The Devil Thumbs a Ride

Feb 20, 1947

1h 2m

★ 6.6

He'll kill until he dies!

Overview

Steve Morgan kills a man in a holdup and hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Fergie. At a gas station, they pick up two women. Encountering a roadblock, Morgan takes over and persuades the party to spend the night at an unoccupied beach house. The police close in as one by one, the others learn that Morgan is a killer.

Genres

Thriller

Crime

Production Companies

RKO Radio Pictures

The Devil Thumbs a Ride Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Steve Morgan

Lawrence Tierney

Jimmy 'Fergie' Ferguson

Ted North

Beulah Zorn, alias Carol Demming

Nan Leslie

Agnes Smith

Betty Lawford

Joe Brayden, Night Watchman

Andrew Tombes

Detective Owens, San Diego Police

Harry Shannon

Diane Ferguson

Marian Carr

Police Capt. Martin, San Diego Police

William Gould

Diane's mother

Josephine Whittell

Pete, Roadblock Motorcycle Cop

Phil Warren

Deputy Sheriff Grover

Robert Malcolm

Jack Kenny, Gas Station Attendant

Glen Vernon

In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

7.7

The Maltese Falcon

Oct 18, 1941

A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

7.6

The Big Sleep

Aug 22, 1946

Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.

7.4

Duel

Dec 25, 1971

Traveling businessman David Mann angers the driver of a rusty tanker while crossing the California desert. A simple trip turns deadly, as Mann struggles to stay on the road while the tanker plays cat and mouse with his life.

7.7

Strangers on a Train

Jun 27, 1951

A charming psychopath tries to coerce a tennis star into his theory that two strangers can commit the perfect crime by exchanging murders—each killing the other’s most-hated person.

7.4

Scarface

Apr 9, 1932

In 1920s Chicago, Italian immigrant and notorious thug, Antonio 'Tony' Camonte, aka Scarface, shoots his way to the top of the mobs while trying to protect his sister from the criminal life.

7.5

Dirty Harry

Dec 23, 1971

When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.

7.1

The China Syndrome

Mar 16, 1979

While doing a series of reports on alternative energy sources, opportunistic reporter Kimberly Wells witnesses an accident at a nuclear power plant. Wells is determined to publicize the incident, but soon finds herself entangled in a sinister conspiracy to keep the full impact of the incident a secret.

8.1

Double Indemnity

Jul 6, 1944

An insurance representative is seduced by a dissatisfied housewife into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, a claims investigator.

7.9

The Third Man

Aug 31, 1949

In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Major Calloway, and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna.

3.8

The Poisoning

Dec 24, 2013

Matt, with the assistance of his new friend Riley, is moving out to Los Angeles California to fulfill his dream of making movies. Everything is off to a good start! That is until Matt's childhood best friend Chaps decides to crash the road trip and invite himself along. When old friends don't mix well with new friends, jealousy enters the picture. And if that wasn't enough to put a damper on the road trip, a menacing hitchhiker turns their world upside down leading to a maddening chase that spins wildly out of control.

5.2

Real

Jun 28, 2017

Jang Tae-Young is a popular trouble shooter in the criminal world. He is cold and ambitious. He dreams of building a casino hotel one day. A reporter then goes to Jang Tae-Young.

6.3

Taken 3

Dec 16, 2014

Ex-government operative Bryan Mills finds his life is shattered when he's falsely accused of a murder that hits close to home. As he's pursued by a savvy police inspector, Mills employs his particular set of skills to track the real killer and exact his unique brand of justice.

6.9

Breakdown

May 2, 1997

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker ― who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

6.0

The Glass House

Sep 14, 2001

When Ruby and Rhett's parents are killed in a car accident, their carefree teenage lives are suddenly shattered. Moving to an incredible house in Malibu with the Glasses', old friends of the family, seems to be the beginning of a new life for them.

3.9

StalkHer

Aug 27, 2015

An obsessive prowler Jack (Jarratt) breaks into the home of his victim Emily (Fairfax). Finding himself wounded then tied to a chair, Jack soon realises he underestimated his intended prey as the two engage in a night long tête-à-tête.

7.1

John Q

Feb 15, 2002

John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the donor's list.

7.5

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Oct 2, 1974

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers while the authorities question about the method of their escape.

5.2

Red Sun

Aug 31, 1970

Thomas hitchhikes from Hamburg to Munich where he meets his ex-girlfriend, Peggy. Thomas doesn't have a bed for the night and goes home with Peggy, not knowing that she and her four roommates have all made a strange pact.

5.9

The Hitcher

Jan 19, 2007

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, college students Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace Andrews give a ride to a hitchhiker. While in their car, the stranger proves to be a psychopath threatening the young couple with a knife, but Jim successfully throws him out of the car. This sets off a chain of events that will change all of their lives forever.