dark highway, a truck driver stops to help a stranded motorist. As he approaches the car, three men jump from behind it, cold-cock him, and leave him by the roadside. This particular driver will be seen to be the protagonist of HI-JACKED. Nicely played by Jim Davis (known to many of us from frequent western TV appearances), Joe Harper is placed immediately under suspicion by a detective. Harper has a criminal record. As he himself puts it, "a guy with a record has the deck stacked against him." Given another chance by his employer (Ralph Sanford), poor Harper only falls victim a second time to the criminal scheme (this time, unknowingly transporting stolen merchandise). As it turns out, Harper's employer is behind the criminal operation. When he and his partner (Paul Cavanaugh from HUMORESQUE) decide to gradually wind down their activities, they set up Joe Harper as their fall guy. This is where the film solidly enters noir territory: the fall guy with a criminal record is clearly the quarry of "fate". Things look bad for Harper, even though his faithful wife has returned to him. Thanks to his ability to recognize the voice of one of the hi-jackers (David Bruce of THE MAD GHOUL) on the phone, Harper is able to beat the thugs at their game. In a very dark, violent, classically noir sequence we see him vindicate himself nicely in speedy B movie fashion. The film has a good deal of well-executed violence and there is effective comic relief from a fast-talking truck stop waitress (Iris Adrian) and would-be tough-guy Sid Melton, who insists on being called "Killer".