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To me, this movie is perfection.

Great Film overall

Good movie but grossly overrated

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This is a little-seen film noir that doesn't quite live up to its hype but comes pretty damn close.Starring that quintessential bad guy, Lawrence Tierney (who was a bad guy in his personal life as well which eventually sank his career)this film is truly deranged. Tierney goes on a killing spree and ties up with an innocent and very gullible salesman, played by Ted North, whoever he was. They go careening up the California coast, picking up a couple of hitchhiking girls on the way and end up in a beach house where they hide from the police. Some more killing takes place and then it ends. Doesn't sound like much, does it? But what makes it a part of noir history is the chilling performance of Tierney. He may have been the toughest looking, meanest guy in B-movie history and he plays it to the hilt. He is the reason to search out this film.

The Devil Thumbs a Ride is basically just your classic 40's B-movie; it's cheap and there are a lot of things wrong with it, but it's also fast moving and very entertaining, which makes it very easy to forgive all the flaws and just sit back and enjoy the film. It soon becomes clear that the film was made with little budget as it looks very cheap and most of the acting is terrible; but we launch straight into the plot with minimum hanging around and the fact that the film is only an hour long means that there's no filler and the film sticks to the important stuff. The film focuses on a straight up but very naive guy who calls himself Fergie. Fergie is on his way home from a party, and makes a regrettable decision when he decides to pick up a hitchhiker in the form of Steve Morgan. Steve Morgan is a thief turned murderer and on the run from the cops. The pair stops at a gas station where they pick up a couple of broads, but not before Steve manages to insult the plucky young gas station attendant. The quartet continue their trip, and Steve soon realises he has to take steps to conceal his identity.The hitchhiker theme would go on to become one of the staples of the horror/thriller genre with films like The Hitcher being the best of them. I don't know the entire history of the genre; but this film is surely one of the earliest examples. The film does have its fair share of problems, however. The script is at times ridiculous and the plot would have completely fallen apart if three of the central characters had more than a single brain cell between them. The comedy elements are also extremely misplaced in such a dark film (although I guess they are there to relieve the audience somewhat as there weren't a great deal of films darker than this one around in 1947!). I know the thing I'll remember about this film longer than anything else is the central performance from Lawrence Tierney, who is excellent in the lead role. He cuts a truly imposing figure and really does put his supporting cast to shame; in particular Ted North who doesn't manage to convince at all, particularly during his shouting scenes. Still, problems aside; this is a thrilling and very entertaining little thriller that kept my interest for the duration (even if it was only an hour) and even manages a couple of well worked twists at the end. Check this one out if you can!

Jimmy 'Fergie' Ferguson is a pretty dumb travelling salesman who gives a late night ride to Steve Morgan(Lawrence Tierney),a man on the lam from the cops after a daring armed robbery went wrong leaving a guard dead.While stopping at a gas station Morgan offers a ride to two damsels in distress who are going their way,Morgan thinks it will help cover his tracks but the gas station attendant is a police informer and recognizes Morgan from police descriptions and soon the police are on their tails.Fergie himself has been drinking heavily and Morgan uses this as a ruse for his dodging the cops but as the heat mounts and they dodge roadblocks,Morgan whose ID is still not known to the occupents suggests they take the heat off and go to the nearby beach house owned by one of Fergie's workmates,it is here that the Devil in Morgan appears. There are a few well developed sub plots within this short but pacey thriller,the cops are given a humorous and a very relaxed crime fighting spirit,the crimes tending to interfere too much with their poker games,The card shark gas attendant who takes their money is also given a humorous side but all characters are given time to develop.Betty Lawford as the tough blonde Agnes is very good and is a good foil for the more sheltered brunette Carol Demming an aspiring actress who Morgan takes an immediate shine to,the feeling is not mutual.Ted North as Fergie is perhaps the least successful character,his role serving little more than a starting point for the film to gather pace but it is without doubt the performance of Tierney that steals the show,a real life tough guy whose menace is never in any doubt.Often compared to Ulmer's Detour and Lupino's Hitchhiker,The Devil Thumbs a Ride is perhaps left a little wanting in such high brow company,but it still remains a fun and exciting entry in the RKO back catalogue and despite its wonderfully descriptive title isn't really that violent,most of the violence occurring off screen.See it if you get a chance

I saw this many years ago on AMC. I barely remember the story, but I do remember that it was a very effective piece of noir. I've wanted to see it again, but it is extremely hard to come by. It isn't on video or DVD, and it rarely appears at revival theatres. If you ever have the chance to catch this on AMC or TCM, do whatever you can to see it. I definitely put it up there with "Detour" and "They Walked By Night". Great stuff.