Quicksand (1950)

Quicksand (1950) is a United Artists film noir starring Mickey Rooney and Peter Lorre in a story about a garage mechanic's descent into crime. The film has been described as "film noir in a teacup... a pretty nifty little picture" in which Rooney "cast himself against his Andy Hardy goody goody image."

Rooney co-financed Quicksand with Peter Lorre but their shares of the profits were reportedly left unpaid by a third partner. Most of the film was shot on location in Santa Monica, California, with a few exterior scenes at Santa Monica Pier. Swing era bandleader Red Nichols and His Five Pennies are seen and heard in a nightclub scene. A display box of Bit-O-Honey candy shown by a cash register soon after the film begins is an early example of product placement.

Bruce Eder of Allmovie wrote Rooney "...gives what many consider to be the best performance of his career" and characterized Quicksand as "one of the more fascinating social documents of its era."

Directed by Irving Pichel; Produced by Mort Briskin/Samuel H. Stiefel; Written by Robert Smith
Starring: Mickey Rooney; Jeanne Cagney; Barbara Bates; Peter Lorre