A government agent investigates the use of illegal amphetamines among long-haul truck drivers.A government agent investigates the use of illegal amphetamines among long-haul truck drivers.A government agent investigates the use of illegal amphetamines among long-haul truck drivers.
Robert B. Williams
- Dunc Clayton
- (as Robert Williams)
Gordon Armitage
- Diner Patron
- (uncredited)
Benjie Bancroft
- Diner Patron
- (uncredited)
Claire Carleton
- Mabel
- (uncredited)
Bud Cokes
- Diner Patron
- (uncredited)
Roy Damron
- Club Patron
- (uncredited)
John Dierkes
- 'Shug' Grandon
- (uncredited)
George Ford
- Diner Patron
- (uncredited)
Bill Gallant
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Larry Mancine
- Attendant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe many references throughout the movie to " Bennie" of course refer to Benzedrine. This amphetamine first registered in 1933 and use for a number of ailments ranging from narcolepsy to obesity and attention deficit disorder,soon grew very popular.It was used or rather abused by servicemen during world war 2, housewives during the 40's and 50's and of course,long haul truck drivers.It was not until 1959 (and maybe as a direct result of this movie),it's use was finally regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1959.I is now a schedule 2 or class B controlled drug used only for certain medical conditions.
- GoofsThe close up of the truck cabs is obviously not the same as the front panned out view of the truck cabs.
- Quotes
Tom Kaylor: Men who know you, Val, all end up as bad insurance risks.
Featured review
An Unusual Topic for Its Time
Truckers depend on illegal amphetamines to stay awake over long distances, causing a number of road accidents. So the government assigns an undercover agent to expose the criminal connections.
I expect this film amounts to an offspring of 1955's Man With a Golden Arm, the first post-war film to deal seriously with drug addiction. More directly is 1956's Bigger Than Life that dramatizes the maddening effects of a new prescription drug on an over-worked schoolteacher (James Mason). Up to 1955, drug addiction was pretty much taboo among non-exploitation filmmakers. So this minor oddity was dealing with an unusual topic not conventionally seen on the screen. (As a teen seeing the movie on initial release, I recall being puzzled by the topic).
The movie itself is standard Hollywood expose—the clean-cut gov't agent (Graves), the nefarious criminal ring, a mysterious headman, plus a winsome romantic interest (Powers). Still, the director is Joe Newman who could occasionally rise above the potboiler as I think he does here with some effective touches. Note the well-played surprise twist, along with pill-popping Chuck Connors, a really long way from his sober-sided role in The Rifleman. In fact, I wouldn't have believed Connors' giddy performance if I hadn't seen it.
Thanks to the several twists, unusual subject matter, and the manic Connors, the movie remains an oddly memorable potboiler, despite the lowly origins.
I expect this film amounts to an offspring of 1955's Man With a Golden Arm, the first post-war film to deal seriously with drug addiction. More directly is 1956's Bigger Than Life that dramatizes the maddening effects of a new prescription drug on an over-worked schoolteacher (James Mason). Up to 1955, drug addiction was pretty much taboo among non-exploitation filmmakers. So this minor oddity was dealing with an unusual topic not conventionally seen on the screen. (As a teen seeing the movie on initial release, I recall being puzzled by the topic).
The movie itself is standard Hollywood expose—the clean-cut gov't agent (Graves), the nefarious criminal ring, a mysterious headman, plus a winsome romantic interest (Powers). Still, the director is Joe Newman who could occasionally rise above the potboiler as I think he does here with some effective touches. Note the well-played surprise twist, along with pill-popping Chuck Connors, a really long way from his sober-sided role in The Rifleman. In fact, I wouldn't have believed Connors' giddy performance if I hadn't seen it.
Thanks to the several twists, unusual subject matter, and the manic Connors, the movie remains an oddly memorable potboiler, despite the lowly origins.
helpful•131
- dougdoepke
- Mar 9, 2012
Details
- Runtime1 hour 19 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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