The Hitch-Hiker

Directed by Ida Lupino, the first mainstream film noir by a woman director. Two friends on a fishing trip to Mexico pick up a hitchhiker who turns out to be psychopathic escaped convict Emmett Myers. Based on the real-life murder spree of serial killer Billy Cook, this tense thriller follows the terrifying journey as Myers holds them hostage at gunpoint through the Baja California desert. Starring Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, and William Talman. Library of Congress National Film Registry.