The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947)
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46% of users liked it
(141 ratings)
Not by any means a great film, The Devil Thumbs a Ride nonetheless has an indefinable audience allure that sucks the viewer into its labyrinthine storyline and doesn't let go until the fade-out. Lawrence Tierney plays Steve Morgan, a charming but utterly sociopathic criminal who has just robbed… More Not by any means a great film, The Devil Thumbs a Ride nonetheless has an indefinable audience allure that sucks the viewer into its labyrinthine storyline and doesn't let go until the fade-out. Lawrence Tierney plays Steve Morgan, a charming but utterly sociopathic criminal who has just robbed and killed a movie theater cashier. Morgan hitches a ride with inebriated conventioneer Jimmy Furguson (Ted North). Later on, Furguson picks up two more hitchhikers: virginal Beulah Zorn (Nan Leslie) and good-time girl Agnes Smith (Betty Lawford). When circumstances lead Jimmy to believe that Steve is the fugitive whom the cops are looking for, Morgan sweet-talks his way into everyone's confidence. Before he knows what's happening, Jimmy is holed up in a beach house while Steve parties with Beulah and Agnes. Not even the most fervent of film noir fans will be able to predict the outcome of this one. Long ignored by movie buffs, The Devil Thumbs a Ride gained a large following through repeated TV showings in the 1960s and '70s. It is now considered so representative of its genre that one film historian used the film's title for a collection of his essays on B-melodramas. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Felix E. Feist
- Genres
- Drama, Classics, Cult Movies
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Feb 20, 1947 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Lawrence Tierney's particular brand of sinister menace makes this "B" film one of the most jaw-dropping, startling examples of film noir I've ever seen.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It ends up as a ride to nowhere.
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Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
This programmer from RKO has most of the things you'd expect from a low-budget noir, and just enough innovation to please the casual fan.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Lawrence Tierney
as Steve Morgan
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Ted North
as Jimmy "Fergie" Ferguson
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Nan Leslie
as Carol Demming
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Betty Lawford
as Agnes Smith
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Andrew Tombes
as Joe Brayden
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Harry Shannon
as Owens
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Glenn Vernon
as Gas Station Attendant
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Marian Carr
as Diane Ferguson
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William Gould
as Capt. Martin
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Josephine Whittell
as Diane's mother
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Philip Warren
as Pete
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Robert Malcolm Young
as Sheriff
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Arthur Q. Bryan
as Mac (man with dog)
