Impulse (1954 Film)
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''Impulse'' is a 1954 British
second feature A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
directed by
Cy Endfield Cyril Raker Endfield (November 10, 1914 – April 16, 1995) was an American film director, who at times also worked as a writer, theatre director, and inventor. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he worked in the New York theatre in the late 1930s ...
(as "Charles de Lautour") and starring Arthur Kennedy,
Constance Smith Constance Smith (7 February 1929 – 30 June 2003) was an Irish film actress, and contract player of 20th Century Fox in the 1950s. Early life Smith was born into a family as the first of 11 children.'' The Oakland Tribune'', 18 March 1962, Oa ...
and Joy Shelton. It was written by Endfield (as "Jonathan Roach") and
Lawrence Huntington Lawrence Huntington (9 March 1900 – 1968) was a UK, British film director, screenwriter and film producer, producer. Huntington was born in London on 9 March 1900, he directed more than thirty films following his debut feature ''After Many Year ...
from an original story by Carl Nystrom and Robert S. Baker.


Plot

Alan Curtis is an American
estate agent An estate agent is a person or business in the United Kingdom that arranges the selling, renting, or managing of real estate, properties and other buildings. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a Letting agent, letting or manag ...
living in England, dissatisfied with his humdrum life. With his wife Elizabeth on a short break visiting her mother, he gives a lift to sultry nightclub singer Lila when he finds her stranded on the road at night. Curtis becomes romantically involved with her and Lila tells him that her brother is in trouble over a jewel robbery. In reality Lila wants the stolen stones for herself. She tricks the wayward Curtis into believing that he killed a man so that he buys them two tickets out of the country. He decides that it is better to face the music, opting to stay and confess. Lila, too, reconsiders, staying with Curtis until his name is cleared. After the true killers are revealed, Lila goes to jail as a participant in the robbery and Curtis returns to his wife, who forgives him.


Cast

* Arthur Kennedy as Alan Curtis *
Constance Smith Constance Smith (7 February 1929 – 30 June 2003) was an Irish film actress, and contract player of 20th Century Fox in the 1950s. Early life Smith was born into a family as the first of 11 children.'' The Oakland Tribune'', 18 March 1962, Oa ...
as Lila * Joy Shelton as Elizabeth Curtis * Jack Allen as Freddie * James Carney as Jack Forrester *
Cyril Chamberlain Cyril Chamberlain (8 March 1909 – 30 April 1974) was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early '' Carry On'', '' Doctor'' and '' St. Trinian's'' films. Chamberlain's first film appearance was in the 1936 Mich ...
as Gray * Cameron Hall as Joe *
Bruce Beeby Bruce Edward Beeby (21 October 1921 – 20 October 2013) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in British films and television. He was probably best known for portraying Stephen "Mitch" Mitchell in the 1950s BBC radio serials '' Journ ...
as Harry Winters *
Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book '' Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764†...
as Palmer * Sam Kydd as ticket inspector *
Kenneth Cope Kenneth Charles Cope (14 April 1931 – 11 September 2024) was an English actor and scriptwriter. He was best known for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in '' Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', Jed Stone in ''Coronation Street,'' Ray Hilton in '' ...
as hotel desk clerk * Michael Balfour as sailor * John Horsley as police officer * Peter Swanwick as ship's captain * Victor Harrington as nightclub patron * Guy Standeven as nightclub patron * Jean St. Clair as Curtis' next-door neighbour


Production

The film was shot at
Nettlefold Studios Walton Studios, previously named Hepworth Studios and Nettlefold Studios, was a film production studio in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England.Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, known locally as Walton, is a market town on the bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames, Thames in northwest Surrey, England. It is in the Borough of Elmbridge, about southwest of central London. Walton forms part ...
,
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, with sets designed by art director
Wilfred Arnold Wilfred Arnold (1903–1970), also known as C. Wilfred Arnold, was a British art director.Ryall p.98 He was a prolific contributor to British films, designing the sets for more than a hundred. His brother Norman Arnold was also an art directo ...
. Endfield had come to work in Britain to escape the Hollywood blacklist. In order for him to direct, the Association of Cine Technicians (ACT) required that a paid ACT "dummy" director be appointed, to do nothing on set, but to be credited with direction; Endfield chose documentary filmmaker Charles de Lautour, whom he paid £35 a week.


Critical reception

''
Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...
'' said "Characteristic British crime melodrama. The story is by no means completely convincing, but is made reasonably credible by a standard of acting somewhat above the average for a production of this type." Film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane praised Kennedy's performance and said "This detailed and un-showy study of a man tempted away from a comfortable but dull rut is one of the subtlest to be found in the 'B' film ranks." In ''British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959'' David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Ordinary thriller at least keeps you guessing." ''The
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
Guide to Films'' gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "This is a routine British second-feature, although Arthur Kennedy is a cut above the average imported American lead. Kennedy has a fling with nightclub singer Constance Smith, who involves him in a crime. Screenwriter "Jonathan Roach" is actually Cy Endfield, taking refuge in the UK from the McCarthy witch-hunts, while Charles de Lautour took credit for Endfield as director."


References


External links


''Impulse''
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
* * {{Cy Endfield 1954 films British crime drama films 1954 crime drama films British black-and-white films Film noir Films directed by Cy Endfield Films shot at Nettlefold Studios 1950s English-language films 1950s British films Films scored by Stanley Black English-language crime drama films