Quicksand (1950)/The Scar(1948)

Quicksand (1950)

In a somewhat perverse bit of casting, Mickey Rooney stars opposite the inimitable Peter Lorre in this gem of a noir. Rooney plays a mechanic named Dan, a naive young man who fancies himself something of a ladies man. He begins his descent into the world of crime when he falls for a blonde named Vera (Jeanne Cagney), whom he promises an expensive date. Unfortunately, Dan is a bit short on cash, so he takes $20 from his shop’s register and spends it all, thinking he’ll be able to replace it before anyone notices. When he can’t, Dan begins a downward spiral that starts with petty crime but quickly turns into something much worse.

1950, B&W, 79 minutes

The Scar (1948)

Henreid served as producer and played a dual role in this film noir piece. He is an ex-medical student involved in various confidence games, thefts, and illegal gambling. After a bungled robbery from which only he and Rudley escape, Henreid returns to his old job at a medical supply firm. Nearby works a psychiatrist who is his exact look-alike, with the exception of a scar on the doctor’s cheek. Henreid sees a chance to get a new start on life and devises a scheme. First he woos the doctor’s secretary (Bennett) and uses her to learn about the practice and to get a copy of the psychiatrist’s signature. He then becomes a parking attendant at the garage where Henreid the doctor parks his car. Using an enlarged photograph, the younger man makes an incision on his own cheek so the duplicate look will be complete. He then kills the doctor and takes over the practice. But to his horror, Henreid discovers that the photograph was printed in reverse and his scar is on the wrong cheek. Bennett discovers what’s going on. She wants to leave town but Henreid insists on going with her, booking a passage for two to Hawaii. On the way to the ship, Henreid is stopped by two thugs who believe he is the doctor. It seems the psychiatrist was deeply in debt to a professional gambler. Henreid tries to explain his identity, but to no avail. He tries to escape….

1948,  83 minutes, Black and White