Noirsville - the film noir: The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947) San Diego

Directed by Felix E. Feist started as a director of shorts for eight years before getting a feature in 1943.

His only Classic Noirs that I know of are The Man Who Cheated Himself, Tomorrow Is Another Day which is another great one and The Threat (which I haven 't seen). He's also noted for the cheapo horror film Donovan's Brain.

The film was written by Felix E. Feist and based on Robert C DuSoe's novel. The Cinematography was by J. Roy Hunt. Music by Paul Sawtell and also an uncredited Roy Webb.

Lawrence Tierney as Steve Morgan

The film stars Lawrence Tierney (Bodyguard, Born To Kill, and Reservoir Dogs)as Steve Morgan, Ted North (The Unsuspected) as Jimmy "Fergie" Ferguson.

Nan Leslie as Beulah Zorn, alias Carol Demming, Betty Lawford as Agnes Smith, Andrew Tombes

as Joe Brayden, Night Watchman, Harry Shannon (vet of many Classic Noir) as Detective Owens,

San Diego Police, Glen Vernon as Jack Kenny, Gas Station Attendant, Marian Carr as Diane

Ferguson, and William Gould as Police Capt. Martin, San Diego Police.

The Story

Night. San Diego.

2AM

he San Diego Bank. 2 A.M. One of the banks regular customers, a theater manager is making the nights

box office deposit. He approaches the after hours deposit drop box door with his key ready.

Steve Morgan, two time ex con (forgery and robberies) sticks a gun in the mans back, demands

the money.

Morgan: Hand it over.

Watchman: Whaaat, but I can't, I'll loose my job. Help! Boom!

The man's coat muffles the shot but he goes down.

We cut to Morgan, now standing on a street corner at a stop sign hitching a ride.

He's slowly lit up by the headlights of a gray 1941 Cadillac A series 62 Convertible Coupe.

The car has pulled up to wait for green. Inside Jimmy "Fergie" Ferguson. Ladies lingerie salesman. On his way home, back to Los Angeles,

after the district guys threw him an office party. It's his wedding anniversary and his birthday,

He's happy, and a bit tipsy.

Ted North as Jimmy "Fergie" Ferguson

Morgan walks up to the waiting Caddy leans over into the window and asks Fergie if he's going North.

Sure, Fergie tells him. Hop in.

So Morgan aka the "devil" of the film's title thumbed a ride.

Our story of course, starts drifting away from the centerline towards Noirsville almost immediately.

Morgan, looking over the dash while commenting to Fergie about his snazzy car, notices, that the gas gage

is almost on empty. He mentions it to Fergie.

At the filling station, we see a motorcycle cop with a gas jockey. He is getting a fill-up.

Morgan hesitates about them getting out. Quick thinking, he tells Fergie that the way he is acting,

hiccupping, and smelling like booze, it's just asking for trouble.

Fergie agrees. Morgan tells Fergie that he'd better let him take the wheel, too. Fergie gives

Morgan money to pay for the gas, and tells him he's going inside to call his wife.

Inside the station, Fergie is standing by a pay phone talking with the operator. Morgan comes in and

walks over to a cigarette machine. He puts in his money, pulls the knob and gets a pack. Morgan starts

smacking the machine. We don't know if he either didn't get his change or if he's hoping he's gonna knock

some money loose. The gas jockey is a bit annoyed.

While waiting for his call to go through, Fergie notices a baby picture on the gas jockey's desk and

mentions it, "she's a cute looking kid, yours?"

"Yeah." The gas jockey also tells him that she's just two years old.

Fergie answers him, telling him wistfully that he and his wife are sure tryin'. Wink, wink.

Morgan, done mugging the cigarette machine comes on over and takes one look at the photo and tells the

gas jockey that "by the looks of those ears she's gonna fly before she can walk." Nice guy.

Glen Vernon as Jack Kenny,

Morgan tells the jockey to go fill up the car.

From Fergie's convo with his wife, Dianne, we learn that one, he's still in that honeymoon f-ed stupid stage,

two, he doesn't get along with his mother in law, and three, that in 1947 it took 3 hours and 26 minutes to drive

from San Diego to Los Angeles before I-5.

While the gas jockey is filling up the Caddy, and Fergie is talking to Dianne. A radio, on scanner, picks up

a police call. Morgan walks over to the radio. He's about to flip the switch to AM radio. The gas jockey

notices.

The call turns out to be a 312 a "theft" incident with a man & woman at the Beach Café, an all night

eatery. Morgan flips to a jazz tune.

At this point two young women Agnes and Carol come running up out of nowhere with suitcases

and ask the gas jockey if this is a local car or not.

Agnes: Local car buddy?

Gas Jockey: I don't think so, never saw it around here before.

Agnes: Think we could get a lift?

Gas Jockey: I don't see why not just two fellas alone.

Agnes: Where are they..... [nudged by Carol who gets Agnes to notice Morgan who just stepped

out of the filling station] Going to Pedro?

Morgan: Yea why?

Agnes: Can we go along.

They need a ride. How noir of them.

Nan Leslie as Beulah Zorn, alias Carol Demming rt., Betty Lawford as Agnes Smith lt. Going to Pedro?

How come you two are hoofing it?

Morgan: How come you two are hoofing it?

Agnes: It was the chauffer's night off and we let him take the car.

Morgan: Oh sharp ain't cha?

Carol: [breaking into the conversation] Look mister she doesn't mean anything it's just that

we're both so tired.

Morgan: Ok girls hop in.

Morgan arranges it so that Carol is in back with him and Agnes is up front with Fergie.

Gas Jockey: Nineteen gallons even, that will be $3.80 (that's 20 cents a gallon).

Fergie: Keep the change, buy something for the baby.

Gas Jockey: Thanks

Morgan: [from the backseat] Yeah a parachute.

On the drive, Morgan makes small talk with the girls. Sitting in back with Carol he starts

snowing her about how he had her pegged for a Hollywood starlet. He's laying it on thick.

Agnes: [to Fergie] You got a radio? Anything is better than having to listen to that.

Morgan: [from the back seat] Don't worry grandma you'll never have to.

Unfortunately for Morgan, the gas jockey is some sort of Junior G Man. After the Caddy leaves the

station, a description of the San Diego Bank robbery suspect comes over the police band scanner.

The gas jockey immediately drops a dime to the San Diego police. He tells the police chief, Captain

Martin, his name is Jack Kenny, United Service Station. Explains he spotted two stolen vehicles for the

police last week and he has a hunch he just saw their bank robbery suspect. Martin sends Detective

Owen to pick him up and have him give a looksee to their files to see if he can make anybody.

Jack, at the police station, bingo!, identifies Morgan from the photo on his rap sheet. Martin and

Owens radio ahead to get roadblocks set up at Laguna, and one on the fork to Capistrano. Jack asks

Owens if he can ride along. Owens tells him OK.

At San Clemente a police spotter along the highway almost has his dog run over by the Caddy. Fergie

swerves around the dog but gets splashed by a bottle of booze that Agnes was about to take a drink

out of.

In Laguna, Fergie, Morgan and the girls pull off the road at a diner for some food.

Just before they walk into the diner, Morgan looking

down the highway spots the roadblock up ahead. He freaks out, grabs

Fergie's keys, and tells them all that he's driving and they are getting out of here.

Again Morgan explains that Fergie is gonna be the one who has to worry, especially

now. smelling even more of booze than before.

Morgan turns out of the diner lot and squeals the tires as he drives back South on the highway.

He takes the first left, and starts climbing from the seaside up some switchbacks.

It goes Noirsville when two motorcycle cops among the men manning the road block, spot the caddy when Morgan gunned it pealing pulling out of the diner and ask each other did it have white sidewalls. One of the cops hops his cycle and heads after the Caddy to find out.