Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueWhen his wife leaves for a vacation, a man gets into trouble when he gets romantically involved with a nightclub singer who tricks him into thinking he's committed a serious crime.When his wife leaves for a vacation, a man gets into trouble when he gets romantically involved with a nightclub singer who tricks him into thinking he's committed a serious crime.When his wife leaves for a vacation, a man gets into trouble when he gets romantically involved with a nightclub singer who tricks him into thinking he's committed a serious crime.
- Réalisation
- Scénario
- Casting principal
- Sailor
- (non crédité)
- Hotel Desk Clerk
- (non crédité)
- Police Officer
- (non crédité)
- Nightclub Patron
- (non crédité)
- Nightclub Patron
- (non crédité)
- Police Officer
- (non crédité)
- Ticket Inspector
- (non crédité)
- Mr. Palmer - Car Mechanic
- (non crédité)
- Nightclub Patron
- (non crédité)
Avis à la une
He plays a realtor whose Good Samaritan aid to femme fatale Constance Smith gets him in big trouble. She's a night club singer involved with stolen diamonds and a boring set of uninteresting characters, hardly what B-movie fans cherished in the '40s and '50s -where's some snappy dialogue or fine acting?
Instead the movie plods along, and en route to a sort of happy ending, Kennedy's misadventures never ring true. Clearly a short shooting schedule, near-zero budget and lack of imagination accounts for this not worthy time-killer.
It's the duty of filmmakers to entertain or perhaps enlighten, but such drivel shot on automatic pilot is an insult to a paying audience, and fortunately US filmgoers were spared in this case. The director's credit is in question per IMDb, but hardly worth fighting for -I like to think that Cy "Zulu" Endfield was not responsible.
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.
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!
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesFeature-film debut of Kenneth Cope.
- GaffesAt 12 min. Mr. Johnson is in Room 6. As he enters the bathroom there are no stockings hanging near the door. He walks to the window then returns to the door to turn on the light and walks into stockings. At 13 minutes when the maid enters the room the stockings are now hanging close to the wall which would have made it impossible to walk into without hitting the wall.
- Citations
Elizabeth Curtis: Darling, if hating Ashmore is making you hate,, everybody, we could move...?
Alan Curtis: Well, I don't really suppose it's Ashmore...
Elizabeth Curtis: Then it's me!
Meilleurs choix
Détails
- Durée1 heure 20 minutes
- Couleur
- Rapport de forme
- 1.37 : 1