Quicksand (1950) - Drama with Mickey Rooney

Mickey Rooney gives a stirring performance in this tale about a man who makes one poor decision which might lead to his demise.

In Quicksand (1950), Rooney plays a mechanic who steals twenty dollars from the company cash register to take a woman (Jeanne Cagney) on a date. To replace the money he pawns a watch that does not belong to him. To replace the cost of the watch, he robs a man.  In the next forty-eight hours, everything gets worse from there.

Cagney and Rooney caught up in greed and crime

Peter Lorre is on hand to lend his signature menace as an arcade owner who blackmails Rooney, adding another layer to the twisted tale. I was shocked at how real their fist fight seems.

Lorre and Rooney having it out

This was a period of transition for the star. Rooney had parted ways with MGM and was an independent contractor.  According to an AP story from March 25, 1949, in an interview on location for Quicksand, Rooney became a bit restless at the mention of one of his more famous MGM roles.

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From the Meridian Daily Journal:

"They make me sore," he said, referring to film reviewers and other critics. "They're always harping on Andy Hardy. You'd think that was all I had ever done. What about Boys' Town, Young Tom Edison, Babes in Arms, National Velvet?
 "Why don't they let Andy Hardy die? I haven't done one in three or four years. I'm an actor, not just an Andy Hardy." 

Rooney proves his acting chops once again for Quicksand. This film is a riveting morality tale of poor judgment, greed and deception.