Perhaps finally flawed by its overt political assumptions, but the film remains a desperate kind of masterpiece.
Comment
02/09/06
Pickup on South Street (1953)
88
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:25
Fresh:22
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.6/10
Runtime: 81 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: This film noir classic plays on America's paranoia about a Communist takeover in the 1950s. Dwelling in a neon-lit nightscape are: a pickpocket, Skip McCoy; an abused dame, Candy; a... [More]
Starring: Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter, Richard Kiley
Director: Samuel Fuller
Reviews for Pickup on South Street
Top CriticIt's probably been a while since you watched a film as tough as Pickup On South Street.
05/24/03
Top Critichardly a landmark
10/02/02
Both Widmark and Peters are superb, but it is Ritter, as the seedy but much-loved Moe, who gives the film its emotional punch.
03/27/09
Top CriticSam Fuller, who wrote it and directed, appears to have been more concerned with firing a barrage of sensations than with telling a story to be believed.
03/25/06
Top CriticNo review available.
01/23/04
Almost perfect.
05/14/09
It isn't his best, but this 1953 feature may be the archetypal Sam Fuller film, a condensation of his themes and techniques with the steam still rising.
10/02/02
Engagingly captures the hysteria over Reds and the underworld scene of the early 1950s.
02/06/05
No review available.
06/18/05
The 1953 picture does a nice job capturing the mentality of the Cold War United States.
06/03/04
No review available.
05/08/05
No review available.
03/09/06
Fuller's most accessible film, crackling and frenetic.
03/02/03
Along with Shock Corridor (1963), arguably [Fuller's] finest work.
07/20/04
Opens with a scene that is downright dazzling, even by today's standards.
09/30/02
One of Fuller's most compelling films.
07/19/04
No review available.
10/11/04
One of Fuller's few studio-financed pictures, this bruising, brutal movie still manages to emanate waves of B-movie street cred at every juncture.
03/03/04
80 minutes of breathless genre fun infused with pure, uninhibited passion.
05/04/05
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds