IMDb > Pickup on South Street (1953)
Pickup on South Street
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Pickup on South Street (1953) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   5,450 votes »
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Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Samuel Fuller
Writers:
Samuel Fuller (screenplay)
Dwight Taylor (story)
Contact:
View company contact information for Pickup on South Street on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 August 1953 (Japan) See more »
Genre:
Film-Noir | Thriller See more »
Tagline:
How the law took a chance on a B-girl... and won!
Plot:
A pickpocket unwittingly lifts a message destined for enemy agents and becomes a target for a Communist spy ring. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
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Film Of The Week: House of Bamboo
 (From GreenCine Daily. 23 August 2011, 12:49 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Grifters, B-girls, secret microfilm: great ingredients for film noir... See more (71 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Richard Widmark ... Skip McCoy
Jean Peters ... Candy

Thelma Ritter ... Moe Williams
Murvyn Vye ... Captain Dan Tiger

Richard Kiley ... Joey
Willis Bouchey ... Zara (as Willis B. Bouchey)
Milburn Stone ... Detective Winoki
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Parley Baer ... Headquarters Communist in Chair (uncredited)
George Berkeley ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Virginia Carroll ... Nurse (uncredited)
Harry Carter ... Detective Dietrich (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin ... Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper ... Detective Eddie (uncredited)
George Eldredge ... Fenton (uncredited)
John Gallaudet ... Detective Lt. Campion (uncredited)
Frank Kumagai ... Lum (uncredited)
Jay Loft-Lyn ... Microfilm Library Clerk (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery ... FBI Agent Ray (uncredited)
Ralph Moody ... Coffin Boat Captain (uncredited)
Roger Moore ... Mr. Victor (uncredited)
Jerry O'Sullivan ... FBI Agent Enyart (uncredited)
Vic Perry ... Lightning Louie aka Godkin (uncredited)
Stuart Randall ... Police Commissioner (uncredited)
Maurice Samuels ... Peddler (uncredited)
Henry Slate ... Detective MacGregor (uncredited)
Ray Stevens ... FBI Agent (uncredited)
George E. Stone ... Willie - Police Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook ... Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Wilson Wood ... Police Driver (uncredited)
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Directed by
Samuel Fuller 
 
Writing credits
Samuel Fuller (screenplay)

Dwight Taylor (story)

Produced by
Jules Schermer .... producer
 
Original Music by
Leigh Harline 
 
Cinematography by
Joseph MacDonald  (as Joe MacDonald)
 
Film Editing by
Nick DeMaggio  (as Nick De Maggio)
 
Art Direction by
George Patrick 
Lyle R. Wheeler  (as Lyle Wheeler)
 
Set Decoration by
Al Orenbach 
 
Costume Design by
Travilla 
 
Makeup Department
Ben Nye .... makeup artist
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard .... sound
Winston H. Leverett .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg .... special photographic effects
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire .... wardrobe director
Sam Benson .... wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Lionel Newman .... musical director
Edward B. Powell .... orchestrator (as Edward Powell)
Bernard Mayers .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
"Lange Finger - Harte Fäuste" - Austria, West Germany
"Polizei greift ein" - Austria, West Germany
"Alarm auf der South Street" - West Germany (TV title)
"Anjo do Mal" - Brazil
"Ficktjuven" - Sweden
"Gevaarlijke hand" - Belgium (Flemish title)
"Kieszonkowiec z South Street" - Poland (imdb display title)
"Le port de la drogue" - France
"Lommetyven" - Denmark
"Mãos Perigosas" - Portugal
"Main dangereuse" - Belgium (French title)
"Mano pericolosa" - Italy
"Manos peligrosas" - Spain
"O portofolas" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Pljacka u juznoj ulici" - Yugoslavia (Serbian title) (literal title)
"Taskuvaras" - Finland
"Zsebtolvaj" - Hungary (imdb display title)
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
80 min | Spain:75 min (DVD)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Germany:16 (DVD rating) (2004) | Australia:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16197)
Company:
Twentieth Century Fox Film CorporationSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on April 5, 1954 with Thelma Ritter reprising her film role.See more »
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At one point, Candy refers to an address in New York City on Houston Street (pronouncing it like John Huston or the Texas city). In reality, the street is pronounced "House-ton" - something known to every New Yorker.See more »
Quotes:
Skip McCoy:[after first kiss with Candy] Sometimes you look for oil, you hit a gusher.See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in L.A. Noire (2011) (VG)See more »
Soundtrack:
Mam'selleSee more »

FAQ

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
15 out of 16 people found the following review useful.
Grifters, B-girls, secret microfilm: great ingredients for film noir..., 29 October 2005
Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca

Director Samuel Fuller concocts a brilliant visual set-up to this gritty story: cocky pickpocket unwittingly lifts some microfilm from a woman's purse; it turns out she's a courier for the Communists, and now they are both being watched by the police. The noir formula in all its 1950s glory--before the ingredients became clichés--including waterfront locales, floozies, saxophones on the soundtrack, and one hell of a climactic fistfight. Performances by Richard Widmark and Jean Peters are right on target, and the smart, sharp script is quite colorful. Fabulous Thelma Ritter received an Oscar nomination for knockout supporting role as a "professional stoolie". Exciting, atmospheric, tough as nails. *** from ****

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Pickup on South Street (1953)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Thelma's Best... DavidtheMovieLover
Great fight scenes goopah
Richard Kiley Beating Jean Peters UAF-Nanooks
Popcorn Bucket List: Top-Five Picks and Pickpockets michael-mccann-858-974258
Two Script Complaints (Spoilers) H_Kivel
The Houston Street auction shop SylvesterMcMonkeyMcBean
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