Lack of good storyline.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

In older films we all expect to see Mickey Rooney dancing and singing with Judy Garland or engaging in juvenile roles in the Andy Hardy series. Rooney was 30 and too old for those roles when "Quicksand" was released in 1950, and he made the most of his opportunity to shine playing an undesirable and desperate character.Dan Brady (Rooney) is an auto mechanic with no money and very little future, but he does have devoted and sensitive girlfriend Helen (Barbara Bates). Brady meets B-girl Vera Novak (well played by Jeanne Cagney) and predictably falls hard for her. To impress her with his money, he "borrows" $20 from his boss' cash drawer, leading to more borrowing, trouble with a private investigator, armed robbery, blackmail by slimy arcade owner Nick (well played by Peter Lorre), burglary, a gunfight, a stolen car, the attempted murder of Brady's boss, carjacking, and flight to avoid police. The police arrive to bust Vera (who bought a fur coat with her ill-gotten gains), and Brady takes off as a fugitive. While running, he and Helen meet kindly attorney Harvey (bland Taylor Holmes), leading to a gunfight at the Santa Monica Pier and Brady's arrest.Watching Brady's life spin out of control because of the $20 is fascinating to watch, primarily because it's happening to wholesome Mickey Rooney. It's great fun, and you can hear the rare use of the word "geetus" (money) by Rooney. "Quicksand" is a pretty good semi-film noir with Rooney, James Cagney's sister, and the ill-fated Barbara Bates.

"I feel like I'm being shoved into a corner and if I don't get out soon, it will be too late." So says Dan Brady (Mickey Rooney) after a series of bad decisions causes him to get deeper and deeper, quicksand like, into crime. Viewers are led to believe that Dan is basically a good guy; but he just can't get a break, as he goes from one small problem to a disaster, then to a bigger disaster. It's almost comical.What makes the film better than comparable era crime stories is the casting of Rooney, an actor who's little boy face and short stature run counter to villain stereotypes. Actually, Dan's downfall can be traced back to his infatuation with a blonde "dame" named Vera Novak (very well played by Jeanne Cagney). Various twists and turns in the plot add interest.A few complaints here. First, the film gets off to a slow start. Second, I don't like the "Deus-ex-machina" ending. And third, the film is almost too brief; it seems rushed. The impression conveyed is that the scriptwriter was too lazy to add story depth and a few extra scenes to the script.For its historical era, B&W visuals are okay, but nothing special. Costumes, editing, and prod design are average. Casting is terrific and is probably the best element. Acting is average except for the performances of Rooney and Cagney, which are terrific.Because the run-time is brief, "Quicksand" is a somewhat thin story. Yet, it still held my attention once the plot got going. Of course I'd rather see a too-short film that's good than a too-long film that's bad.

Mickey Rooney plays Dan. Dan is a thinks he's a ladies man... wants to be with all the pretty girls and has one of them in-love with him but he hardly notices her. There's a new blonde in town Dan falls for - but chick is the expensive type and only cares about herself. Dan manages to land a date with her but forgot that he's broke and won't get paid until the next day. He steals 20 bucks from his cash register at work and plans on paying it back the next day. But that stolen 20 dollars for a date with an expensive blonde costed him more than just paying it back and some sweat - it might just land him in prison. It's a film you'll just have to watch to see how 20 dollars and a date turns into more than Dan ever cared to bargain for.This is a pretty good crime film and somewhat interesting - I enjoyed it.8/10

Garage mechanic Mickey Rooney (as Dan Brady) wants to date blonde cashier Jeanne Cagney (as Vera Novak) after seeing her arrive for work in a sexy black dress. Since one of his friends owes him $20, Mr. Rooney decides to "borrow" it from the cash register at work. No one will know. After brushing off former girlfriend Barbara Bates (as Helen), Rooney takes Ms. Cagney out on borrowed money. Today, taking a date to the Santa Monica Pier is not that costly... Of course, Rooney's plan to replace the money fails, and he gets deeper and deeper in "Quicksand". The appearance of Peter Lorre (as Nick) means more trouble for Rooney. This is a fair to middling story, depending on how far you can stretch your suspension of disbelief. It moralizes about "robbing Peter to pay Paul." Funny, if you're in the mood.**** Quicksand (3/24/50) Irving Pichel ~ Mickey Rooney, Jeanne Cagney, Barbara Bates, Peter Lorre