Quicksand Reviews

A no-nonsense crime thriller starring Rooney as a poor garage mechanic who falls in love with Jeanne Cagney (James's sister). Unfortunately, she is only interested in how much money she can get out of the simple mechanic. To fund his night on the town with Cagney, Rooney lifts $20 from the garage's till, fully intending to pay it back before the accountant comes for his weekly bookbalancing. While out on the date, Rooney meets slimy arcade owner Lorre, who, it turns out, is a former boy friend of Cagney. Rooney arrives at work the next day only to find that the accountant has come a few days early. Panic sets in and Rooney runs off to purchase an expensive watch on credit so that he can pawn it for $30. He succeeds in replacing the money before the loss is discovered, but then he finds himself in trouble with his creditors. Desperate, he robs a drunk, but Lorre learns of the crime and blackmails Rooney, demanding a car in return for his silence. Rooney steals a car from the garage, but is discovered by his boss, who demands payment. Rooney and Cagney then decide to rob Lorre's arcade to get the money. Cagney blows half the cash on a new fur coat, and Rooney is left with only $1,800 to try to appease his boss. Smith takes the money, and then pulls a gun on Rooney and calls the cops. Rooney jumps the man and strangles him. Believing he has committed a murder, Rooney flees and is eventually cornered by the police. Not wanting to give up, he starts a shootout, is injured, and is finally captured. On the way to the hospital he is informed by the authorities that his boss is not dead after all, and a sympathetic lawyer offers his services to Rooney, telling him that since he is a first offender he'll be able to get out in a year. QUICKSAND was the only film in a proposed three-picture collaboration between Rooney and Lorre. The films, which were to be produced by Rooney's company, at first were to be directed by Lorre, who would also star in them. Later it was announced that Rooney would produce and direct the three films, which would star Lorre. In the end, only QUICKSAND was ever filmed. Disappointed with the result and plagued with financial problems (his business manager having forced the actor into bankruptcy), Lorre returned to Europe where he visited a postwar Germany and was inspired to man the helm on the only film he would ever direct, THE LOST ONE.