Wonderful Movie

Sadly Over-hyped

Beautiful, moving film.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Good solid and impressive noir with fabulous central performance from Richard Widmark. Perhaps not surprising because Widmark is always good but the real surprise is Jean Peters. Wish she had done more films, because here she is a revelation in a complicated role as gangster's moll cum prostitute with a heart of gold and then some. She is also believably tough. Big bad boyfriend sends her out with the gun, her only trouble is that she is up against Widmark. The wisest wise guy going. Apparently in Germany and France the communist theme was replaced with drug dealing and for me I reckon that would be a better idea - the 'better dead than red' US flag waving element being the weakest part of the film BUT seeing an excerpt in the extras with big bad Sam Fuller talking about the film, it is clear this was very much to his heart. So, hard for us Brits to ever quite understand the American position here but I guess it resounds even today. Very entertaining film with great location shots and impressive studio sets for the waterfront. Thelma Ritter is also great!

On a crowded New York City subway, petty pickpocket Richard Widmark (as Skip McCoy) sneaks his fingers into the purse of pretty part-time prostitute Jean Peters (as Candy). He thinks he's got Ms. Peters' wallet, but Mr. Widmark has unknowingly stolen some top-secret microfilm Peters was delivering to her pimp-like ex-boyfriend Richard Kiley (as Joey). The police employ street-wise peddler Thelma Ritter (as Moe Williams) to help find Widmark and the microfilm, before it falls into the hands of Communists plotting against the USA. Fresh out of prison, Widmark wants to stay ahead of the law while committing his crimes. He also notices Peters is pretty enough to kiss, albeit with roughness. With the fate of the entire free world hanging in the balance, various and sundry characters must retrieve the microfilm before it falls into Communist hands...Samuel Fuller's weird mix of Damon Runyon characters in a Mickey Spillane setting almost works – the weakest part is the "Red Scare" element, involving Communists plotting something presumably earth-shattering in New York City. Secondarily, the occasional cuteness of the characters, who seem to operate in a cozy circle in New York City, doesn't always jive with their violent outbursts. Nevertheless, the role played by Ms. Ritter – peddling ties instead of apples – comes across the screen exceptionally well. Ritter breathes great life into Mr. Fuller's nicely developed character. As the sweaty spy, Mr. Kiley also impresses. Widmark is reliable and Peters vulnerable – but their parts are less appealing. Murvyn Vye and the others seem real, despite being directed to randomly pull and leaf through suspects' photos. Joe MacDonald's photography is stylish.******* Pickup on South Street (5/29/53) Samuel Fuller ~ Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter, Richard Kiley

Pickup on South Street is about a petty thief, Skip McCoy, who gets caught up in a spy ring desperately trying to recover two strips of microfilm that the thief stole. The movie is set in New York City and includes exterior location shots. The cinematography creates a somber and sinister mood, with many scenes filmed using dim light. The urban landscape is generally seedy, which corresponds with the kind of characters that populate the story. The principal character, Skip McCoy, is a cross between Slip Mahoney from The Bowery Boys and Charles Tatum, the flamboyant newspaperman, except that Skip is neither funny nor particularly bright. The idea of a petty thief and three-time loser trying to shake down a Communist spy ring stretches plausibility to the limit. Trying to appeal to his sense of patriotism is a waste of time. The character is simply too shallow to be taken seriously. All he wants is money. He is a nobody existing in a shack under a bridge, away from society. The only reason why anybody wants anything to do with him is because he has something that somebody wants, and even after he realizes that what he stole is something serious, his thinking remains incredibly myopic. Then there is Candy, the woman who falls in love with Skip. She is unbelievable. First, she falls in love with Skip, the man who victimizes her, and then tries to use her as go-between with the "Commies." Later she clobbers Skip over the head with a bottle, leaving him sprawled on the floor. Then Candy insists that she is not a Communist, even though she is a courier for a Communist spy ring, has in her possession stolen documents, and her boyfriend is a Communist. Finally, she is physically abused, not by one man, but by two, yet remains loyal to both. Given her nasty, conniving nature, she would have been more believable as someone who shakes down the spies. Regarding the boyfriend, Joey, his behavior is hysterical. A spy by necessity has to keep a low profile and maintain self-control but not in this movie. Here the spy is running around with a gun shooting people and attracting a lot of attention. Also, he seems too apolitical to be a communist. Is he really a spy? Then there is Moe, the woman informant who fronts as a street vendor selling ties. To believe that this woman, who makes Skip McCoy look mainstream, would have any information worth paying for is a stretch. At first, it seems that Moe is in the story for comic relief, but then she goes from being brash and cynical to maudlin and melodramatic, and she is not the lead character. Why should anyone care what she thinks? Moe would have been more believable as a pickpocket. Despite these anomalies, what makes the movie watchable is the terrific acting. Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter and Richard Kiley deliver strong performances. Thelma Ritter is especially impressive. The stunt doubles are impressive too. The movie too has a campy quality, especially in its exaggerated theatrics that seem to parody more serious works in the crime and spy genres, such as The Maltese Falcon in which the lead character also possesses a valuable object, or Sunset Boulevard in which the lead character also craves money. But in those movies, these characters have depth, which adds richness to the plot and makes the stories compelling works of drama. Although entertaining, Pickup on South Street does not rise up to that level.

Stealing a girl's wallet can get you into a lot of trouble, especially when it has micro-film the commies want. That's what newly released jail bird Richard Widmark finds out when he's called in for questioning after being fingered by your friendly neighborhood stoolie (Thelma Ritter), a Tugboat Annie/Apple Annie type character who only prays for a clean death and enough money left behind to pay for a proper headstone, not being lymed away in Potter's Field on Ward's Island.Jean Peters is the dame, doing one last favor for her ex, and ironically falls for the man who pick pocketed her but a game with him results in a lot of trouble. While they are excellent in this film, it will be Ritter whom you remember, the best role she ever got and the one most deserving of praise. Five Oscar Nominations, mostly for scene-stealing walk-ons, but this is a true acting challenge (along with her nasty mother in "Bird Man of Alcatraz") that gives her a real character who will break your heart when she's confronted by her destiny. That scene alone was worthy of an Academy Award.Directed by the magnificent Sam Fuller, this is a "street" film where the rawness of the naked city is covered in slime through organized crime, espionage and cheap crooks. Even the cops are a bit shady, one admitting he lost six months of pay for beating up Widmark on previous encounters. Made during the height of the cold war and McCarthy era, this is a film that doesn't take sides except to show that the spy game is an ugly sport.