The 'Hitch-Hiker' is a genre-shaping thriller

The Hitch-Hiker (1954)
Starring: Frank Lovejoy, Edmund O'Brien, William Talman, and Jose Torvay

Director: Ida Lupino

Rating: Eight of Nine Stars

A pair of friends (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) find themselves at the mercy of a psychopath when they give a ride to the wrong hitchhiker (William Talman). 

"The Hitch-Hiker" is an acclaimed thriller co-written and directed by Ida Lupino, an actress who turned to directing and producing during a time when she was fighting with Studio Bosses over the sort of roles they kept giving her versus the parts she wanted to play. She went onto direct, write, and/or produce ten movies and over 100 episodes of television series ranging from westerns, to dramas, to comedies. 

The tension you feel as this film unfolds is amazing, fueled by great camera-work, well-chosen locations, great lighting, and the performances of the three principal actors. It is also blessed with a perfectly paced script and tight editing. William Talman is especially effective as the psychotic killer. If you liked him as Perry Mason's courtroom adversary on the television series, you'll love him in this one. 

"The Hitch-Hiker" (1953) is a chilling film that will keep you guessing as to how it will all end up until literally the final fade-out. It becomes even a little more scary when you consider it was based on real events, and that Talman's character was based on an actual killer who preyed upon motorists and took two friends hostage in a fashion similar to what happens in the film. Even Talman's strange, unsettling quirks are echoes of the real-life murderer.

This film has been the inspiration/model for dozens of similarly themed chillers, and it holds up nicely to comparisons with any of those that followed. Fittingly, it was added to the U.S. National Film Registry in 1998.

You can enjoy this excellent film by clicking below. Go microwave some popcorn, grab a drink, and lean back and enjoy "The Hitch-Hiker"!