Impulse

Alan Curtis has reached a point in his life where he's bored with the everyday, his job and wife no longer satisfy him, one night he comes to the aid of a beautiful young woman Lila, and makes a decision that transforms his life.

I'm really surprised by the mainly mediocre reviews for this film, I personally really enjoyed it. It morphs from a melodrama with light comedy into a crime thriller, some really fine performances, Arthur Kennedy was wonderfully charismatic, and had a wonderful speaking voice. Jean St Clair was huge fun as the lusting next door neighbour.

Constance Smith was undoubtedly the star of the show, such a beauty. It was an interesting character study, how a perfectly decent and sorted man could be dazzled seemingly to commit murder by a beautiful woman. If I have one major criticism it would have to be the ending, why on Earth did't Joy throw his packed suitcase at him.

Estate agent Arthur Kennedy learns the hard way to be careful what you wish for when he laments he's getting into a rut in this nifty, well-photographed little Tempean potboiler with attractive London locations probably inspired by 'D.O.A'.

Kennedy is a far more interesting actor than the usual imported American you'll find in this sort of nonsense and quicker than you can say "briefcase" he's to his neck in a plot involving a flint-hearted femme fatale in cahoots with criminals after stolen diamonds that you'll probably find as bewildering as he does.

The detective story is trite but the real meat lies in the hero's everyday life ; the film owes a lot to Arthur Kennedy ,too often relegated in supporting parts; this excellent character actor is credible as an American emigrant who gets used to taking the five o' clock tea with his realtor partner but who does not renege on his orange juice for breakfast ;he has also a fancy for Dubonnet (an aperitif created by French Joseph Dubonnet in 1846). He seems sick and tired of his routine life, his spouse and his small town where nothing happens .As if it were not enough ,his next-to-door neighbor ,a spinster in love with him sticks as a leech. The scenes with Jean St John (including a card game in which she longs to be his partner) are worth the admission.

This diamond smugglers story is never really exciting ; actually ,it's a "north ny norwest" in miniature : the man in the street confronted to unusual events and who rises to the occasion -which is credible ,for he is a former marine-;and it's the contrast between these eventful adventures and this daily grain that is somehow endearing.

Though it is short and sweet, Cy Endfield still struggles with this slightly contrived British murder/mystery. The rather wooden Arthur Kennedy ("Curtis") meets the glamorous "Lila" Constance Smith) in an hotel bar whilst his wife "Elizabeth" (Joy Shelton) has gone away for the weekend. After what seems like the briefest of introductions, he forgets any semblance of the sanctity of his marriage vows and as a result gets tangled up with some murderous diamond smugglers before a predictable ending. It's not a great example of the genre, more a rather stodgily paced vehicle for a visiting American star.

If you have never heard of Constance Smith look at the tragic details of her life on this site. It makes terrible reading and says a lot about the corruption in film making. She was beautiful and far more talented than other actors who rose to stardom. Her life is also a cautionary tale in what was and still is a male dominated industry. She acted with such actors as Jeffrey Hunter, Jack Palance and Richard Widmark. In this film she is cast with Arthur Kennedy and both of them give more than this tepid thriller deserves. What it does show in the early scenes is a portrait of the cosy mediocrity of English life in the mid-1950's. For those who are interested in the social life of the period it is also worth seeing. It is not Film noir as some here have said, but a pedestrian example of criminality with Arthur Kennedy who accidentally gets involved with it. Film Noir was more an American and French genre than British. It is a great pity that in the declining years of its genre Constance Smith was not given better roles. If you want to watch her potential then watch this film.