PICKUP

Beverly Michaels

PICKUP (1951). Director: Hugo Haas.

"Is that where you're living? In that shack? Oh boy -- when does the floor show start?" -- Betty

"Never fails. Young. Handsome ... Broke." -- ditto

Lonely train station master Jan Horak (Hugo Haas) meets an attractive if immoral woman named Betty (Beverly Michaels) at a carnival, and she manipulates him into marriage when she's about to be thrown out on the street. Complicating matters is the presence of an assistant, Steve (Allan Nixon), who arrives at the station after Jan loses his hearing. But as he and Betty become increasingly attracted to each other -- and Betty begins plotting -- is it possible that her husband hears a lot more than she thinks ...? Obviously influenced by The Postman Always Rings Twice, this low-rent version is nevertheless entertaining, even if the vivid Michaels overacts on occasion. Haas, who appeared to advantage in such films as Summer Storm -- he was quite a good actor, actually -- directed a number of B film noirs such as One Girl's Confession and also helmed Lizzie with Eleanor Parker. Michaels is best-known for her saucy adept playing in the memorable Wicked Woman, made two years later. Allan Nixon was a sexy leading man and credible actor who might have developed leading man status if he had gotten a few good breaks and hadn't gotten in a few too many drunken brawls; cave women fought over him in Prehistoric Women. Pickup isn't entirely predictable, and there are some interesting deviations from the usual formula.

Verdict: Entertaining melodrama with some good performances. **1/2 out of 4.