Death In Small Doses (1957)

On assignment, an undercover FDA agent (Peter Graves) poses as a truck driver in order to break up a bootleg amphetamine ring pushing the pills to long haul truckers. Based on a Saturday Evening Post article by Arthur L. Davis and directed by Joseph Newman (THIS ISLAND EARTH). This pulpy B movie tries to be timely and shocking in exposing the use of amphetamines (called bennies in the movie) and while it's restrained compared to something like HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL which dealt with drug use in high schools, it still goes ludicrously over the top at times. Chuck Connors as a jive talking, pill popping hophead truck driver is hilarious but not in ways intended. The film tips its hand way too early and it's easy to identify the brains behind the amphetamine ring thus eliminating any suspense. With Merry Anders in the film's best performance as an addicted waitress who helps break the case, Mala Powers, Claire Carleton and Roy Engel.