The Hitch-Hiker

Among the original "tough dames" of ‘30s and ‘40s movies, actress Ida Lupino later moved behind the camera to become one of the industry's few prominent female directors. After a series of films often categorized as "women's pictures" (Never Fear, Outrage), Lupino took a hard turn with the gritty, hard-boiled tale The Hitch-Hiker.

Two men (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) make the mistake of picking up a tormented hitch-hiker (William Talman). Upon its release in 1953, the film earned Lupino strong reviews and prompted the occasional comparison to Hitchcock's style.

The Hitch-Hiker was added to the National Film Registry in 1998.

The film is in the public domain, and is available to watch or download at the Internet Archive.