The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Encyclopedia
The Devil Thumbs a Ride is a 1947 suspense film, considered to be film noir
, starring Lawrence Tierney
.
), a charming but utterly sociopathic
criminal who has just robbed and killed a cinema cashier, gets a ride with unsuspecting Jimmy 'Fergie' Ferguson (Ted North
), who does not know that Morgan is a killer. While heading to Los Angeles they stop at a gas station and pick up two women. Encountering a roadblock, Morgan takes over and persuades the party to spend the night at an unoccupied beach house. The police close in as one by one, Morgan begins killing.
, The Desperate Hours
and Detour
.
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
, starring Lawrence Tierney
Lawrence Tierney
Lawrence Tierney was an American actor, known for his many screen portrayals of mobsters and hardened criminals, which mirrored his own frequent brushes with the law....
.
Plot
Steve Morgan (Lawrence TierneyLawrence Tierney
Lawrence Tierney was an American actor, known for his many screen portrayals of mobsters and hardened criminals, which mirrored his own frequent brushes with the law....
), a charming but utterly sociopathic
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
criminal who has just robbed and killed a cinema cashier, gets a ride with unsuspecting Jimmy 'Fergie' Ferguson (Ted North
Ted North
Ted North , sometimes credited as Michael North, was a film actor of the 1940s. He appeared in a few memorable films including the films noir The Unsuspected and The Devil Thumbs a Ride . He was married to actress Mary Beth Hughes from 1943 until their divorce in 1947.-External links:...
), who does not know that Morgan is a killer. While heading to Los Angeles they stop at a gas station and pick up two women. Encountering a roadblock, Morgan takes over and persuades the party to spend the night at an unoccupied beach house. The police close in as one by one, Morgan begins killing.
Reaction
Channel 4's film guide calls the film "Fast-paced, lean and mean: a vintage noir." http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=102758See also
Other films with similar storylines include The Hitch-HikerThe Hitch-Hiker (1953 film)
The Hitch-Hiker is a film noir directed by Ida Lupino about two fishing buddies who pick up a mysterious hitchhiker during a trip to Mexico....
, The Desperate Hours
The Desperate Hours (film)
The Desperate Hours is a 1955 film from Paramount Pictures starring Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. The movie was produced and directed by William Wyler and based on a novel and play of the same name written by Joseph Hayes which were loosely based on actual events.The original Broadway...
and Detour
Detour (1945 film)
Detour is a film noir thriller that stars Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake and Edmund MacDonald. The movie was adapted by Martin Goldsmith and Martin Mooney from Goldsmith's novel of the same name and was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer...
.