Quicksand

Dan Brady steals twenty dollars from the cash register at his California auto shop to pay for a date with Vera Novak. He hopes Vera will be impressed by the gesture, but the theft sets in motion a chain of risky decisions. The act anchors Dan in trouble from the start.

Dan makes a one dollar down payment on a $100 wristwatch at a jewelry store and signs an installment contract to pay the rest over time. He plans to pay gradually, but the agreement binds him beyond his means. The contract pulls him deeper into trouble.

Dan hocks the wristwatch for $30 cash at a pawnshop to cover the missing funds. He uses most of the money to cover the garage shortfall and to keep his plans with Vera afloat. The pawned watch means he no longer owns the item the contract required.

An investigator informs Dan that pawning an item he does not own violates the installment contract and warns that if he does not pay the full $100 within 24 hours he faces grand larceny charges. The threat heightens his urgency and fear. He realizes time is running out.

Dan makes a failed attempt to secure a payday loan and then tries to use his car as collateral for another loan. Both plans collapse under scrutiny, leaving him with mounting debt and no safe options. The pressure pushes him toward illegal means.

Desperation drives Dan to mug a tipsy bar patron who is carrying a sizable amount of cash. The act shows how far he will go to survive but also locks him deeper into crime. This reckless choice ignites the trouble to come.

Nick Dramoshag, owner of a penny arcade on Santa Monica Pier, discovers evidence of the mugging and uses it to blackmail Dan. He demands a car from Dan's job in exchange for his silence. The leverage tightens Dan's bind.

Dan steals the garage car and trades it to Dramoshag in exchange for the incriminating evidence. The move cements Dan in a dangerous bargain and sets up the confrontation with his boss Mackey. The stakes climb as the murder threat approaches.

Oren Mackey confronts Dan and demands the return of the car or $3,000. Dan offers $1,800 as a partial settlement and the two struggle when Mackey pulls a gun. During the struggle Dan strangles Mackey with the phone cord, believing him dead.

Dan informs Vera that they should flee to Texas, but Vera refuses to go without evidence against her. Dan is disgusted by her self serving attitude and the plan to run collapses. The future looks bleak for both of them.

Outside Vera's apartment, Dan's loyal former girlfriend Helen waits in his car and decides to accompany him on the escape. Her decision provides a glimmer of support as they prepare to leave town. The trio sets out for an uncertain future.

Dan carjacks a sedan driven by a sympathetic lawyer and heads toward Santa Monica Pier. He tells Helen to stay with the lawyer as they drive, marking a shift from immediate flight to a broader escape plan. This moment propels them toward the pier and the next chapter of their attempt to vanish.

At Santa Monica Pier, Dan tells Helen about escaping to Mexico on a friend's charter boat and promises to send for her once he is safe. He arrives at the pier and prepares the final steps of his escape. The pier becomes the focal point of their doomed plan.

A news report arrives that Mackey survived his injuries, prompting the lawyer and Helen to drive back to the pier to tell Dan. Before they can reach him, police locate Dan, wound him and arrest him. Helen comforts Dan and vows to wait for his release.