Pickup on South Street (1953)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writers:

Samuel Fuller (screenplay)
Dwight Taylor (story)

Release Date:

1 August 1953 (Japan)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

How the law took a chance on a B-girl... and won!

Plot:

A pickpocket unwittingly lifts a message destined for enemy agents and becomes a target for a Communist spy ring.

Plot Keywords:

Communist | Subway | Purse | Microfilm | Pickpocket

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Skip McCoy
Jean Peters	...	Candy
Thelma Ritter	...	Moe Williams
Murvyn Vye	...	Captain Dan Tiger
Richard Kiley	...	Joey
Willis Bouchey	...	Zara (as Willis B. Bouchey)
Milburn Stone	...	Detective Winoki
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Parley Baer	...	Headquarters Communist in chair (uncredited)
George Berkeley	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Virginia Carroll	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Detective Dietrich (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Detective Eddie (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Fenton (uncredited)
John Gallaudet	...	Detective Lt. Campion (uncredited)
Frank Kumagai	...	Lum (uncredited)
Jay Loft-Lyn	...	Microfilm Library Clerk (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery	...	FBI Agent Ray (in Candy's apartment) (uncredited)
Ralph Moody	...	Coffin Boat Captain (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Mr. Victor (uncredited)
Jerry O'Sullivan	...	FBI Agent Enyart (uncredited)
Victor Perry	...	Lightning Louie aka Godkin (uncredited)
Stuart Randall	...	Police Commissioner (uncredited)
Maurice Samuels	...	Peddler (uncredited)
Henry Slate	...	Detective MacGregor (uncredited)
Ray Stevens	...	FBI agent (uncredited)
George E. Stone	...	Willie - Police Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Police Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Samuel Fuller

Writing credits
Samuel Fuller		(screenplay)
Dwight Taylor		(story)

Produced by
Jules Schermer	....	producer

Original Music by
Leigh Harline

Cinematography by
Joseph MacDonald		(as Joe MacDonald)

Film Editing by
Nick DeMaggio		(as Nick De Maggio)

Art Direction by
George Patrick
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Al Orenbach

Costume Design by
Travilla

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
Winston H. Leverett	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Lionel Newman	....	musical director
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (as Edward Powell)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century - Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (released by)
• CBS/Fox (1991) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Filmax (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Centfox (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Rank (1961) (France) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Blaze of Glory (USA) (working title)
Pickpocket (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

80 min | Spain:75 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Germany:16 (DVD rating) (2004) | Australia:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16197)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The French title for the movie is "Le Port de la Drogue" ("The Drugs Port"). The film is clearly about espionage, but in the French version the title was changed to refer to drugs, and even the dialogue referring to the spying was completely replaced by dialogue about drug dealing.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At one point, Candy refers to an address in New York City on Houston Street (pronouncing it like John Huston or the Texas city). In reality, the street is pronounced "House-ton" - something known to every New Yorker.

Quotes:

Skip McCoy: So you're a Red, who cares? Your money's as good as anybody else's.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mam'selle

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.