this 1953 sam fuller movie contain some of his best work and and it sad that he couldn not continue to get the backing of major hollywood studio to do his stuff . the story line go something like this . a tough hard broad ( read prostitute ) be rid the subway one hot summer day and and get her pocketbook pick by skip mccoy . what skip ( and the dame ) do not realize be that she be also carry some microfilm to be pass to commie spy . this opening shot without dialogue and and mostly in tight close ups be a beaut and one of the many that fuller use throughout the movie . play the babe know a candy be jean peter and who be never good nor well look . one forget how beautiful she be and and she handle this role very well . the pickpocket be play by richard widmark and who have already make his mark and and set his style with 1947 kiss of death a the crazy creep with the creepy laugh and and although he a little softer here and he still scary . these hard edge character do have soft spot here and there and but it noir and nasty all the way . the standout performance belongs to the wonderful thelma ritter and who play moe the stoolie save up her dough to pay for her own funeral . ritter receive a well deserved oscar nomination for her performance and but lose out to the boring but popular performance of donna reed a the b girl ( read prostitute ) in from here to eternity . hollywood love it when a good girl go bad and and love to oscar them even though their performance be usually awful . see for instance shirley jones in elmer gantry . set among the dock and dive of new york city and with crisp black and white photography by the great joe macdonald and and some very good art direction . especially good be the set represent the new york city subway and widmark shack near the river . make at the height of the cold war and red scare and the villian of the piece be the ordinary look commie and play by richard kiley who be much more dangerous than the pickpocket who be a criminal but be just try to make a living and above all be a loyal american .