Great Characters, Thelma Ritter Takes It All

Is it just me, or is every character in Pickup on South Street dynamite? It's so rare and refreshing to hear characters on-screen describe another character as charismatic and likeable and then have that person actually be those things. Skip is an endearing scoundrel, for sure. This trait is essential for the plot and relationship dynamics to work, but it's just too often to hear movie characters describe each other as endearing when they aren't in the least.

Besides the leading man, there's the growling cop, the sinister "Reds", and Candy - who is such a delightful combination of naive, fun, tawdry, glamorous, and witty that we'll forgive her and love her, just as Skip does.

Queen of the whole show, though is Thelma Ritter as Moe. She owns every scene she's in, and not only does she bring us fireworks from when she struts into the cop shop selling ties and information, she brings us one of the most wonderfully moving monologues committed to celluloid later on.

The whole movie clips along. There are maybe a few too few machinations in the plot (there's a lot of people looking for other people and getting the run-around) especially given the MacGuffin at play here, but it's entertaining and brisk, and who cares about plot when we've got characters like these?

The dialogue sparks throughout, but the closer is the kicker. What a movie!