Steve Morgan (Lawrence Tierney) pulls off a heist and kills the cashier. Fleeing the police, he hitches a ride with love-sick Jimmy Ferguson (Ted North), who is on his way back home to his wife after a work party. They stop at a gas station where Morgan's bad attitude rubs off on night watchman Joe (Andrew Tombes). Steve invites two women to tag along and they set off again, only for Joe to report Steve to the police after he hears a warning on the radio. A road block is set up, blocking their path, so Steve suggests they go to the beach house of Steve's boss as Jimmy stinks of booze. While there, the group start to learn the truth about Steve's crime and just what he is capable of.The Devil Thumbs a Ride has picked up a cult following over the years from B-movie historians and fans of film noir. What makes it stand out amongst the endless list of B-movie noirs is the extremely gritty tone, and the sadistic, sociopathic character of Steve, coldly played to perfection by Tierney. This is noir at its nastiest. Steve will do anything to simply buy himself more time, including drowning a woman in plain sight. Sure, there are problems - the film is far too short at a mere 60 minutes and could do with some more character development, and Joe's tagging along with the police seems a bit silly - but this is a tightly wrapped quickie that leaves its mark regardless. If you can find it, I would urge you to see it, as although there are plenty of much better noirs out there, this is a fine example of how directors could get away with nasty themes and despicable characters if they placed them in a noir setting. Tough, impressive stuff.
Directed by: Felix E. Feist
Starring: Lawrence Tierney, Ted North, Nan Leslie
Country: USA
Rating: ****
Tom Gillespie
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