US Release date: 20 September 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 13 May 1950
Genre: Crime
Country: USA
Running time: 94 minutes.
Director: Jules Dassin
Cast: Richard Conte, Valentina Cortese & Lee J. Cobb
Australian Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Hoyts’ Esquire Theatre for three weeks from 31 March 1950 with Devil’s Cartgo as support
Suburban Release Type: Hoyts Victory EX-2
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 181 | 128 |
| EF PPE | 3.69 | 147 |
| Metres Travelled | 480,246 | 154 |
| Average MT | 9,801 | 275 |
| Engagements | 49 | 105 |
| Slots | 53 | 160 |
| Weeks | 4 | 188 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 8.16% | 220 |
| Saturdays | 18 | 135 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 36.73% | 178 |
| Tuesdays | 27 | 39 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 55.10% | 72 |
| First billed | 39 | 104 |
| Second billed | 10 | 188 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Hoyts ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 48 |
| Ratio | 97.96% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 5.60% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 1 |
| Ratio | 2.04% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.35% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -2.24% |
| Hoyts eng | 34 |
| Ratio | 69.39% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 3.61% |
| Independent eng | 5 |
| Ratio | 10.20% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -1.30% |
| Suburban eng | 10 |
| Ratio | 20.41% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -2.31% |
NOTES: A strong performance at the Esquire did not translate to a healthy EF ranking in the suburbs for this superior noir. Generally first billed to Devil’s Cargo on Tuesdays and used as support for Oh! You Beautiful Doll on Saturdays (the former taking up most of its time).
Thieves’ Highway engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| St.Kilda | Victory | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 1 | W | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 20/5/50 | 2 | S | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Albert Park | Park | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| North Fitzroy | Merri | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Richmond | Cinema | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| South Yarra | Regent | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | S | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Caulfield | Crystal Palace | Suburban | 20/5/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Fitzroy | Regent | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Malvern | New | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Port Melbourne | Eclipse | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Brunswick | Padua | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | W | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Windsor | New | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 2 | W | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Ascot Vale | Ascot | Suburban | 27/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Richmond | Globe | Suburban | 27/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Elsternwick | Renown | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | S | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Northcote | Northcote | Suburban | 27/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Ascot Vale | Waratah | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Brighton | Centre | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Essendon | Circle | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Glenhuntly | Glenhuntly | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Thornbury | Regent | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Coburg | Grand | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 3 | W | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Carnegie | Carnegie | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Footscray | Barkly | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Money Madness |
| Glenferrie | Palace | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Preston | Circle | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Balwyn | Time | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Bentleigh | Bentleigh | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Brunswick | Alhambra | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | T | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Camberwell | Broadway | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Gardiner | Regent | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Hampton | Southern | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Kew | Rialto | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| North Fitzroy | Palace | Suburban | 10/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Brunswick | Lygon | Hoyts | 10/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 10/6/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 10/6/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Malvern | Victory | Hoyts | 10/6/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Williamstown | Shore | Hoyts | 17/6/50 | 6 | S | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| North Melbourne | Loco | Independent | 17/6/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Yarraville | St. George | Suburban | 17/6/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Oakleigh | Paramount | Independent | 24/6/50 | 7 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Box Hill | Regent | Suburban | 1/7/50 | 8 | S | 1 | Money Madness |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | Suburban | 1/7/50 | 8 | S | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| Ivanhoe | Ivanhoe | Hoyts | 1/7/50 | 8 | T | 2 | Oh! You Beautiful Doll |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 8/7/50 | 9 | T | 1 | The Noose |
| Preston West | Rivoli | Independent | 8/7/50 | 9 | T | 1 | Devil’s Cargo |
| Coburg West | Progress | Independent | 7/10/50 | 22 | T | 1 | Hit Parade |
The 1950 Project 