From Imdb:

wrote:In an interview Talman recalled an incident that happened shortly after the release of The Hitch-Hiker (1953), in which he gave a chilling portrayal of escaped murderer and serial killer Emmett Meyers. He was driving his convertible in Los Angeles with the top down, and he stopped at a red light. Another driver in a convertible who was stopped next to him stared at him for a few seconds, then said, "You're the hitchhiker, right?" Talman nodded, indicating that he was. The other driver got out of his car, went over to Talman's car and slapped him across the face, then got back in his car and drove off. In recalling the story, Talman said, "You know, I never won an Academy Award but I guess that was about as close as I ever will come to one."

:)

1953's The Hitch-Hiker, by Ida Lupino, is based on true events, tracks the last free days of fugitive on a killing spree, and specifically the experience of two men on a fishing trip, who meander down to Mexico and get themselves carjacked and taken hostage by the killer. More psychological horror than action thriller, the two men offer a quiet heroism, simple resolve under pressure, but are largely impotent before a crazy man with a gun, and this despite their military background. None or little of the macho bullshit Hollywood normally would have churned out, so if you want a feminist reading of it, there you have it. William Talman is creepy in the lead role, with his lazy eye keeping watch through the night, and both Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy exude a weary everyman quality even before things take a turn for the worse. As for Lupino, her film is well shot, economical, and turns the sunny California desert into a sort of noir western wasteland.

got this on one of those DVDs with several old movies in the bargain bin. I must say it was a great find. not the best film ever but one of the best acted killers in my book.