1 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Quicksand
"A guy who yields to temptation just once...... ....and finds it's once too often!"
1950 1h 19m EN
😐
6.1
MID
⭐
6.6
IMDB
★6.1TMDB · 40★6.6IMDB · 2,655
CrimeThriller
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Young auto mechanic Dan Brady takes $20 from a cash register at work to go on a date with blonde femme fatale Vera Novak. Brady intends to put the money back before it is missed, but the garage's bookkeeper shows up earlier than scheduled. As Brady scrambles to cover evidence of his petty theft, he fast finds himself drawn into an ever worsening "quicksand" of crime.
“A guy who yields to temptation just once...... ....and finds it's once too often!”
Cast
Mickey Rooney
Daniel 'Dan' Brady
Jeanne Cagney
Vera Novak
Barbara Bates
Helen Calder
Peter Lorre
Nick Dramoshag
Taylor Holmes
Harvey
Art Smith
Oren Mackey
Wally Cassell
Chuck Davis
Richard Lane
Lt. Nelson
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Irving Pichel
- Writers
- Robert Smith
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Irving Pichel, shot by Lionel Lindon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Walter Thompson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Mickey Rooney and Jeanne Cagney and Barbara Bates carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "A guy who yields to temptation just once...... ....and finds it's once too often!".
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0042869 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Irving Pichel directs. Lionel Lindon behind the camera. Walter Thompson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 276 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 4Directed by Irving Pichel, shot by Lionel Lindon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5Editor Walter Thompson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Mickey Rooney and Jeanne Cagney and Barbara Bates carry the top of the cast.
- 7Marketing tagline: "A guy who yields to temptation just once...... ....and finds it's once too often!".
- 8IMDB entry: tt0042869 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 9Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Lionel Lindon
- Editing
- Walter Thompson
- Makeup / hair
- Mel Berns
- Runtime
- 79 min · 1h 19m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- NR
- IMDB
- Quicksand (1950)
- IMDB rating
- 6.6/10 · 2,655 votes
- MPAA
- Approved
Also by
Irving Pichel
Community reviews
What people are saying
- CinemaSerf★ 6/10
Mickey Rooney is rather convincing as a naive young mechanic who pinches $20 from his employer so he can impress his gold-digging girlfriend on a date. Soon, though, the debt spirals out of control as he falls foul of the authorities, his employer and a particularly odious Peter Lorre ("Nick") and is soon being chased by the police for murder. It's been done on a shoestring, but the ending is exciting, if a little cheesy and contrived. The characters are interesting and well hung together and make for an above average quality thriller.
Production companies
Who made it
- SA
Samuel H. Stiefel Productions
Key crew
- ProducerMort Briskin
- ProducerSamuel H. Stiefel
- Makeup ArtistMel Berns
- EditorWalter Thompson
- HairstylistAnnabell Levy
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- car mechanic
- femme fatale
- film noir
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1950-03-24NR
Also known as
International titles
- Arena movedizaES
