In the movie THE HITCHER, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is driving a car from Chicago to San Diego. While driving through Texas at night, he picks up a hitchhiker, John Ryder (Rutger Hauer). It soon becomes clear that this was not a good idea, because Ryder is a serial killer.
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| The Hitcher, 1:31:17 |
Warning: the text may give away details of the plot. Jim manages to kick Ryder out of the car, but that is when the real trouble begins. Ryder is constantly hot on Jim’s heels, playing a game of cat and mouse with him. He even manages to convince the police that Jim is responsible for the murders that he himself committed. On the run from both Ryder and the police, Jim ends up at Roy’s Motel & Cafe, a gas station in California’s Mojave Desert.
Although the story is set in Texas, it was not filmed in that state, but in California and Nevada. Filming took place from 11 February 11 until 17 April 1985.
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| Roy’s Motel & Cafe, Amboy, 6 July 2023 |
Roy’s Motel & Cafe was opened in 1938 by Roy Crowl and is located in Amboy, on the National Trails Highway, formerly part of Route 66. Over the years, the gas station grew into a complex featuring an auto repair garage, a café, and a motel with small bungalows. In 1959, the neon boomerang sign was installed, visible for miles to anyone approaching Amboy. The opening of Interstate 40 in 1972 led to a sharp decline in the number of visitors.
Amboy slowly turned into a ghost town. Roy’s Motel & Cafe eventually closed in 2005. Thanks to a wealthy American restaurant owner, the gas station and café were able to reopen three years later. In 2013, the iconic neon sign was restored thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. Little seems to have changed since then; during our visit, the motel was still abandoned.
When Jim arrives at the gas station, the neon sign fills the screen, and the vastness of the landscape is clearly visible thanks to a high camera angle.
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| The Hitcher, 0:48:28 |
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| Roy’s Motel & Cafe, Amboy, 6 July 2023 |
While the owner is making coffee, Jim briefly covers his eyes with his hands to process everything that has happened to him. When he opens his eyes again, Ryder is sitting across from him. The seats are gone and have been replaced by souvenirs.
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| The Hitcher, 0:48:28 |
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| Roy’s Motel & Cafe, Amboy, 6 July 2023 |
A bus carrying passengers makes a brief stop. Jim hides in the bus's restroom, hoping to escape Ryder and the police. As the bus pulls away, the entire town of Amboy comes into view.
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| The Hitcher, 0:53:06 |
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| Roy’s Motel & Cafe, Amboy, 6 July 2023 |
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| The Hitcher, 0:54:31 |
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| Amboy, 6 July 2023 |
In addition to The Hitcher, Roy’s Motel & Café has appeared in numerous other movies, TV series, music videos, and commercials. The owner gave us the card below listing the most well-known titles.
Screenshots © Silver Screen Partners
