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Pickup on South Street (1953)
In director Sam Fuller's action-packed
film - it was a raw, hard-boiled, Cold War-era, crime-noir thriller.
Due to a chance encounter, the plot became embroiled involving distrust,
violence, and a fateful sexual attraction between the two lead characters.
The film became known for its savage brutality against the femme
fatale -
from both her snarling future lover and ex-lover:
- in the opening scene set
on a crowded New York subway during rush-hour, tough-minded pickpocket
Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark), a recently-released ex-con known
as a "cannon," edged flirtatiously close to femme fatale Candy (Jean Peters)
to make her his latest petty-theft robbery victim. He stole/fingered
(symbolically filmed like a violating rape) sensitive government/military
microfilm contained in an envelope (bound for Communist spies with
her as the unsuspecting courier) from her opened purse as two other
FBI agents were conducting surveillance; FBI agents Zara (Willis
Bouchey) and Enyart (Jerry O'Sullivan), looked on helplessly; McCoy
didn't realize he had inadvertently obtained stolen US microfilm
to be smuggled out of the country by Communist spies
- Candy met with her shady ex-boyfriend/loverJoey
(Richard Kiley) and told him about the theft; he falsely told her he was selling classified business secrets
to a rival firm: ("a new patent
for a chemical formula"). Unbeknownst to the mistreated Candy,
Joey was actually an exploitative courier-contact
working for the Communists. He had asked her for a final favor to
deliver an envelope with the microfilm. He was upset about the loss
and convinced her as an ex-prostitute with seedy connections: ("You
know people who know people"), to locate the pickpocket and
retrieve the microfilm
- Skip was then identified as a possible suspect by
stool-pigeon police informant Moe Williams (Oscar-nominated Thelma
Ritter), an embittered, elderly, world-weary, necktie-seller and
information street peddler, for a reduced fee of $38.50
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Moe Williams (Thelma Ritter) Acting as Police
Informant to Captain Dan Tiger
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- an ex-con who had recently been released from prison, McCoy was called in
to be questioned by Police Captain Dan Tiger (Murvyn Vye) and government
agent Zara. It was revealed that FBI agents had been trailing Candy
for six months to identify and apprehend the organization's mysterious
ringleader, nicknamed "Mr. Big." After Skip professed
his innocence to the authorities and denied stealing the
microfilm, they pressured him with patriotic appeals: (McCoy: "You
boys are talking to the wrong corner. I'm just a guy keeping my hands
in my own pockets." Zara: "If you refuse to cooperate,
you'll be as guilty as the traitors that gave Stalin the A-bomb." McCoy
(retorting): "Are you wavin' the flag at me?")
- Skip became indignant
about being labeled as a "three-time
loser" by Tiger: "I know you pinched
me three times and got me convicted three times and made me a three-time
loser. And I know you took an oath to put me away for life. Well,
you're tryin' awful hard with all this patriotic eye-wash, but get
this: I didn't grift that film and you can't prove I did! And if
I said I did, you'd slap that fourth rap across my teeth no matter
what promises you made!"
- McCoy realized
he had stolen a strip of valuable microfilm after viewing it in the
NY Public Library. He hid it (knowing it would be worth alot in exchange).
- through her underworld connections, Candy was led to speak to "stoolie" Moe
and for $50 bucks (her second tip payoff), she was directed to the
location of Skip's hideout
- in a night-time
sequence at his run-down waterfront shack, Skip found Candy with
a flashlight searching through his possessions. He punched Candy
unconscious and then searched her purse before reviving her with
cold beer. When she came to, he asked: "Wanna beer?" She
responded: "I want my wallet....I gotta find that wallet." Skip
told her that he knew what the film was and demanded money for it.
He lovingly rubbed her sore jaw for a few moments and then after
a few kisses, Skip remarked: "You look
for oil, sometimes you hit a gusher."
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Skip Lovingly Rubbing Candy's Sore Jaw and After
Kisses: "You look for oil, sometimes you hit a gusher"
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- Candy reported back to Joey that she had no success
with Skip: ("He's shaking you down. That tells the story").
When Joey refused her suggestion that he take a chance and make a
deal with Skip, she became suspicious of him: ("Maybe there's
something about that film that you haven't told me"). He demanded
that she keep pressing McCoy to acquire the film, and gave her $500
bucks as bribe money ("You've gotta come back with it, Candy")
- Skip and Candy developed a sweaty, rough and tumble,
sado-masochistic love relationship during her second visit to his
place. After hot kissing and an embrace, she restated his earlier
claim: "Look for oil and you hit a gusher." Then, he stole the bribe money
from her purse, pushed her away and riskily demanded a huge payment
of $25,000 in exchange for the prized microfilm from the "Commie" syndicate;
she became puzzled when accused of being involved
with the Communists: ("You tell that Commie I want a big score
for that film, and I want it in cash, tonight....Come
on. Drop the act. So you're a Red. Who cares? Your money's as good
as anybody else's...I know what you're after. I know what it's worth...I'll
do business with a Red, but I don't have to believe one (she slapped
him)....Get out of here! Now tell your old lady I'm shakin' down
you Reds for 25 grand.")
- when Candy reported
back to Joey about her lack of success with McCoy and his new demands,
Joey's contacts informed him of a firm deadline for delivery: "Delivery
must be made tomorrow night. (Joey was given a gun) Get that film!" ,
and then she briefly conferred with Moe to warn her - and to urge
her not to identify McCoy to Joey: "You
wouldn't sell him to a Commie."
- shortly later, Moe notified
Skip to stay away from his shack to avoid someone gunning for him.
She also advised him to take Candy seriously: "That muffin you
grifted, she's okay. Stuck her chin way out for you...The kid loves
you."
- the film's most downbeat scene
was Moe's death - she had always wanted to make enough money to
avoid being buried in Potter's Field. In her dingy rooming house,
she told Commie hitman-killer Joey that she would refuse to reveal
the pickpocket's whereabouts even though he bribed her with $500.
She said she would face the consequences, since she was old and
tired and ready to give up anyway: "I
know you Commies are looking for some film that don't belong to you....(Joey
cocked his gun) So I don't get to have the fancy funeral after all.
Anyway, I tried. Look, Mister, I'm so tired, you'd be doin' me a
big favor if you'd blow my head off." The camera panned to the
left and a gunshot was heard - with the final image of her bedside
Victrola's needle reaching the end of the 78 rpm record (the popular
French tune "Mam'zelle").
Joey's Murder of Informant Moe Williams
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Joey Shaking Down Moe
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"...you'd be doin' me a big favor if you'd
blow my head off"
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Skip Reclaiming Moe's Body From Tugboat
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- in the subsequent scene after
learning of Moe's murder, McCoy reclaimed her body from a tugboat
(and took her in coffin # 11 to Potter's Field) in order to give
her a proper burial with a tombstone and plot in a cemetery: ("I'm
gonna bury her")
- fulfilling her sole wish in life
- after McCoy
returned to his shack-hideout and found Candy there (who was blaming
herself for Moe's death), he told her that he was willing to deal
with Joey and return the strip of microfilm in exchange for the 25
grand. She gave him Joey's address, but then thinking that she could
clear Skip's name and involvement on her own, Candy knocked him unconscious
and took the marked microfilm strip to FBI agents Zara and Tiger
("the pickpocket squad"). They directed her to
go back to Joey (a "Communist agent") in order to apprehend
him and detect the king-pin of the organization
- then,
there was a remarkable scene in which Joey entered Candy's apartment
- (she was wearing a white robe with a hood straight from the bathtub).
He was astonished to see that she had the microfilm but noticed a
frame missing (Skip had taken one of the frames for himself). He
brutally knocked her around for not divulging Skip's address a
second time - the commotion broke lamps, picture frames and tables
- before he shot her and left her seriously wounded. Joey found
Skip's address in her purse before leaving through a dumb-waiter
to evade police
- Skip paid a hospital visit
to see the bruised Candy, and finally realized that she really loved
him because she wouldn't tell Joey where he lived - and had suffered
a beating for it. She also said she was sorry for betraying him,
and for spoiling his "big score": ("I'm
sorry I spoiled your big score. I know it sounds corny to you, but
I'd rather have a live pickpocket than a dead traitor"); he
kissed her
- evading capture at his shack
by Joey and his partner, Skip overheard that the film strip was
to be delivered in 30 minutes. With no time to spare, Joey's partner
told him: "You better
deliver what you've got," while he waited there for McCoy
to return (in order to seize the one missing microfilm frame);
he also instructed: "Tell
him I'll meet him at the airport with the other frame, but not
to wait."
- Skip followed Joey to a subway station, and then
in a thrilling and violent fight and chase sequence, Skip chased
Joey into a subway station where he pickpocketed the gun from Joey's
coat on a subway car, and then observed the microfilm being delivered
to a Communist agent in a restroom. He beat up the agent, and also
retaliated against Joey - he brutalized him mercilessly on the subway
platform and then next to the tracks, before turning him over to authorities

Pickpocketing Joey's Gun on Subway Car
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Beating Up Joey in Restroom
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Brutalizing Him Next to the Tracks
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- in the film's ending set
back in the police station, Skip was released - and vowed to resume
his relationship with Candy. They were about to leave to start
a new life together. He turned to Candy and told her: "Honey,
you look as good as new. Did you miss me, muffin? Come on. Let's
get outta here." As they departed
from the office, Police Captain Tiger predicted that Skip would soon
be apprehended again for criminal activities: Tiger: "You'll
always be a two-bit purse snatcher. I give you 30 days before I pick
ya up with your hand in somebody else's pocket." Candy (disagreeing
with a smile): "You wanna bet?")
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Opening Crowded Subway Pickpocket Sequence: McCoy Fingering
Candy's Purse


Joey (Richard Kiley) - Candy's Ex-Boyfriend - A Communist
Spy

McCoy Questioned by Police - His Retort: "Are you wavin' the flag at me?"

Candy with Moe - Who Directed Her to McCoy
Candy Knocked Unconscious by McCoy in His Shack Hideout

Candy Pressured by Joey to Return to McCoy With Bribe Money

Skip's Sado-Masochistic Love Affair with Candy

Candy's Upset at the News of Moe's Murder


Candy Beaten Up and Shot by Joey

Skip's Hospital Visit to See the Bruised Candy - They Kissed
Skip Reconciled with Candy
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