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!
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!