Mickey Rooney Gets Stuck in Quicksand (1950)

       After the Comic  

 That little mess BJ and Mickey got themselves into fits the title pretty well. In the real movie Quicksand, Mickey Rooney plays a young auto mechanic whose bad decisions keep dragging him deeper and deeper into trouble — kind of like quicksand, only with money, crime, and panic instead of mud.

The film came out in 1950 and has a darker, more serious tone than the cheerful Mickey Rooney movies many people remember. He plays Dan Brady, a regular working guy who makes one bad choice, then another, and soon finds himself trapped in a chain of problems that gets harder to escape.

A few things you might not know: Mickey Rooney was already a huge star by the time Quicksand was made, so seeing him in a gritty crime story was a different side of him. The movie also features Peter Lorre, whose strange, unforgettable screen presence gives the story an extra dose of uneasiness. And although the title sounds like somebody is literally sinking in a swamp, the “quicksand” is really a metaphor for how one mistake can pull a person into another.

That’s what made it perfect for a Bootleg Comic. I just decided Mickey and I should try the literal version too.

And after that shortcut? Next time Mickey says, “Trust me, BJ,” I’m checking the ground first. 

Now get ready for some Grit....

BOOTLEG COMIC THEATER FEATURE PRESENTATION

BOOTLEG COMIC THEATER CLASSIC MOVIES • COMIC STYLE

BOOTLEG COMIC THEATER • FEATURE PRESENTATION   

The Crawling Eye Movie 1958...."gave me the creeps!"

 

After the Comic: The Crawling Eye (1958)

I thought I was safe at my desk with a handful of popcorn—until that giant eye showed up at the window! In the movie, a strange cloud hangs over a Swiss mountain while climbers disappear. Then we find out what’s hiding in the mist.

Here are a couple of things you might not know: This British film was called The Trollenberg Terror in the UK, and its story began as a television serial. It was also the last production filmed at Southall Studios, with a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster.

So settle in, grab some popcorn, and keep your eye on the movie—because the movie might be keeping its eye on you! 👁️🍿

— BJ

BOOTLEG COMIC THEATER / THE CRAWLING EYE

Press Play for the BJ introduction, followed by the movie.