Pickup on South Street (1953)

 Samuel Fuller's "Pickup on South Street"


While watching Samuel Fuller's 1953 film "Pickup on South Street," I noticed it very of it's moment. The themes of the film fit in quite nicely with the Cold War mania happening in the 1950s, especially the 'Red Scare.' However, when the film was released, its reception was wildly varied. 

The film stars a young woman tasked with delivering a piece of film. Unbeknownst to her and the man who steals her wallet on the subway, the piece of film she's delivering contains Communist secrets. In an effort to track down the man who stole her wallet, both the police and the Communists she works for go on a mad scramble, with our unlucky young woman caught in the middle.

Fuller direction contains many noir-ish elements, which is probably why the film is billed as a 'noir' by its studio. However, the film falls more in to the category of spy thriller. However, I did enjoy the stark and crisp black and white lighting of the film. There is a certain texture to the film that is pleasant. I also really like Fuller's zoom ins to intense close-ups. It enhances the drama and creates a semi-psychological subjective element to the film. Overall, I enjoyed the film. I don't feel as though I got much out of it, but it is an enjoyable watch nonetheless.

However, there were many in 1953 who did not like the film, especially certain parties who disliked the Communist inclusions. For example, France completely changed this plot element all-together, making the dubbed version about drugs instead, and even called the film "Drug's Harbor." Included in this dislike for the film was FBI director J. Edgar Hoover who demanded that all references to the FBI be removed, to which 20th Century Fox studio executive Darryl F. Zanuck begrudgingly agreed. The Production Code even had problems with the film, as they deemed the film too excessively violent and had the filmmakers scale back.

Despite these criticism, the film has garnished quite a bit of critical praise. It has now become emblematic of 1950s Cold War aesthetics and is considered by many to be a fine 'noir' flick, despite not being a noir at all. I for one can say that, despite a lack of depth, the film is a great piece of entertainment.




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