Thieves’ Highway 1949

Nick Garcos Richard Conte is a World War II veteran who returns from Asia to his family home in Fresno, California, only to learn that his foreign-born father, who once drove a produce truck, has been crippled and forced to sell the family business after an encounter with the ruthless San Francisco dealer Mike Figlia Lee J. Cobb. Motived by to restore his father’s dignity and seek justice, Nick vows revenge.

He teams up with Ed Kinney [Millard Mitchell], the other driver who bought the Garcos truck, and the two set out to haul a load of apples to San Francisco. Nick arrives ahead of Kinney and parking his truck in a way that blocks Figlia’s bustling wholesale stand, draws the dealer’s anger. In retaliation, Figlia’s thugs sabotage Nick’s rig by cutting a tire, trying to derail his plan.

To sideline Nick for good, Figlia hires Rica [Valentina Cortese], a streetwalker, to lure him away to her room while his men unload the apples without permission. Nick negotiates a price for the fruit, but that same night, goons ambush him and rob him of the cash he’s earned.

Meanwhile, Kinney’s journey to San Francisco unravels in a brutal way: his vehicle’s drive shaft collapses on a downhill stretch, preventing downshifting and with brakes apparently failing. The truck careens in a horrific crash, burning as onlookers watch in horror, and Kinney dies, leaving a sting of fury and grief in his wake.

Polly Faber [Barbara Lawrence], Nick’s hometown sweetheart, arrives in the city with plans to marry him, only to be disappointed when she discovers Nick recuperating from his beating in Rica’s apartment, with no money and little stability to offer.

A witness who saw Kinney’s death brings urgent news to Nick, renewing his resolve. The two men confront Figlia in a tavern, and Nick delivers a decisive beating that leads to Figlia’s arrest and the restoration of the Garcos family’s honor.

In the aftermath, Nick and Rica drive away together, their future uncertain but filled with hope as they plan to marry, choosing a path beyond fear and retribution.