Impulse (1954 film)
Impulse is a 1954 British film noir directed by Cy Endfield and starring Arthur Kennedy, Constance Smith and Joy Shelton.[1]
| Impulse | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Cy Endfield |
| Produced by | Robert S. Baker Monty Berman |
| Written by | Cy Endfield Lawrence Huntington Robert S. Baker (story) Carl Nystrom (story) |
| Starring | Arthur Kennedy |
| Music by | Stanley Black |
| Cinematography | Jonah Jones |
| Edited by | Jack Slade |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Medaillon Pictures (USA) Eros Films (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
Alan Curtis (Kennedy), an American estate agent living in England, is dissatisfied with his humdrum life. With his wife Elizabeth (Shelton) on a short break visiting her mother, he gives a lift to sultry nightclub singer Lila (Smith) 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 - Alan Curtis
- Constance Smith - Lila
- Joy Shelton - Elizabeth Curtis
- Jack Allen - Freddie
- James Carney - Jack Forrester
- Cyril Chamberlain - Gray
- Cameron Hall - Joe
- Bruce Beeby - Harry Winters
- Charles Lamb - Palmer
- Sam Kydd - Ticket Inspector
- Kenneth Cope - Hotel Desk Clerk
- Michael Balfour - Sailor
Critical reception
The film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane praised Kennedy's performance and said of Impulse: "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."[2]
References
- Geoff Mayer and Brian McDonnell. Encyclopedia of Film Noir, 2007. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-33306-4.
- Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, The British 'B' Film, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, p. 181.
External links
- Impulse at the British Film Institute's Film and TV Database
- Impulse on IMDb
- Impulse at AllMovie
- Impulse at the TCM Movie Database