Thieves Highway
| Thieves' Highway | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Jules Dassin |
| Produced by | Robert Bassler |
| Screenplay by | A. I. Bezzerides |
| Based on |
Thieves' Market 1949 novel by A. I. Bezzerides |
| Starring |
Richard Conte Valentina Cortese Lee J. Cobb Barbara Lawrence |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Edited by | Nick DeMaggio |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
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Release date
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Running time
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94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US rentals) |
Thieves' Highway is a 1949 film noir directed by Jules Dassin. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides, based on his novel Thieves' Market. The film was released on DVD as part of the Criterion Collection in 2005.
A war-veteran-turned-truck driver Nico "Nick" Garcos (Richard Conte) arrives at home to find that his foreign-born father, a fruit farmer, has lost his legs and was forced to sell his truck. He learns that his father was crippled at the hands of an unscrupulous produce dealer in San Francisco, Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb). Garcos vows revenge.
Garcos goes into business with Ed Kinney, who bought the Garcos truck, and drives a truckload of apples to San Francisco, where he runs into Figlia. With the help of other drivers and a streetwalker (Valentina Cortese), he defeats Figlia and restores his family honor.
Dana Andrews and Victor Mature were originally announced for the lead.
The film was shot on location in San Francisco, California, and is noted for its accurate depiction of the vibrant fruit and produce market in that city, then located adjacent to the Embarcadero north of the Ferry Building. The Figlia Market is depicted on the corner of Washington and Davis Streets (clearly indicated by a street sign). The produce market was closed and moved to the southeastern part of the city by the end of the 1950s. The warehouses were demolished to make way for the Alcoa Building, and the Golden Gateway residential and commercial development. The Hotel Colchester where Rica resides was located at 259 Embarcadero (now a parking lot). Also depicted is the old State Belt Line Railroad which serviced the piers and warehouses of the entire Embarcadero.
Some of the outdoor produce market scenes were shot across the Bay at the Oakland Produce Market near today's Jack London Square.
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Wikipedia