Directed by Ida Lupino
1953, USA, 71 min
Beyond its obvious cultural significance as the only classic film noir directed by a woman (actress Ida Lupino), The Hitch-Hiker is perhaps better remembered as one of the most nightmarish motion pictures of the 1950s. Inspired by the true-life murder spree of Billy Cook, the film tells the tension-laden saga of two men who are held captive by a homicidal drifter and forced at gunpoint to embark on a grim joyride across the Mexican desert. Representing renegade filmmaking at its finest,the film was independently produced, which allowed Lupino to work from a treatment by blacklisted writer Daniel Mainwaring, and tackle an incident that was too brutal for the major studios to even consider.
Join the Restoration Tuesdays to restore the classic and important little-known and forgotten cinematographic works. For more detailed information, please check the official website of the Winnipeg Cinematheque. All admission to these screenings is $5!