ThrillerCrime

The Devil Thumbs a Ride

- He'll kill until he dies!

Steve Morgan kills a man in a holdup and hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Fergie. At a gas station, they 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, the others learn that Morgan is a killer.

Release Date : 1947-02-20

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RKO Radio Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Steve Morgan

Original Name : Lawrence Tierney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jimmy 'Fergie' Ferguson

Original Name : Ted North

Gender : Male

Character Name : Beulah Zorn, alias Carol Demming

Original Name : Nan Leslie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Agnes Smith

Original Name : Betty Lawford

Gender : Female

Character Name : Joe Brayden, Night Watchman

Original Name : Andrew Tombes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Owens, San Diego Police

Original Name : Harry Shannon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Diane Ferguson

Original Name : Marian Carr

Gender : Female

Character Name : Police Capt. Martin, San Diego Police

Original Name : William Gould

Gender : Male

Character Name : Diane's mother

Original Name : Josephine Whittell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Pete, Roadblock Motorcycle Cop

Original Name : Phil Warren

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy Sheriff Grover

Original Name : Robert Malcolm

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jack Kenny, Gas Station Attendant

Original Name : Glen Vernon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pearl (uncredited)

Original Name : Dorothy Granger

Gender : Female

Character Name :

Original Name : Chuck Hamilton

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Bert LeBaron

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Victor Potel

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Minerva Urecal

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mack Wilkins (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Elliott

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947) The Tierney Terror. The Devil Thumbs a Ride is directed and written by Felix E. Feist. It stars Lawrence Tierney, Ted North, Nan Leslie, Betty Lawford, Andrew Tombes, Harry Shannon, Glen Vernon and Marian Carr. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by J. Roy Hunt. After just robbing a San Diego theater and killing the manager, Steve Morgan (Tierney) hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Jimmy Ferguson (North), a trusting young salesman. After a stop at a gas station, the two men pick up a couple of dames looking for a ride, and soon Morgan is manipulating everyone so as to stay ahead of the cops looking for him. Compact at just over an hour in length, The Devil Thumbs a Ride thrives on account of Tierney’s strong performance. He in turn exudes a charming veneer and a cold hearted darkness that unnerves throughout. The set-up is pretty thin and even the most forgiving of noir fans will attest that the sheer idiocy of the other passengers beggars belief. No matter what Morgan does, however crazy or evil, he will spin a yarn and the dopes fall for it. While a plot strand that sees the head detective take a member of the public with him in pursuit of Morgan, is pushing it a bit too far. Still, once the four of them reach a beach house belonging to a friend of Ferguson, the picture gathers apace and the drama explodes to reveal its bloody denouement. Good noirish characters and Tierney on form ensure it’s never less than entertaining, though the weakness of the writing asks a lot of the audience. 6/10