Quicksand

2057. QUICKSAND (195O-USA). WITH mickey rooney, jeanne cagney, barbara bates, peter lorre. Directed by irving pichel. A potent film noir drama featuring pint-sized Mickey Rooney in one Of his earliest adult roles. He plays Danny, a navy veteran and regular guy who toils as an auto mechanic. Danny has a sharp eye for the dames. He turns on his charm and sweet talks a hot number named Vera (Jeanne Cagney, sister Of James) into a date. However, it is five days to payÂday and Danny is flat broke. How will he be able to impress the materialistic Vera if he has no money to throw around? He wouldn’t dare ask his cheapskate boss for a pay advance. A friend who owes him twenty bucks cannot repay the loan until after his date. Absolutely no one can lend Danny the money. As he opens the cash register in the course Of his workday, Danny ponders takÂing a twenty dollar bill. He thinks he will be able to return it after collecting on the loan and no one will be the wiser. Little does Danny know that this act, which he completes in an instant Of desperaÂtion, will result in his life being transformed into a living hell. Director Pichel, himself a former actor, elicits collectively fine performances from Rooney, Cagney and Barbara Bates (playing the nice girl who stands by Danny throughout his travail). However, the great Peter Lorre takes acting honors for his marvelously sinister performance as a vulgar penny arcade owner who blackmails Danny. 78 minutes Drama