Thieves' Highway
Encyclopedia
Thieves' Highway is a 1949
film noir
directed by Jules Dassin
. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides
, based on his novel Thieves' Market.
) arrives at home to find his foreign-born father, who is a farmer, crippled. He learns that his father was crippled at the hands of an amoral produce dealer in San Francisco, Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb
). Garcos vows revenge.
Garcos 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.
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.
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
directed by Jules Dassin
Jules Dassin
Julius "Jules" Dassin , was an American film director, with Jewish-Russian origins. He was a subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, and subsequently moved to France where he revived his career.-Early life:...
. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides
A. I. Bezzerides
A.I. " Buzz" Bezzerides, , was an American novelist and screenwriter, best known for writing Noir and Action motion pictures, especially several of Warners' "social conscience" films of the 1940s....
, based on his novel Thieves' Market.
Plot
A war-veteran-turned-truck driver Nico "Nick" Garcos (Richard ConteRichard Conte
Richard Conte was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films from the 1940s through 1970s, including I'll Cry Tomorrow and The Godfather.-Life and career:...
) arrives at home to find his foreign-born father, who is a farmer, crippled. He learns that his father was crippled at the hands of an amoral produce dealer in San Francisco, Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
). Garcos vows revenge.
Garcos 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 ConteRichard ConteRichard Conte was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films from the 1940s through 1970s, including I'll Cry Tomorrow and The Godfather.-Life and career:...
as Nico "Nick" Garcos - Valentina Cortese as Rica
- Lee J. CobbLee J. CobbLee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
as Mike Figlia - Barbara Lawrence as Polly Faber
- Jack OakieJack OakieJack Oakie was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television.-Early life:...
as Slob - Millard MitchellMillard MitchellMillard Mitchell was an American character actor whose credits include roughly thirty feature films and two television appearances....
as Ed Kinney - Joseph PevneyJoseph PevneyJoseph Pevney was an American film and television director.-Biography:Pevney was born on September 15, 1911 in New York City, New York.He made his debut in vaudeville as a boy soprano in 1924...
as Pete - Morris CarnovskyMorris CarnovskyMorris Carnovsky was an American stage and film actor born in St. Louis, Missouri. He worked briefly in the Yiddish theatre before attending Washington University in St. Louis...
as Yanko Garcos - Tamara ShayneTamara ShayneTamara Shayne was a Russian-born actress long resident in the United States....
as Parthena Garcos - Kasia Orzazewski as Mrs. Polansky
- Norbert Schiller as Mr. Polansky
- Hope EmersonHope Emerson-Early life:Emerson was born in Hawarden, Iowa. Following her graduation from West High School in Des Moines in 1916, she moved to New York City where she performed in vaudeville.-Career:...
as Midge, a buyer
Background
The film was shot on location in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
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.
External links
- Thieves' Highway selected scene at You Tube
- Thieves' Highway essay at the Criterion Collection by Michael Sragow