THIEVES' HIGHWAY

US, 1949, 94 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Conte, Valentina Cortesa, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Oakie, Millard Mitchell, Joseph Pevney, Barbara Lawrence, Hope Emerson.
Directed by Jules Dassin.

Thieves' Highway is a tough thriller about truckdrivers and gangsters in California. It was written for the screen by the author of the novel Thieves' Market, A.I.Bezzerides (author of the Humphrey Bogart vehicle They Drive By Night). The film was directed by Jules Dassin, who was emerging as a director of tough thrillers at the period including Naked City, Brute Force. (After being blacklisted he moved to work in Europe with such films as Rififi, Never On Sunday, Topkapi.')

The film has a strong cast and marks the American debut of Italian actress Valentina Cortesa. Jack Oakie, later director Joseph Pevney and Millard Mitchell are very good as the hero, Richard Conte's, buddies.

The film is one of those realistic grim and gritty thrillers.

1. An interesting and entertaining thriller? Slice of life?

2. Black and white photography, the California roads, cities, markets? authentic atmosphere? The driving sequences, crashes? Musical score?

3. The title and the focus on the truckdrivers, the gangsters in the background, their pressures? On the U.S. roads?

4. The focus on Nick? His return to San Francisco? His reunion with his family? His vengeance against those who cheated his father, were responsible for the accident in which his father lost his limbs? His search? The truck-driving, the picking up of the apples? The difficulties with the pick-up, the indication of the rackets? His buddies? The drive during the night? The competition? The group of trucks and their getting through? The thugs and the bashing? The arrival in the city? Tracking down Figlia and his cohorts? The friendship of Rica, her contacts? helping him out? Her being used as a decoy? The final confrontation? Nick's vindication?

5. The portrait of Nick's associates - Slob, Pete, Ed? Their friendship, styles? The comic patter? The getting of the apples, the trucks and their need for repair? Driving through the night? Distances, fatigue? Ed and his crash? The film's sympathetic portrayal of these characters?

6. The home background? The portrait of Nick's family, their concern, the pressure from Figlia and co? Learning to live with this pressure? Polly and her hopes?

7. Figlia and his racketeers, the hold on the markets, the, apples and the farmers' pressure on them to sell under the price? The victims of racketeers? The pressures on the truckdrivers? The market scenes, Figlia and his hold on the fruit-sellers? Nick and his breaking into the monopoly? The violent clash? The'd~teat of Figlia?

8. Rica and her presence around the bars, the money to lure Nick, her being attracted to him, her decision to help him out and warn him?

9. A vivid picture of the markets, the rackets, the truckdrivers, pressures, The consequences for families? Violence? A persuasive slice of life?