Please don't spend money on this.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

A federal agent, Tom Kaylor (Peter Graves) is posing as a long-haul truck driver because of the damage being done by truck drivers using amphetamines in order to work their exhausting hours. The only really obvious lead is a trucker named 'Mink' (Chuck Connors), a guy who very obviously uses pills because he's perennially giddy and the acting is WAY over the top! But Mink won't talk and so Tom needs to keep his eyes open and be very, very careful because whoever is supplying the junk is more than willing to kill to keep this secret...and they soon end up beating Tom's co-driver to death because he asked too many questions!While occasionally the film is obvious and anything but subtle, it is entertaining and does provide a public service. I just wish they'd made Mink semi-realistic and explained that most Amphetamine users do NOT have hallucinations or end up in the Psyc Ward! It's not nearly as silly as films like "Reefer Madness" but if should have been a tad less goofy. It's really a shame, as the topic is an important one AND most of the movie was very good. Still, overall it is never dull and certainly is entertaining!!

Peter Graves is a federal agent trying to find out the source of the amphetamines that is killing and driving insane so many long haul truck drivers. An opening segment shows one of the long haul truck drivers trying to stay awake and downing "bennies" as they call them here to the point where he sees cars where there are none, and swerves, crashing his truck and dying, grabbing the viewer's attention.Tom Kaylor (Graves) goes undercover as a student truck driver. He moves into the rooming house run by the widow of the dead truck driver from the opening segment.Tom keeps asking for bennies from people who he thinks might be selling them, and getting rebuffed - practically with a sermon - every time. His first partner on a long drive actually opens up to Tom about the bennie business and how the pills are killers and how he is going to ask around to see if he can find out who is supplying them. He winds up beaten to death.There are a number of suspects as usual in this kind of film, and it keeps you guessing as to whether they are in on the pill business or just afraid of crossing those who are. The end is rather anti-climactic as the person who is the guilty party doesn't evoke either anger or sympathy from the audience. Plus the opening segment makes you believe that Kaylor is after a "Mr. Big", and this person hardly comes across like that.The best part of this film is seeing Chuck Connors of "The Rifleman" TV fame, which is a role that is to come only a year later,as a perpetually hyped up hepcat amphetamine addict of a truck driver, "Mink", who also lives in the boarding house with Tom. It's worth the price of admission just to see him hammily - and figuratively - climbing the walls.I'm giving this five points for Chuck Connors' cheesy performance and for the great roadhouse atmosphere of a bygone era - of boarding houses, transistor radios, cramped ma and pa diners with friendly service, of long haul working stiffs just trying to make ends meet. Then there is the sympathetic treatment the actual addicts are given. Considerable time is taken to show how some of the addicts got trapped in the web of addiction with a good dose of empathy.

***SPOILERS*** FDA Agent Tom Kayler, Peter Graves, is sent undercover as a student trucker to uncover a drug ring that providing truckers amphetamines known as "Bennies" to keep them awake during their long and tedious cross country hauls. It doesn't take long for Kayler to get his trucker partner Wally Morse, Ron Engle, to open up on what's going on in the trucking industry in him being addicted to "Bennie" himself and not keeping it, by popping them all the time, secret. In Kayler trying to find out the identity of the Mr. Big who's behind the drug smuggling operation causes Wally, who just couldn't keep his mouth shut, to be murdered by Mr. Big's thugs for talking too much.Kayler for his part keeps on digging and finally gets a lead with his new trucking partner hipster and beatnik like Mink Reynolds,Chuck Conners. Mink is so strung out on "Bennies" that it's a miracle that he can drive a tricycle much less an 18 wheeler. Minks addiction to "Bennies"soon lead to him freaking out and attacking Kayler that lead him to him, after Kayler flattened him, ending up in the hospital emergency ward suffering from a serious case severe drug with-drawls. Soon it becomes evident that Mr. Big is working out of Dunc Clayton's, Robert B. Williams, truck stop that's a popular watering hole for Mink who seems to get his supply of "Bennies" there. With Kayler getting too close to the source, Mr. Big or Mr. Brown as he's known, of who's behind the drug ring he's set up to be whacked like Wally was by one of Mr.Big's top henchmen. ***SPOILERS*** As we and Kayler soon find out this drug operation a lot bigger then he even imagined. Big enough to have him put his guard down in becoming deeply involved with with the person, not Mr.Big, who's been secretly running it right from the start! Never getting his hair mussed up or his fine tailored and pressed clothes, as a trucker, soiled Peter Graves as DEA Agent Tom Kayler almost single handedly puts an end to this drug operation! But not without the help of Dunc Clayton who changed sides when convinced, by Kayler, that he'll be iced along with Kayler by his drug pushing cohorts. The ending has a still immaculately dressed, this time with a suite and tie, Kayler confront the real Mr.Big who, in after trying to bribe Kayler to lay off, doesn't realize that he not only has the goods on him but also has the cops and DEA Agents waiting outside about arrest and cuff him!

Note this commentary may contain a ***SPOILER**Another one of those "B" 1950's crime thrillers "...ripped from the pages of todays headlines." This film was inspired by a Saturday Evening Post expose about the use of amphetamines of long haul truck drivers. In this film, Peter Graves plays an FDA agent who goes undercover as a truck driver in order to get the goods on who is supplying the drivers with "bennies". Chuck Conners plays a hip talking truck driver hooked on the pills and freaks out and almost kills Peter. Mala Powers plays the widowed boarding house owner that caters to truck drivers whom Peter becomes romanticly involved. Too bad Peter never learned never to trust grieving widows who wear cocktail dresses. Robert Shayne has a small part as Peters boss. Graves gives his usual dependable performance as the determined agent. Its amazing how many of these forgotten low budget films Graves made in the 1950's. Chuck Conners however, goes way over the top as the hip talking, jazz loving amphetamine hooked truck driver. Mala Powers is attractive.