Thieves' Highway
| Thieves' Highway | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jules Dassin |
| Produced by | Robert Bassler |
| Screenplay by | A. I. Bezzerides |
| Based on |
Thieves' Market 1949 novel by A. I. Bezzerides |
| Starring |
Richard Conte Valentina Cortese Lee J. Cobb Barbara Lawrence |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Edited by | Nick DeMaggio |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US rentals)[1] |
Thieves' Highway is a 1949 film noir directed by Jules Dassin.[2] The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides, based on his novel Thieves' Market.[3]
Plot
A war-veteran-turned-truck driver Nico "Nick" Garcos (Richard Conte) arrives at home to find that his foreign-born father, a fruit farmer, has lost his legs and was forced to sell his truck. He learns that his father was crippled at the hands of an unscrupulous produce dealer in San Francisco, Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb). Garcos vows revenge.
Garcos goes into business with Ed Kinney, who bought the Garcos truck, and drives a truckload of apples to San Francisco, where he runs into Figlia. With the help of other drivers and a streetwalker (Valentina Cortese), he defeats Figlia and restores his family honor.
Cast
- Richard Conte as Nico "Nick" Garcos
- Valentina Cortese as Rica
- Lee J. Cobb as Mike Figlia
- Barbara Lawrence as Polly Faber
- Jack Oakie as Slob
- Millard Mitchell as Ed Kinney
- Joseph Pevney as Pete
- Morris Carnovsky as Yanko Garcos
- Tamara Shayne as Parthena Garcos
- Kasia Orzazewski as Mrs. Polansky
- Norbert Schiller as Mr. Polansky
- Hope Emerson as Midge, a buyer
Background
Dana Andrews and Victor Mature were originally announced for the lead.[4]
The film was shot on location in San Francisco, California, and is noted for its accurate depiction of the vibrant fruit and produce market in that city (and the use of extras who worked at the market). The film was released on DVD as part of the Criterion Collection in 2005.
The outdoor Fruit Market scenes were shot in the Oakland Produce Market area on 3rd street. Several indoor and street shots were also made in that locale. The story discusses San Francisco, and does feature the city, but the majority of scenes were in the actual Produce Market in Oakland (now the Warehouse district).
References
- ↑ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History Rowman & Littlefield, 2002 p 223
- ↑ "The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time". Paste. August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
- ↑ Thieves' Highway at the Internet Movie Database.
- ↑ METRO ACQUIRES 'BODIES AND SOUL': Studio Buys French Novel for $40,000 -- Hodiak Gets Role in 'Command Decision' By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 01 Apr 1948: 29
External links
- Thieves' Highway at the Internet Movie Database
- Thieves' Highway at AllMovie
- Thieves' Highway at the TCM Movie Database
- Thieves' Highway at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Thieves' Highway essay at the Criterion Collection by Michael Sragow
- Thieves' Highway selected scene on YouTube