pickup on south street be a high speed drama about a small time criminal who suddenly find himself embroil in the activity of a group of communist . the action be present in a very direct and dynamic style and the momentum be keep up by mean of some brilliant editing . the use of a wide variety of different camera angle and effective close ups also contribute to the overall impression of constant motion and vitality . samuel fuller style of directing and the cinematography by joseph macdonald be excellent and there be many scene which through their composition and light produce a strong sense of mood and atmosphere . ace pickpocket and repeat offender skip mccoy ( richard widmark ) get into deep water when he steal a wallet from a young woman name candy ( jean peter ) on the new york subway . she be be use by her ex boyfriend joey ( richard kiley ) to make a delivery to one of his contact in a communist organisation and unknown to her and she be carry u government secret record on microfilm . two fbi agent have be follow candy and witness the theft . one of the agent continue to tail her back to joey apartment and the other and zara ( willis bouchey ) and visit police captain dan tiger ( murvyn vye ) . zara explain that the fbi have be follow candy for some month a part of their pursuit of the ringleader of a communist group . in order to identify the pickpocket and tiger call in a stoolie call moe ( thelma ritter ) who after be give a precise description of the cannon method of work make a list of eight possible suspect . once tiger see skip name on the list he immediately convince that he the man that they need to track down and he send two detective to arrest him . when skip be bring into tiger office and zara tell him about the microfilm and tiger offer to drop any charge if he will co operate with the investigation . skip be flippant and arrogant . he clearly doesn not trust tiger and deny all knowledge of the theft on the subway . joey order candy to find out who steal the microfilm and then retrieve it . candy pay moe for skip address and when skip return from be question by tiger and he find candy search his home and knock her unconscious before steal her money . when she recovers and skip demand payment of $ 25 and 000 for the microfilm . she tell joey about skip demand and joey bos give him a gun and order him to recover the microfilm by the following evening . skip and candy be attract to each other and it because of their uneasy and develop relationship that a mean evolves by which they be able to shake off the attention of the police . it soon become apparent and however and that resolve matter with the communist gang will only be achieve by more direct action . the depiction of skip and candy and moe a character that inhabit a seedy world in which they be force to face considerable risk on a daily basis be powerful and compelling . moe work a a police informer be dependent on her knowledge of the people in her community but also those people know what she do and any one of them could seek their revenge at any time . she appear to be cunning and streetwise but also have her vulnerable side a she describe herself a an old clock run down and save money to be able to have a decent burial in an exclusive cemetery in long island . her belief that every buck have a meaning of it own lead her to sell any information regardless of danger and friendship or principle and yet there be one occasion where she refuse and this prove fatal . thelma ritter performance certainly merit the oscar nomination she earn for her role . skip be a violent criminal with no concern for his victim and have already be convict three time in the past and live under the constant threat of be jail for life if convict again . despite this and he still continue with his criminal activity and strangely and be merely philosophical when moe betray his whereabouts and then later and he even ensure that moe receive the type of burial she value so highly . candy be an ex hooker and someone whose activity constantly put her in peril but behind her harden exterior a warm side gradually become more evident . widmark and peter be both perfect for their role and like ritter portray the different facet of their personality with great style and conviction .