In 1964, an encounter between animal trainer David Pitts and hitchhiker Larry Ranes took a dark turn, inspiring the movie “He Went That Way,” featuring Jacob Elordi as Ranes and Zachary Quinto as Pitts. Although the film dramatizes the events, it draws from the real-life story of Pitts and Ranes, as documented in the fictional novel “Luke Karamazov” by Conrad Hilberry.
In the movie, Elordi portrays Bobby Falls, inspired by Ranes, while Quinto takes on the role of Jim Goodwin, modeled after Pitts. While the film explores their fictionalized encounter, the real David Pitts was among the fortunate few who survived their encounter with Ranes that year.
The actual Larry Ranes committed a heinous crime during his hitchhiking journey with Pitts — he shot, killed, and robbed Gary Smock. Remarkably, Spanky, Pitts’ celebrity chimpanzee, was in the car during the trip, potentially saving Pitts from a similar fate.
Ranes openly discussed the murder, leading to his arrest. He later confessed to killing and robbing four men in 1964, resulting in a conviction and a life sentence. Ranes, declared insane, spent his life behind bars and passed away in 2023 at the age of 78. Notably, Ranes’ brother, Danny Ranes, was also a serial killer, involved in the murders of four women in 1972.
One perplexing aspect of the Larry Ranes saga is why he spared David Pitts during their three-day journey. According to Pitts, Ranes revealed his murderous activities and even threatened Pitts and Spanky but ultimately chose not to harm them. Pitts claimed that Ranes warned him not to disclose the events for two weeks, as he intended to end his own life. The chilling agreement added a layer of complexity to the story.
“He Went That Way,” the 2024 film based on Ranes’ story, explores this intriguing aspect of the encounter. The movie’s co-producer, Hugh Broder, emphasized that the fascination lies not just in Ranes being a killer, but in the mystery of why he spared Pitts, a theme explored in the film. “He Went That Way” is set to stream on Apple TV and Amazon Prime from January 12, 2024.