A Pickup on South Street 1953

     Skip McCoy makes his living as a pickpocket.  He can take something out of your purse or pocket and you don’t notice it at all!!  He picks the purse of Candy on a crowded New York Subway.  What he doesn’t know is that what he pocketed was a piece of top-secret microfilm.  It was to be passed to Candy’s consort, a Communist agent.  The police and Candy discover who the pickpocket his and where he lives through Moe Williams.  She sells ties and she also rats on people to get money.  She's saving her money because she doesn’t want to be buried in Potters Field!!  Candy goes to the shack on the water where Skip lives.  She tries to cozy up to him to get the film back.  Skip is too smart to fall for any of Candy’s tricks!!  Candy, Skip and Moe don’t realize the lengths the Communists will go to in order to get the film back!!

     Since this film is from 1953, I can say that Candy is one tough broad!!  Skip socks her in the jaw and it knocks her out cold onto the floor.  She gets roughed up by her Communist partner and thrown around her apartment.  I really wonder if Skip would be able to live year-round in New York in a bait shack on the water?  No windows, sleeping in a hammock and what about the cold New York winter climate??  Boats come by all the time and they are not quiet like in this film???  In a LOT of these older films, the plots take a stretch with the truth!!  3 ½* (I liked this movie)   

     

80 min, Crime directed and written by Samuel Fuller and Dwight Taylor also writing with Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter, Murvyn Vye, Richard Kiley Willis Bouchey, Milburn Stone.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 91% critic 89% audience, Letterboxd average 3.9* out of 5* with 20 reviews, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 81 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Century City, West 6^th Street and Grand Avenue, 523 West 6^th Street, Los Angeles, California.  New York Public Library, South Street; 400 Broome Street, Manhattan, New York City; Kent Avenue and North 6^th street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.  Marilyn Monroe was originally to be cast in the role of Candy and Samuel Fuller liked her very much.  He decided she was wrong for the part because of her “overwhelming sensuality!”  Betty Grable also wanted the role of Candy but she demanded a dance number.  Fuller refused the dance number and then he decided Jean Peters was a better selection.  This is the last of four films in four successive years with Thelma Ritter.  She was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this role and also for All About Eve 1950, The Mating Season 1951 and With a Song in My Heart 1952.