By David in TN
Friday, June 14, 2019 at 12:56:00 A.M. EDT
TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at Midnight and 10 a.m. ET is Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street (1953), starring Richard Widmark, with Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter, Richard Kiley, Murvyn Vye and Willis Bouchey.
Film Noir Guide: “Widmark plays a pickpocket, a three-time loser recently released from prison, who snatches a top secret microfilm from Peters’ handbag on a New York City subway.
“Peters was delivering the information for Communist spy Kiley, her former lover. Unaware of her handbag’s contents or of Kiley’s true identity, she promises him that she’ll try to find the thief.
“A street vendor and professional snitch (Ritter) who’s already sold Widmark’s address to police captain Vye and F.B.I. agent Bouchey, also sells it to Peters. (Ritter is saving for a cemetery plot and tombstone so she won't have to be buried in Potter's Field.)
“Vye and Willis [Bouchey] fail in their appeal to Widmark’s sense of patriotism (‘Are you waving the flag at me?’), and Peters tries to seduce him out of the microfilm.
“But he’s so intent on making a profit from it, even that doesn’t work. Sparks fly for Peters, however, and she falls in love with the greedy crook.
“Widmark and Peters are terrific, especially during their torrid love scenes, and veteran character actress Ritter shines in her Oscar-nominated performance.”
I don't know what Eddie Muller will say this time. Several years ago, he guest-hosted for TCM and called Richard Kiley’s characterization of the Commie villain The Phenix City Story.”
Note Jean Peters’ indignant response when someone suggests she’s a communist ("I’M NOT A RED!").
N.S.: I saw a remake of this starring a young James Brolin set in Australia on TV as a kid. If memory serves, the political aspect was completely written out of it.
Correction: I just determined that the 1967 remake starring James Brolin was called The Cape Town Affair, and the political angle was maintained! However, the scene of the crime was changed to South Africa, of all places! The main characters even had the same names.
4 comments:
Sounds pretty good.The remake today would be "The White Thief",with James Woods as the three time loser.The rest of the cast,black(Halle Berry for Ritter),Mex(Jennifer Lopez in the Peters role) and Muslim(Rep.Omar from Minnesota lol)).Throw in another conservative actor like Billy Baldwin in the Kiley role.
The purpose of the movie would be to cast whites and conservatives as anti-Americans.
It's coming,in one form or another.
--GR Anonymous
I enjoy old movies,particularly Film Noir.I forget to check TCM's schedule, but frequent this interesting site.Thanks!
Hmm,right hook as foreplay,never thought of that tactic.
--GRA
After hearing Muller's intro on Pickup on South Street I expected a great Noir. What I got was tedious, contrived snooze fest. I suppose Sam Fuller was good though I had never heard of him before but by Muller's description the guy was the greatest ever.
The Widmark character should have paid a price for being a greedy goon willing to sell the film to the commmies.
Post a Comment