“Absolutely assured in her creation of the bleak, noir atmosphere – whether in the claustrophobic confines of the car, or lost in the arid expanses of the desert – Lupino never relaxes the tension for one moment… Taut, tough, and entirely without macho-glorification, it’s a gem, with first-class performances from its three protagonists, deftly characterised without resort to cliché.” – Time Out Film Guide

An A-List actress-turned-independent writer, producer, and director, Ida Lupino is one of the few female filmmakers to have worked in 1950s Hollywood. But her films are not just “famous firsts” — they’re tough, raw, sensitive and totally fresh. Unlike anything else being made at the time, Lupino’s directorial efforts “represent”—as no less an authority than Martin Scorsese put it—”a singular achievement in American cinema.” And there’s no better example of Lupino’s muscular work than her legendary noir-thriller, THE HITCH-HIKER. Based on true events, the film takes us on the vacation from hell, as businessmen Edmond O’Brien and Frank Lovejoy, on their way to do some fishing, pick up the wrong guy: psychopath William Talman. A major influence on films like The Hitcher, THE HITCH-HIKER is a “tension-packed tour de force” (Ronnie Scheib). No wonder it was Lupino’s personal favorite of her films.

This film is screening as part of Arkadin’s NOIRVEMBER series, $3 Sunday matinees of film noir classics that spotlight the broken dreams and bitter paranoia of this distinctly American genre.