The Hitch Hiker: A Bumpy Ride Through Old-School Slapstick

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, you probably only want to watch The Hitch Hiker if you have a soft spot for silent-era style gags or if you’re just digging through the archives. It’s not going to change your life. It’s for the folks who like their humor with a bit of dust on it. If you hate physical comedy that leans heavily into exaggerated faces and awkward movements, steer clear. You will be bored in about three minutes.

There is this moment near the beginning where the rhythm just completely falls apart. It happens when the car stops, and the timing feels so stiff it’s almost impressive. Like the actors were waiting for a signal that never actually came. It’s kind of endearing in a weird, broken way.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Hitch Hiker (1933) through its definitive frames.

The vibe is... specific

The whole thing feels like a sketch that someone expanded just enough to fill the runtime. It’s not trying to be Mr. Robinson Crusoe or some grand production. It’s just people running around, looking confused, and making faces. It’s almost purely visual.

• The makeup is, uh, very visible.
• The editing feels like it was done with a pair of rusty scissors.
• The pacing? Forget about it. It just stops and starts whenever it feels like.

I caught myself wondering if the writers, Bobby Vernon and Dean Ward, were just making it up as they went. Some of these sequences feel like they were filmed in one take and they just kept the mistakes because, hey, it was probably time for lunch. It’s nowhere near as polished as The Climbers, but it has that frantic energy that makes you realize movies used to be a lot more like theater experiments.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Hitch Hiker (1933) through its definitive frames.

The hitchhiker himself? He shows up and just sort of... exists. He doesn't have a whole lot to do other than look vaguely annoyed. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity for some real chaos. I wanted more.

Sometimes the movie gets noticeably better when it stops trying to be funny and just focuses on the sheer absurdity of the situation. There’s a scene in the second half where the background extras look like they wandered in from a completely different movie. They’re just standing there, staring at the camera like they’re waiting for the bus. It’s hilarious.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s a curiosity. You can watch it, think, "well, that happened," and then go on with your day. That’s probably the best way to handle it. Don't look for meaning. There isn't any.