“Nothing ever happens in a 50-mile bus ride to be jealous of.”

Synopsis:
A bus driver (Rick Jason) married to a neurotic alcoholic (Joan Collins) takes a group of passengers — including a buxomy blonde (Jayne Mansfield) and a salesman (Dan Dailey) — on a dangerous ride.
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Genres:
- Dan Dailey Films
- Ensemble Film
- Jayne Mansfield Films
- Joan Collins Films
- Road Trip
Review:
This adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel suffers from a cliched script, and characters we never care about or believe in. Handsome Rick Jason glowers his way through each of his scenes:

while Jayne Mansfield is wasted in a stereotypical role as an “adult performer” who wants nothing more than to get married and have a refrigerator and electric stove of her own (even if it means settling for a toothy-grinned nebbish like Dailey).

The film’s main strengths are its exciting action sequences, most notably when “Sweetheart” (the eponymous bus) attempts to cross a rickety bridge in pouring rain.
Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
- The exciting bridge sequence

Must See?
No. Although Peary lists this as a Sleeper in the back of his book, it’s not worth seeking out.
Links:
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