The Devil Thumbs a Ride 1947
6.8 / 10
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Steve Morgan kills a man in a holdup and hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Fergie. At a gas station, they pick up two women. Encountering a roadblock, Morgan takes over and persuades the party to spend the night at an unoccupied beach house. The police close in as one by one, the others learn that Morgan is a killer.
Steve Morgan kills a man in a holdup and hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Fergie. At a gas station, they pick up two women. Encountering a roadblock, Morgan takes over and persuades the party to spend the night at an unoccupied beach house. The police close in as one by one, the others learn that Morgan is a killer.
Videos & Photos
All 0 Videos & 6 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Steve Morgan
... Jimmy 'Fergie' Ferguson
... Beulah Zorn, alias Carol Demming
... Agnes Smith
... Joe Brayden, Night Watchman
... Detective Owens, San Diego Police
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947) The Tierney Terror. The Devil Thumbs a Ride is directed and written by Felix E. Feist. It stars Lawrence Tierney, Ted North, Nan Leslie, Betty Lawford, Andrew Tombes, Harry Shannon, Glen Vernon and Marian Carr. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by J. Roy Hunt. After just robbing a San Diego theater and killing the manager, Steve Morgan (Tierney) hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Jimmy Ferguson (North), a trusting young salesman. After a stop at a gas station, the two men pick up a couple of dames looking for a ride, and soon Morgan is manipulating everyone so as to stay ahead of the cops looking for him. Compact at just over an hour in length, The Devil Thumbs a Ride thrives on account of Tierney’s strong performance. He in turn exudes a charming veneer and a cold hearted darkness that unnerves throughout. The set-up is pretty thin and even the most forgiving of noir fans will attest that the sheer idiocy of the other passengers beggars belief. No matter what Morgan does, however crazy or evil, he will spin a yarn and the dopes fall for it. While a plot strand that sees the head detective take a member of the public with him in pursuit of Morgan, is pushing it a bit too far. Still, once the four of them reach a beach house belonging to a friend of Ferguson, the picture gathers apace and the drama explodes to reveal its bloody denouement. Good noirish characters and Tierney on form ensure it’s never less than entertaining, though the weakness of the writing asks a lot of the audience. 6/10
Directors:
Release Date:
Feb 20, 1947 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 2`
MMPA Rating:
NR
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947) The Tierney Terror. The Devil Thumbs a Ride is directed and written by Felix E. Feist. It stars Lawrence Tierney, Ted North, Nan Leslie, Betty Lawford, Andrew Tombes, Harry Shannon, Glen Vernon and Marian Carr. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by J. Roy Hunt. After just robbing a San Diego theater and killing the manager, Steve Morgan (Tierney) hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Jimmy Ferguson (North), a trusting young salesman. After a stop at a gas station, the two men pick up a couple of dames looking for a ride, and soon Morgan is manipulating everyone so as to stay ahead of the cops looking for him. Compact at just over an hour in length, The Devil Thumbs a Ride thrives on account of Tierney’s strong performance. He in turn exudes a charming veneer and a cold hearted darkness that unnerves throughout. The set-up is pretty thin and even the most forgiving of noir fans will attest that the sheer idiocy of the other passengers beggars belief. No matter what Morgan does, however crazy or evil, he will spin a yarn and the dopes fall for it. While a plot strand that sees the head detective take a member of the public with him in pursuit of Morgan, is pushing it a bit too far. Still, once the four of them reach a beach house belonging to a friend of Ferguson, the picture gathers apace and the drama explodes to reveal its bloody denouement. Good noirish characters and Tierney on form ensure it’s never less than entertaining, though the weakness of the writing asks a lot of the audience. 6/10
Cast & Crew of
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Directors & Credit Writers
FEF
Felix E. Feist... Director
Cast
... Steve Morgan
... Jimmy 'Fergie' Ferguson
... Beulah Zorn, alias Carol Demming
... Agnes Smith
... Joe Brayden, Night Watchman
... Detective Owens, San Diego Police
... Diane Ferguson
... Police Capt. Martin, San Diego Police
... Diane's mother
PW
Phil Warren... Pete, Roadblock Motorcycle Cop
... Deputy Sheriff Grover
... Jack Kenny, Gas Station Attendant
... Pearl (uncredited)
...
BL
Bert LeBaron...
...
...
... Mack Wilkins (uncredited)
Produced By
... Producer
SR
Sid Rogell... Executive Producer
Videos & Photos of
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Photos ( 6 )
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