A pickpocket, a spy ring, and the Cold War film that infuriated J. Edgar Hoover
In short: In Samuel Fuller's 1953 noir, a petty thief accidentally steals top-secret microfilm, becoming an unlikely target for Communist agents. The film's gritty portrayal of the New York underworld and its cynical, unpatriotic protagonist so deeply offended FBI director J. Edgar Hoover that he personally expressed his disdain to the director.
Released by 20th Century-Fox in 1953, Pickup on South Street follows Skip McCoy, a pickpocket who unwittingly swipes a purse containing government microfilm. The film blends traditional noir tropes with Cold War espionage, creating a tense atmosphere that critics initially found mixed. While some contemporary reviewers like Bosley Crowther noted its savage violence and slang-heavy dialogue, modern appraisals have shifted, with Roger Ebert labeling it a noir classic. In 2018, the film was selected for the United States National Film Registry for its cultural and aesthetic significance.
Director Samuel Fuller drew on his past as a crime reporter to ground the film in realism. He based the character of Captain Dan Tiger on Detective Dan Campion, a real-life member of the New York Police Department's pickpocket squad. The production faced significant hurdles, including a 1952 rejection from the Production Code due to excessive brutality and sadistic beatings. Furthermore, the film's political themes were so sensitive that French distributors removed all references to spies and microfilm, rebranding the movie as a drug-smuggling drama to avoid controversy with the influential French Communist Party.
The film's defiance extended to its lead character, Skip McCoy, who famously challenges government agents by asking, "Are you waving the flag at me?" This lack of traditional patriotism drew the ire of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who detested the work. Despite this, the film remains a masterclass in tension, with performances from Richard Widmark and Thelma Ritter—the latter earning an Academy Award nomination for her role as a stool pigeon. Its influence is also debated, with some critics suggesting it served as a thematic precursor to Robert Bresson's 1959 film, Pickpocket.
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