I came awfully close to giving this film a 10 but I only reserve this for a very select number of films--and, at least in my semi-humble opinion, too many 10s are given out. A 10 implies a truly great film--the best among the very best. While "Thieve's Highway" is a great film, it didn't quite make it to this level...but it came darn close! Why, then, isn't it better known? It is terrific. Perhaps some of this might be that there are an awful lot of dumb people who just won't watch older black & white films. And, perhaps some of this is because the director, Jules Dassin, was blacklisted in the 1950s and lost favor among American audiences (though his reputation soared once he went o Europe to make films). Whatever the reasons, this film should be seen by more people--particularly young film makers, as they can learn a lot about how to make an exceptional and realistic film with a relatively low budget.
"Thieve's Highway" is, in many ways, like a Film Noir movie without cops or detectives. It's also a lot like the later film "The Wages of Fear"--another exceptional film. The camera angles and style are pure noir and the presence of an evil gangster-like "businessman" (Lee J. Cobb) really reminded me of this films style. I have always liked Cobb in films and he made a great heavy. Here, he is totally despicable as a produce wholesaler who isn't above stealing, beating up truckers or other underhanded behaviors to make a buck. His counterpart is Richard Conte--a highly underrated actor who had a knack for playing John Garfield-like guys--but with a touch more realism. To make things better, there are some wonderful supporting actors who make the film--such as Jack Oakie, Millard Mitchell (another underrated actor whose face you probably will recognize) and Valentina Cortese (rather unknown but very effective here). Also buried within the cast is Joseph Pevney--a guy whose real success came in directing such notable TV shows as "Star Trek" (such as "The Trouble With Tribbles") and a zillion other shows.
The film begins with Nick (Conte) returning home to visit him immigrant parents. However, he's shocked to find that his father has lost his legs--and it's due to the scum-bag Mike Figlia (Cobb) whose thugs caused an accident that crippled him. To boot, Figlia then refused to pay him for the shipment--claiming he'd already paid him. Because of this, Nick is determined both to keep the family's trucking business going AND give Figlia his comeuppance. There is much, much more to the story than this, but I'll leave the rest of it for you to see for yourself.
Suffice to say, the writing, acting and direction were first-rate and it's among the best of the late 1940s--and a definite must-see. Exciting, realistic and intelligently made from start to finish. See this movie!!
"Thieve's Highway" is, in many ways, like a Film Noir movie without cops or detectives. It's also a lot like the later film "The Wages of Fear"--another exceptional film. The camera angles and style are pure noir and the presence of an evil gangster-like "businessman" (Lee J. Cobb) really reminded me of this films style. I have always liked Cobb in films and he made a great heavy. Here, he is totally despicable as a produce wholesaler who isn't above stealing, beating up truckers or other underhanded behaviors to make a buck. His counterpart is Richard Conte--a highly underrated actor who had a knack for playing John Garfield-like guys--but with a touch more realism. To make things better, there are some wonderful supporting actors who make the film--such as Jack Oakie, Millard Mitchell (another underrated actor whose face you probably will recognize) and Valentina Cortese (rather unknown but very effective here). Also buried within the cast is Joseph Pevney--a guy whose real success came in directing such notable TV shows as "Star Trek" (such as "The Trouble With Tribbles") and a zillion other shows.
The film begins with Nick (Conte) returning home to visit him immigrant parents. However, he's shocked to find that his father has lost his legs--and it's due to the scum-bag Mike Figlia (Cobb) whose thugs caused an accident that crippled him. To boot, Figlia then refused to pay him for the shipment--claiming he'd already paid him. Because of this, Nick is determined both to keep the family's trucking business going AND give Figlia his comeuppance. There is much, much more to the story than this, but I'll leave the rest of it for you to see for yourself.
Suffice to say, the writing, acting and direction were first-rate and it's among the best of the late 1940s--and a definite must-see. Exciting, realistic and intelligently made from start to finish. See this movie!!