ThrillerCrime

Pickup on South Street

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

In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. Unaware that she has been making deliveries of highly classified information to the communists, Candy, who has been trailed by FBI agents for months in hopes of nabbing the spy ringleader, is sent by her ex-boyfriend, Joey, to find Skip and retrieve the valuable microfilm he now holds.

Release Date : 1953-05-27

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : 20th Century Fox

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Skip McCoy

Original Name : Richard Widmark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Candy

Original Name : Jean Peters

Gender : Female

Character Name : Moe Williams

Original Name : Thelma Ritter

Gender : Female

Character Name : Captain Dan Tiger

Original Name : Murvyn Vye

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joey

Original Name : Richard Kiley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Zara

Original Name : Willis Bouchey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Winoki

Original Name : Milburn Stone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Headquarters Communist in Chair (uncredited)

Original Name : Parley Baer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lum (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Kumagai

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nurse (uncredited)

Original Name : Virginia Carroll

Gender : Female

Character Name : Detective Dietrich (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Carter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Eddie (uncredited)

Original Name : Clancy Cooper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective MacGregor (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Slate

Gender : Male

Character Name : Subway Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Heinie Conklin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fenton (uncredited)

Original Name : George Eldredge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Lieutenant Campion (uncredited)

Original Name : John Gallaudet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Alan Reed

Gender : Male

Character Name : Library Worker (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Haines

Gender : Male

Character Name : Microfilm Library Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Jay Loft-Lyn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ray, FBI Agent (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Montgomery

Gender : Male

Character Name : FBI Agent Enyart (uncredited)

Original Name : Jerry O'Sullivan

Gender : Male

Character Name : FBI Agent (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Stevens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Coffin Boat Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Moody

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Victor (uncredited)

Original Name : Roger Moore

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lightning Louie (uncredited)

Original Name : Vic Perry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Willie, Police Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : George E. Stone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elevator Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : King Mojave

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elevator Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Tenbrook

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Commissioner (uncredited)

Original Name : Stuart Randall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Wilson Wood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peddler (uncredited)

Original Name : Maurice Samuels

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : George Berkeley

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Forget the communist fervour and delve deeper. Skip McCoy is a three time loser pick pocket, unable to curb his instincts back on the street, he picks the purse of Candy on a subway train. What he doesn't realise is that Candy is carrying top secret microfilm, microfilm that is of high interest to many many organisations. Director Samuel Fuller has crafted an exceptional drama set amongst the seedy underworld of New York City. Communist spies and shady government operatives all blend together to make Pickup On South Street a riveting viewing from first minute to the last. Based around a Dwight Taylor story called "Blaze Of Glory", Fuller infused this adaptation with a heavy set political agenda, something that many at the time felt was over done, but to only focus on the anti communist leanings is doing it a big disservice. Digging a little deeper and you find characters as intriguing as any that Fuller has directed. The main protagonist for one is the hero of the piece, a crook and a shallow human being, his heroics are not born out of love for his country, they are born out of his sheer stubborn streak. It's quite an achievement that Fuller has crafted one of the best anti heroes of the 1950s, and I'm sure he was most grateful to the performance of Richard Widmark as McCoy. Widmark is all grin and icy cold heart, his interplay with the wonderful Jean Peters as Candy is excellent and is the film's heart. However, it is the Oscar nominated Thelma Ritter who takes the acting honours, her Moe is strong and as seedy as the surrounding characters, but there is a tired warmth to her that Ritter conveys majestically. It's a "B" movie in texture but an "A" film in execution, Pickup On South Street is a real classy and entertaining film that is one of the best from its most intriguing director. 9/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-06-21

Richard Widmark is quite effective in this quickly paced espionage thriller. He's a petty thief whom we see lifting something from a woman's purse on a busy subway train. He's not the only one watching her, though, and as he makes his exit he narrowly avoids capture the police. Why are others watching this woman? Well it turns out that she is suspected of passing secrets to the communists and that the police reckon the purse purse contains evidence. Of course, "Skip" (Widmark) knows nothing of this but is soon working with the authorities to find "Candy" (Jean Peters), trace her compatriots and thwart the deceit. Thelma Ritter always adds value - if perhaps not versatility - and it features a tightly knit supporting cast as Samuel Fuller keeps the dialogue focussed and the pace deft before quite an exciting ending. It does play a little to cold war politics and paranoia, but it's still a superior cat and mouse thriller well worth a watch.