Impulse

IMPULSE is another typical British crime film, one that plays out in a very low key way and which features an imported American star in order to bring American audiences in. This time around it's a permanently stressed out Arthur Kennedy, playing a happily married man who decides to embark on a dalliance when his wife goes away for the weekend.

His problems begin when he helps a stranded woman who turns out to be a femme fatale played by Constance Smith, whose real life was more torrid and tragic than any movie. Smith is excellent, by the way, and gives the best performance in the movie. Kennedy finds himself obsessed by her, but he doesn't know that she's involved with some ruthless criminals who think nothing of committing murder to get their way.

Before long the film settles in the typical Tempean Films format, with a lone hero, the attractive women helping and hindering him, the thugs seeking to kill him, and the police always one step behind. It's rather undistinguished stuff that lacks a decent storyline to see it through and I was bored more often than not. Cyril Chamberlain's weary cop encapsulates the audience's mood on this one. Watch out for a youthful Kenneth Cope making his debut film appearance early on.

I just wanted to correct one of the other reviewers on this sight: Charles de la Tour is not the pen name of Cy Endfield. He was a director in his own right who had children, one of whom is RISING DAMP actress Frances de la Tour. Something that would be rather impossible if he didn't actually exist!

(1954) Impulse CRIME DRAMA

Co-written and directed by Cy Endfield that has reality salesman, Alan Curtis (Arthur Kennedy) who while his English wife, Elizabeth Curtis (Joy Shelton) is away visiting her mom somewhere else. The first thing he does while his wife is away is drink at a pub, drinking next to him is a woman who appears to be on the run from the police. And upon him driving home, he then sees that same attractive woman stranded by her car as she attempted to get away from the the two men looking for her. And he allows her to stay in his flat until they get a mechanic to fix up her car. Except that she has a job as a night singer at a club for Jack Forrester (James Carney), and upon meeting him, he warns him not to get involved. Alan does not listen as he becomes more infatuated with her but continues to lie to him.

A bored man gets himself in a heap of trouble while his wife is away in Impulse, a 1954 British film starring Arthur Kennedy and Constance Smith, directed by Cy Endfield.

Arthur Kennedy, a brilliant actor, did make some films in England, though I'm not sure why. He had a wonderful Broadway and US film career, receiving several Oscar nominations. On top of which, he had to work with Constance Smith. By 1954 she had been fired by Rank and dropped by 20th Century Fox. She came to a terrible end.

In Impulse, he plays a real estate agent who is restless. He lives in a small town that offers no excitement. With his wife (Joy Shelton) away for the weekend, he goes to a bar and notices a beautiful woman (Smith) who seems to be ducking the police.

Later, her car has broken down so he offers her a lift. She's a nightclub singer and has to get back to London. He attends the show.

Before he knows it, he's involved with stolen jewelry, a murder, and dangerous criminals, not to mention a woman who can ruin his marriage.

Actually, the stories of Smith and and Jean St. Clair, who played the neighbor, are much more fascinating than this film.

From 1952 to 1969, St. Clair was married to Jack Baer, an art dealer who owned a gallery. They divorced in 1969, but in the early '70s, she was imprisoned for setting fire to his gallery.

Constance Smith, as mentioned, was fired first from Rank for being difficult, then dropped by 20th Century Fox after a series of B films. She was replaced early on in the film "I'll Never Forget You" starring Tyrone Power.

In 1962 she was sentenced to three months in prison for stabbing her boyfriend, documentary maker and film historian Paul Rotha. In 1968, she stabbed him for a second time and was charged with attempted murder. They married in 1974, and broke up in 1978. Smith tried several times to kill herself. Due to drug and alcohol addiction, her last years were spent in hospitals or working as a cleaner.

Impulse pales in comparison.

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.

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.