Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

classicsoncall You really don't want to believe that dirt bags like Mike Figlia hold sway in real life, but this film from 1949 is a pretty good reminder that they're out there looking for a cheap angle any way they can get it. Lee J. Cobb does a try out here for his later role as a corrupt union boss in 1954's "On The Waterfront" and he's a real creep, attempting to steal Nick Garcos' (Richard Conte) load of apples right out from under him. Figlia throws everything at him including a hooker, a hatchet to his truck tires, and a pair of goons that roll him for his cash, while the determined Greek trucker keeps bouncing back each time.One of the surprises here was how quickly Nick's girl Polly (Barbara Lawrence) from back home throws him over when she finds out he got robbed and winds up stranded in San Francisco. So much for true love finding a way. But then you've got hooker Rica (Valentina Cortese) who makes the big play for Nick and has a hand in redeeming the both of them. I don't know that I'm buying the feel good ending with Nick and Rica going off to live happily ever after, but up till then the film's gritty realism and treatment of corruption in the produce market made for an effective noir tale.For another compelling story of wildcat truckers you might look up Humphrey Bogart and George Raft in the 1940 film "They Drive By Night", with a truly over the top performance by Ida Lupino in a courtroom scene following the death of her husband played by Alan Hale. Bogey and Raft portrayed a couple of brother truckers in that one, hauling lemons instead of apples, but otherwise working long and hard, determined to make that one big score.

mark.waltz When happy-go-lucky war veteran Richard Conte comes home, he is upset to find out that his aging father has lost his legs as a result of a trucking accident he had while attempting to make a delivery to San Francisco. He decides to confront the big boss (Lee J. Cobb) and buys his own truck so with the help of his father's old partner (Millard Mitchell), he can go there on the pretense of delivering apples. Trucking requires a lot of energy to prevent the driver from falling asleep, and getting to San Francisco is half the battle. Two men (Joseph Pevney and Jack Oakie), double-crossed by Mitchell, stalk him, while up at the Embarcadero, Conte finds Cobb more than ready to challenge him. But Cobb underestimates him, especially when he tries to use an obvious street walker (Valentina Cortese) in his efforts to get Conte out of his hair.This is a realistic and gritty drama that doesn't leave any stone unturned in exposing the rackets involved in a tough occupation. There's enough violence here to expose the seemingly innocent businessmen for being the mobsters they really are, and how the little man always suffer under the hands of these crooks. Conte is excellent, with Cortese memorable as a femme fatal who has more up her sleeve than the man paying her off realizes. Some of the violence is very shocking, and there's a very brutal ending for one of the major characters, as well as a confrontation with a horrifying pay-off for a certain villain. Barbara Lawrence is memorable as Conte's fiancée, while future "Caged" matron Hope Emerson has a nice small role as one of Cobb's no-nonsense customers. Morris Carnovsky gives vulnerability to the part of Conte's handicapped father. Don't let the happy opening fool you. There's little to be happy about throughout 95 percent of the movie, yet something about the way it was written, directed and filmed shows a minor masterpiece that you might not put at the top of your list to watch over and over, but you'll certainly never forget it.

blanche-2 Richard Conte travels on "Thieves Highway," a 1949 film also starring Lee J. Cobb, Valentina Cortese, and Barbara Lawrence. Directed by Jules Dassin, it's the story of Nick Garcos (Conte), who returns from the war to find his father has lost his legs in a car accident. It wasn't just any car accident. His father, Yanko (Morris Carnovsky) had dealings with a corrupt dealer, Mike Figlia (Cobb), when he delivered a truckload of tomatoes. Figlia claimed that he paid Yanko, but on the way home, Yanko was in a terrible accident, and Figlia says that Yanko just doesn't remember. In truth, the accident was rigged by Figlia's thugs to avoid paying him.Yanko has sold his truck and wasn't paid for that either, so Nick goes to the new owner, Ed (Millard Mitchell) to retrieve it so that he can confront Figlia. Ed instead proposes that Nick accompany him in another truck to deliver a shipment of apples. Nick takes the money he was planning to use to start his life with Polly (Lawrence) and gets another truck. They have to drive nonstop to San Francisco to keep the fruit fresh.Nick arrives first, and Figlia arranges for a hooker (Cortese) to distract him so that he can steal the merchandise.In a strange way, this film reminded me of "The Wages of Fear" in that it's about danger on the road - in this case, a different kind of danger - but danger nonetheless. It's about growing up fast, holding onto what you have, and realizing what you want, and those two may not be the same; and about fighting for what's right.Terrific performances abound here - the angry Conte, the ruthless Cobb, and the conflicted Cortese. This is an excellent post-war noir, gritty and realistic, that shows the hard life of the working man trying to hold onto what little is his. Another winner from Dassin.

Claudio Carvalho The soldier Nick Garcos (Richard Conte) returns back home from the war very happy with gifts for his parents Yanko (Morris Carnovsky) and Parthena Garcos (Tamara Shayne) and money in his pocket to open a business and get married with his girlfriend Polly Faber (Barbara Lawrence). Out of blue, Nick realizes that his father lost both legs and Yanko, who was a truck driver, tells that he was cheated by the dealer Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb) in the San Francisco's market when he delivered a truckload of tomatoes and was not paid. He believes that his accident was provoked by Figlia's gangsters. He also tells that he sold the truck to a driver named Ed Kinney (Millard Mitchell) that has not paid him.Nick meets Ed and tells that he will bring the truck back, but Ed proposes a deal with apples, where they may earn a great amount. Nick invests his savings in another truck and buys apples from a Polish farmer. They need to drive directly to the market in San Francisco without sleeping to keep the fruits fresh, but Ed's truck has problem on its axle and Nick arrives first. Mike Figlia hires the Italian whore Rica (Valentina Cortesa) to distract Nick but she falls for him and tells that Mike is robbing his cargo. Mike is forced to share his selling with Nick and her earns a large amount. Then he calls Polly and asks her to meet him to get married, and Rica tells to Nick that Polly is only interested in his money. When Nick is robbed by Mike's gangsters, he learns who really loves him. But Nick still has to settle the score with Mike."Thieves' Highway" is another great film-noir by Jules Dassin in a period of the post-war ruled by gangsters and corruption. Nick Garcos begins the story happy and expecting to get married with his girlfriend and ends a dark character in love with a prostitute with a heart of gold. The direction and performances are top-notch and the story is realistic. The sequence with the uncontrolled truck without brake in the highway is impressive. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Mercado de Ladrões" ("Thieves' Market")