Review of Pickup on South Street (1953) by Cindy I — 12 Feb 2010
A good suspense film about a pickpocket (Richard Widmark) who unknowingly picks some microfiilm from a woman's (Jean Peters) purse. The cops saw him do it because they had their eye on the girl, who was taking the film to a "Mr. Big" type. The rest of the film is Widmark being pursued by the police and by the people who want the film. Not as exciting as it sounds, but it holds your attention.
Widmark was always good at playing sleazeballs, and he doesn't disappoint here. You wanna slap him every time he's on screen. But more memorable are Thelma Ritter -- was she EVER bad in a role? -- as Mo, the police informant who sells ties as a front and is saving money for her funeral (it's implied that she is dying), and a horrible scene in which Richard Kiley beats the $#!+ out of Jean Peters. To his credit, director Sam Fuller did not make this one of those old "guy slaps girl around, girl likes it, falls into guy's arms". Nope -- Kiley gives Peters a workover that would make Mike Tyson jealous -- he punches and slaps her, throws her against the dresser, the wall and the floor in a complete rage. And all because she lied to him.
The only real problem I have with this is the happy ending. It seems tacked on, and kinda messes up the momentum the film had going. Otherwise, a good evening's entertainment.
This review of Pickup on South Street (1953) was written by Cindy I on 12 Feb 2010.
Pickup on South Street has generally received very positive reviews.
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