What’s the matter with you? Playing footsie with the Commies!
Today on the Classic Movie Reviews Podcast, we are taking on Film-Noir Pickup on South Street (1953).
Sam Fuller wrote the screenplay and directed filming. This movie is rated 7.7 on iMDB.com[1]. The film does better on rottentomatoes.com with 91 percent on the Tomatometer and 89 percent audience approval[2]. When the film was released, reviews were somewhat mixed. In 1953, New York Time film critic Bosley Crowther said of the film:
“It looks very much as though someone is trying to out-bulldoze Mickey Spillane in Twentieth Century-Fox’s Pickup on South Street, … this highly embroidered presentation of a slice of life in the New York underworld not only returns Richard Widmark to a savage, arrogant role, but also uses Jean Peters blandly as an all-comers’ human punching-bag. Violence bursts in every sequence, and the conversation is slangy and corrupt. Even the genial Thelma Ritter plays a stool pigeon who gets her head blown off … Sensations he has in abundance and, in the delivery of them, Mr. Widmark, Miss Peters, Miss Ritter and all the others in the cast do very well. Murvyn Vye, as a cynical detective, is particularly caustic and good, and several other performers in lesser roles give the thing a certain tone[3].”
I think it is a tough and realistic slice of the criminal life. The abuse that hooker Candy takes is somewhat shocking to modern sensibilities but fits in within the plot of this film. I really enjoy all of the slang that was used in this film and I will talk about that a bit more at the end. So, let’s get on to the actors.
Actors – Pickup on South Street (1953)
Returning
Richard Widmark does a great job as angry pickpocket Skip McCoy. Widmark was first covered in The Long Ships (1964).
Thelma Ritter played Moe Williams, an elderly woman trying to eke out a living as a stool pigeon. Ritter was nominated for a best-supporting actress Oscar for this role. Ritter was first covered in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962).
Willis Bouchey was very good as the lead FBI agent Zara. Bouchey was first covered in The Violent Men (1955).
Richard Kiley played the sniveling Commie Joey. Kiley was first covered in The Phenix City Story (1955).
Milburn Stone has a small role as Detective Winoki. Stone was briefly mentioned in Gunsmoke and Star Trek are the Same Show.
New
Jean Peters was great as the hooker Candy, who was innocently mixed-up in the crime. Peters was born in Ohio in 1926[4]. She graduated from East Canton High School in 1944. While studying English at the University of Ohio, Peters won “Miss Ohio State University.” This helped her net a 7-year deal with Twentieth Century-Fox.
Her first film was Captain from Castile (1947) with Tyron Power. After the film, she started dating billionaire recluse, Howard Hughes. She appeared in Deep Waters (1948) but felt she could handle more complex roles. After she refused a couple of roles, her contract was terminated. Peters returned to Ohio for a time but continued to make movies. These films include Anne of the Indies (1951), the Elia Kazan directed Viva Zapata (1952), Lure of the Wilderness (1952), Film-Noirs Pickup on South Street (1953), and Niagara (1953), westerns Apache (1954) and Broken Lance (1954). Some of her best work was in Three Coins in the Fountain (1954). However, Peters was still not happy with her roles. She then appeared in the religious epic A Man Called Peter (1955) before marrying Howard Hughes and disappearing from films for 13-years. During the 1970s and 1980s, she did a little television work. Peters died in 2000.
Story – Pickup on South Street (1953)
A gorgeous streetwalker, Candy (Jean Peters), is riding on a crowded subway car in New York City. She has a look of contempt and disinterest. She is being closely watched by FBI Agent Zara (Willis Bouchey) and another agent.
People crowd on and off the train, shoving and jockeying for position. Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) walks next to Candy. It is easy to assume he is a policeman instead of what he really is, a canon or pickpocket. Skip makes eye contact with Zara before using a newspaper as a shield to remove Candy’s wallet from her purse. He steps off quickly at the next stop and the lawmen are unable to follow him.
The two agents follow Candy back to a building where she discovers her wallet is missing. She makes a phone call to Joey (Richard Kiley). Candy tells Joey that her purse must have been picked. She asks Joey if she should go see the person she was to meet but Joey tells her to return to the apartment.
Zara goes to the city police while the other agent continues to trail Candy. They give Zara the known pickpocket mug sheets. Zara says Candy has been passing military secrets, stored on microfilm, to the enemy. They know everyone except who the info was being dropped with, e.g., the man in the building.
Joey and Candy meet, and for the first time, she finds outs she was carrying microfilm. She seems to not know that she is working with Commies. Joey pushes her to find the pickpocket. He says she has the contacts to find the pickpocket in a sort of an insult.
Zara continues to go through the mug shots, but there are over 1,000 sheets. Police Captain Dan Tiger (Murvyn Vye) recommends that call Moe for a tip-off. Moe (Thelma Ritter) comes to the police station and she tries to sell a ties to the detective before getting to business. She is raising money to buy a plot and a headstone, so she won’t be buried in a Potter’s Field when she dies. They do some first-rate Film-Noir talk. Tiger is looking for a canon who binged a girl. Moe calls the mug sheets moll-buzzers and Tiger calls the FBI the big thumb. Moe tells the lawmen that with pickpockets, it is all technique. Zara tells the techniques Skip uses and Moe wants $50 for the name. They settle on $38.50 and she gives them the names of 8 pickpockets. They zero in on Skip and say he is a 3-time loser that is only a week out of prison. Zara confirms that Skip is the man. Moe tells the cops where Skip lives.
Skip is dropped off near the waterfront and walks to his hideout. It is a bait shed at the end of a fishing pier. You have to cross planks to get inside, and he has a box, for cooling drinks, that is lowered into the river. In the box is a false bottom where he stores his ill-gotten loot. He finds the microfilm in Candy’s bag and knows it’s important. The police show-up and he quickly reseals the bottom of the box. Detective Winoki (Milburn Stone) waits at the hideout while the other officer takes Skip to see Tiger.
Tiger has been suspended twice for hitting Skip. The two men don’t like each other. Skip is cool and acts like there is no charge against him. Zara is brought in and asks for the wallet. Zara tells that there is government information that was being delivered to the Commies. Skip denies he stole the wallet even though they offer him amnesty.
Skip retrieves the microfilm from his hideout. He is being followed by the police everywhere he goes. He finally ditches the cop in an elevator. He goes to the library to use a microfilm reader. It really wasn’t that long ago when we had to use these in school. He loads the microfilm and sees that it contains complex equations.
Candy meets with a Lightning Louie – aka Godkin (Vic Perry), who is eating in a Chinese restaurant. She pays him $20 for the location of Lighting Louie before he reveals it is him. It cost her another $20 to get the address for Moe.
Candy travels to Moe’s place, which is located above a tattoo parlor. She tells Moe she was sent by Lighting Louie. Moe gets offended when Candy calls her a stoolie. Moe quizzes Candy about what was in the wallet. Moe wants $50 happy money for Skip’s name.
Skip comes back to his hideout at night and punches someone who is ransacking his place. It turns out to be Cindy. He searches her purse and finds a tie from Moe. He pulls his beer box out of the river and pours beer on Cindy to wake her. She demands her wallet, and he questions her about Moe’s price. She tells that she is looking for some film. While rubbing her jaw, Skip plants a big old lip lock on Candy. Then he rudely throws her out.
Zara and Tiger are outside watching the joint. Zara follows Candy, and Tiger goes to interrogate Skip. Tiger says he will wash all convictions against Skip if he turns over the microfilm. Tiger leaves mad after Skip refuses to deal.
Candy tells Joey about Moe and Skip. Joey won’t go to make a deal with Skip. Candy refuses to go back. Joey gives her $500 and tells her to offer Skip $50 and then $100. She returns to Skip’s place. He is sitting on the dock below the bait shop. They both work to seduce and feel each other out. They start kissing again. Candy says she is falling for Skip. When she tells him she has $500, he says he wants real money from you Commies. Candy has no idea she has been working for the Reds. When he calls her a Red, she slaps him. He takes the money and shoves her out and says he wants 25k for the microfilm.
Candy meets with Joey and two other men. She finally realizes that Joey and the others are Commies, and she has been doing their dirty work. One of the men leaves a gun for Joey and says for him to get the film. She sends Joey to a fake address. She goes to Moe’s and asks for advice. Candy has really fallen for Skip.
Skip is eating at a riverside café, and Moe comes in to see him. She warns that Joey is out to kill him. Moe can’t believe Skip would work with the Commies. She tells him that Candy is okay. Moe gives Skip the advice to stop using his hands and to use his head.
Moe makes it back to her place and gets ready for bed. Joey is in the room. He offers her $500 for Skip’s address. Joey threatens to kill her. She says she is already about to die. She says she won’t do business with a Commie. Moe realizes that if she dies now, she won’t get the fancy funeral. She is okay with that, and Joey shoots her.
Two detectives burst into Skip’s place and arrest Skip for the murder of Moe. When they have him outside, the FBI man that has been watching the house says Skip was there when Moe was murdered. He finds out that Moe’s body is being taken to Potter’s Field in the morning. Skip goes to the pre-dawn boat and claims Moe’s body.
Skip makes it back to his place after sunup. Candy is asleep in his hammock. He checks her purse for money. Candy tells that Moe was killed because she wouldn’t sell out Skip. They have a mutual support hug, and they both feel a little better. Skip says he wants to turn the cops on Joey. When Candy gives him the address, he says that Joey better have the 25g. He pulls the microfilm out of its’ hiding place. Candy can’t believe Skip is going to work with the Commies and she clunks him in the head with a beer bottle. She takes the microfilm and leaves.
Candy goes to the police station and turns the microfilm over to Tiger and Zara. She says Skip sent her. Candy comes clean about everything and says she will tell them all about the Commies. She says she didn’t know that Joey was a Red. Zara gives Candy the microfilm to take back to Joey. They will then be able to get the big man when the microfilm is transferred.
Candy is waiting in a bubble bath when Joey shows up. She robes up and goes outside. Joey is concerned about the fake address Candy gave him. Joey forgets about getting mean when she gives him the microfilm. Joey checks the film and finds a frame missing. Joey starts beating the crap out of Candy, and when she tries to escape, he shoots her. Good police protection. Joey finds Skip’s address in Candy’s purse and escapes with the film down the dumb waiter.
Candy is still alive when the police get there. Zara is too smart and orders his man to check the dumb waiter. When the doors open at the bottom, Joey jumps out and knocks the cop out cold. The cop later dies. They put everyone they can on the case. They are ordered to follow Joey if he is seen.
Candy is fighting the nurse while she waits for Skip to arrive. Skip comes in, and Candy tells him that a frame is missing. Skip has the frame. Candy says she would rather have a live pickpocket than a dead traitor. Skip finds outs she took the beating to save Skip and he softens his view of her. He kisses her sweetly before returning to his place to wait on Joey.
Joey and another Commie come to Skip’s. Skip hides on the dock below the house. The head Commie sends Joey to deliver what he has. Skip crosses under and swings on a hook to follow Joey. Skip follows Joey onto the subway train, where he pickpockets a gun from Joey. Joey leaves the train and goes into the men’s room. Skip follows and sees the transfer of the film to another Commie. Skip then punches the man with the film, but Joey makes it out. Skip follows and he and Joey have a fight through the subway then continue onto the tracks. Skip soundly beats Joey.
Skip is released from jail, and Candy is there looking brand new. Tiger says Skip will always be a pickpocket, but Candy says, ‘you want to bet?’
Summary – Pickup on South Street (1953)
The working title of this film was Canon, which is slang for a pickpocket. Thinking people would think it was a war film they change to Pickpocket. They then decided that sounded too European. I don’t understand. They finally settled for Pickup on South Street.
The French film board had a large number of Communist-leaning members. They did not like the film portraying the commies in such a bad light. They subtitled the film in French and made the story about drug dealers. This is similar to what was done for the horrible <Film-Noir Big Jim McLain (1952) that dealt with Communist spies. However, in the case of this John Wayne bomb, it was done to make the movie more interesting.
The language used in this film was fascinating. Some of the terms include Canon for a pickpocket, fan for a police pat-down, moll-buzzers, if I understand correctly, is men who rob women, the big thumb for FBI or head agency, kitty for money stash, binged for robbed, broom for search, and muffin for female.
If you are interested in Film-Noir terms, check out my illustrated ABC book, The ABC’s of Film-Noir, which is available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle.
World-Famous Short Summary – Hooker with a heart of gold, not the way to bet
Beware
the moors
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046187/
[2] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pickup_on_south_street
[3] Crowther, Bosley (June 18, 1953). “Pickup on South Street Mixes Underworld Goons With Communist Spies”. The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2008.
[4] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0676492/bio
