IMPACT
4.5/5 Stars
1949---1 hour 51 minutes
Director---Arthur Lubin---Buck Privates, Hold That Ghost, Black Friday
Brian Donlevy---Beau Geste, The Glass Key, The Big Combo, Hangmen Also Die
Ella Raines---Phantom Lady, The Suspect, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry
Helen Walker---Nightmare Alley, The Big Combo, Brewster's Millions, Call Northside 777
Charles Coburn---The Lady Eve, Lured, Kings Row
Anna May Wong---Shanghai Express, Java Head, Devil Dancer, Piccadilly
Director---Arthur Lubin---Buck Privates, Hold That Ghost, Black Friday
Brian Donlevy---Beau Geste, The Glass Key, The Big Combo, Hangmen Also Die
Ella Raines---Phantom Lady, The Suspect, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry
Helen Walker---Nightmare Alley, The Big Combo, Brewster's Millions, Call Northside 777
Charles Coburn---The Lady Eve, Lured, Kings Row
Anna May Wong---Shanghai Express, Java Head, Devil Dancer, Piccadilly
Impact is a film of hope. Rather than parrot a popular noir trope of an America where depression, confusion and hopelessness reign Impact shows a nation where hope abounds and the belief in, and of, hard work, opportunity of upward social mobility, and a society rooted in religion and a strong family structure.
While the film it is not especially convoluted there are a few twists and a second viewing might be helpful to follow the intricacies of the plot. The first half of the film sets up the relationship of industrialist Walter Williams (Brian Donlevy) and his wife Irene (Helen Walker). Donlevy has risen from a sheet metal worker to an important position in the company. He has closed a deal to purchase some factories in Denver and looks forward to a working vacation with his wife. Irene has other ideas. She's been cheating on him with an old beau and they plan to kill Walter for his money. She feigns illness and asks if he could give her "cousin" (Tony Barrett) a ride.
Irene Williams is a woman from the lower stations of life who marries upward is financially secure yet like a moth to a flame returns to her shady past. Think Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) in Double Indemnity Helen Grayle and Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) respectively in Murder, My Sweet and Born To Kill along with many others. While I don't see Impact as a noir Ms. Walker is as excellent a fatale in this film as she was in Nightmare Alley. Whereas Lilith Ritter was an upper class scam artist whose victims were gullible socialites, Irene Williams is the parochial noir-trope adulterous wife married to an adoring clueless noir chump.
On the road to Denver Cousin Jim cold cocks Williams upside the head with a lug wrench. He throws him off the side of an embankment and commanders Williams' car. As he speeds away he loses control of the car and crashes into a gas truck. His body is burned beyond recognition and is assumed to be Williams. Enter Lt. Quincy played by the ever affable Charles Coburn. He informs Irene of her 'husband's' demise but the little policeman in his gut doesn't buy Irene's weeping widow story. Utilizing new police methodology and old fashioned police work Quincy ascertains that Mrs. Williams had a role in the murder of her husband and arrests her. In the meantime Williams regains consciousness, hops aboard a Bekins moving truck and gets off at the picturesque village o Larkspur, Idaho.
He reads about his horrific death and is crushed by his wife's perfidy. With him officially 'dead' and Irene in jail he chooses to feign amnesia. Whether this was to be a permanent change or until Irene is introduced to Ol' Sparky we don't know. It is at the fifty minute mark that Marsha Peters (Ella Raines) makes her appearance. She is a war widow who runs the town's garage. Williams, in need of a job proves to be an able mechanic and impresses Marsha such that she offers him a job and free board at the family home.
While the film it is not especially convoluted there are a few twists and a second viewing might be helpful to follow the intricacies of the plot. The first half of the film sets up the relationship of industrialist Walter Williams (Brian Donlevy) and his wife Irene (Helen Walker). Donlevy has risen from a sheet metal worker to an important position in the company. He has closed a deal to purchase some factories in Denver and looks forward to a working vacation with his wife. Irene has other ideas. She's been cheating on him with an old beau and they plan to kill Walter for his money. She feigns illness and asks if he could give her "cousin" (Tony Barrett) a ride.
Irene Williams is a woman from the lower stations of life who marries upward is financially secure yet like a moth to a flame returns to her shady past. Think Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) in Double Indemnity Helen Grayle and Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) respectively in Murder, My Sweet and Born To Kill along with many others. While I don't see Impact as a noir Ms. Walker is as excellent a fatale in this film as she was in Nightmare Alley. Whereas Lilith Ritter was an upper class scam artist whose victims were gullible socialites, Irene Williams is the parochial noir-trope adulterous wife married to an adoring clueless noir chump.
On the road to Denver Cousin Jim cold cocks Williams upside the head with a lug wrench. He throws him off the side of an embankment and commanders Williams' car. As he speeds away he loses control of the car and crashes into a gas truck. His body is burned beyond recognition and is assumed to be Williams. Enter Lt. Quincy played by the ever affable Charles Coburn. He informs Irene of her 'husband's' demise but the little policeman in his gut doesn't buy Irene's weeping widow story. Utilizing new police methodology and old fashioned police work Quincy ascertains that Mrs. Williams had a role in the murder of her husband and arrests her. In the meantime Williams regains consciousness, hops aboard a Bekins moving truck and gets off at the picturesque village o Larkspur, Idaho.
He reads about his horrific death and is crushed by his wife's perfidy. With him officially 'dead' and Irene in jail he chooses to feign amnesia. Whether this was to be a permanent change or until Irene is introduced to Ol' Sparky we don't know. It is at the fifty minute mark that Marsha Peters (Ella Raines) makes her appearance. She is a war widow who runs the town's garage. Williams, in need of a job proves to be an able mechanic and impresses Marsha such that she offers him a job and free board at the family home.
Ms. Raines is often cast as an independent, self-assured woman. Those traits are breaths of fresh air when women in crime/mystery films were either harridans, harlots or silly girls. Ms. Raines has a natural talent of projecting credible on screen chemistry with a wide array of leading men. It could be John Wayne in Tall In The Saddle, George Sanders in The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry, or Charles Laughton in The Suspect. This is evident in Impact where despite a discernible age difference where her relationship with Donlevy is believable and natural. It doesn't hurt that Donlevy has a likeable everyman persona.
Brian Donlevy's real life reads like a movie. He joined the Army at fourteen and served under Black John Pershing as he pursued Pancho Villa for his attacks on the military and civilians in New Mexico and Texas. My favorite film of Donlevy's is The Great McGinty. There are some actors you'd feel comfortable having a beer or two and Donlevy is one of them.
Marsha is asked why she couldn't get local help and she replies that most are working at a plant outside of town where the pay is better. This reinforces the underlying theme of America getting back on track and creating a truly egalitarian society. Contrast the scene when Walter hops on the back of a Bekins moving truck to that of The Grapes of Wrath. In that film the abject poverty and despondency of the entire country was symbolized by Okies piling their belongings high on the back of their car moving to California.
While Williams is happy with Marsha and settling into a bucolic relatively stress free life-style, his wife has been stewing in a jail cell for three months. The amnesia trope was quite popular in the 40s but Impact gives it another twist. Walter Williams has feigned amnesia and he's happy to keep it that way. Marsha's mother discovers his deception and he must tell Marsha. He'd rather stay in Larkspur and his wife in jail, Marsha tells him he must do the right thing.
She accompanies him to San Francisco where he confesses his ruse to the police. Irene is irate. Her lover is dead and her husband is still alive. She convinces the police that Walter killed John. She is freed. He is jailed and it's his turn to face a possible visit to ol' Sparky. No good deed goes unpunished they say. It will be up to Ella Raines to come to the aid of her man, much as she did in Phantom Lady along with the help of Lt. Quincy they hop to it.
Brian Donlevy's real life reads like a movie. He joined the Army at fourteen and served under Black John Pershing as he pursued Pancho Villa for his attacks on the military and civilians in New Mexico and Texas. My favorite film of Donlevy's is The Great McGinty. There are some actors you'd feel comfortable having a beer or two and Donlevy is one of them.
Marsha is asked why she couldn't get local help and she replies that most are working at a plant outside of town where the pay is better. This reinforces the underlying theme of America getting back on track and creating a truly egalitarian society. Contrast the scene when Walter hops on the back of a Bekins moving truck to that of The Grapes of Wrath. In that film the abject poverty and despondency of the entire country was symbolized by Okies piling their belongings high on the back of their car moving to California.
While Williams is happy with Marsha and settling into a bucolic relatively stress free life-style, his wife has been stewing in a jail cell for three months. The amnesia trope was quite popular in the 40s but Impact gives it another twist. Walter Williams has feigned amnesia and he's happy to keep it that way. Marsha's mother discovers his deception and he must tell Marsha. He'd rather stay in Larkspur and his wife in jail, Marsha tells him he must do the right thing.
She accompanies him to San Francisco where he confesses his ruse to the police. Irene is irate. Her lover is dead and her husband is still alive. She convinces the police that Walter killed John. She is freed. He is jailed and it's his turn to face a possible visit to ol' Sparky. No good deed goes unpunished they say. It will be up to Ella Raines to come to the aid of her man, much as she did in Phantom Lady along with the help of Lt. Quincy they hop to it.
Impact eschews the negativity and nihilism many think is a foundation of the film noirs of the 40s. There is no mistaking the ebullience of Walter and Marsha when a young war veteran and his wife celebrate the birth of their baby. This goes hand in hand with the optimism symbolized by Williams buying and building factories. This will create an economic boom and in turn a baby boom that will help fuel a tremendous migration of Americans no longer fettered by geographic restrictions.
But whenever there is a dramatic turn in society there is also an equal reaction for a longing for simpler times. Larkspur is that simpler time. Marsha has won his heart and Williams appears to have found peace.
Williams is at the dinner table and ready to chow down on some delicious home cooked food then sheepishly puts down his fork as grace is being said. He joins the volunteer fire department. There is a comedic scene when the volunteers leave whatever they doing, even driving off to their honeymoon to answer the call for a fire. The final shot is Williams in the back of the truck a smiling and a grinning.
In the The Twilight Zone there are several episodes where the protagonist longs for a simpler time. The most poignant is A Stop At Willoughby. The protagonist longs for an escape from his high pressure job, his consumer crazed wife and the overall jungle of modern life. On his daily commute the train always stops at the small village of Willoughby. The people look happy, the pace is leisurely. After several days he decides to get off the train and visit the village of Willoughby.
For Walter Williams, Marsha Peters and the young couple the future looks very bright. The future is always uncertain but they have had a solid societal, cultural and religious foundation in which to prepare for it.
But whenever there is a dramatic turn in society there is also an equal reaction for a longing for simpler times. Larkspur is that simpler time. Marsha has won his heart and Williams appears to have found peace.
Williams is at the dinner table and ready to chow down on some delicious home cooked food then sheepishly puts down his fork as grace is being said. He joins the volunteer fire department. There is a comedic scene when the volunteers leave whatever they doing, even driving off to their honeymoon to answer the call for a fire. The final shot is Williams in the back of the truck a smiling and a grinning.
In the The Twilight Zone there are several episodes where the protagonist longs for a simpler time. The most poignant is A Stop At Willoughby. The protagonist longs for an escape from his high pressure job, his consumer crazed wife and the overall jungle of modern life. On his daily commute the train always stops at the small village of Willoughby. The people look happy, the pace is leisurely. After several days he decides to get off the train and visit the village of Willoughby.
For Walter Williams, Marsha Peters and the young couple the future looks very bright. The future is always uncertain but they have had a solid societal, cultural and religious foundation in which to prepare for it.
Marsha along with the help of police Lt. Quincy do some investigating and in the end Irene is jailed once again (for good it seems) and Williams is exonerated. In addition to Coburn the supporting cast includes Ann May Wong, Philip Ahn and Joe Kirk (Bacciagalupe).
Both the Korean-American Ahn and Chinese-American Wong are portrayed as two individuals of high moral standards. Wong is Donlevy's maid. This was Ms. Wong's penultimate film appearance and even in a minor role as a domestic her sophisticated, classic beauty is obvious. Mr. Ahn is especially strong as an erudite, sophisticate, who when asked by Lt. Quincy if he speaks English, answers in the affirmative as well as several other languages. Their positive image may be among the last for Chinese and Chinese-Americans. The Chinese people suffered tremendously under the forces of Imperial Japan. The Rape of Nanking should have been a wake-up call, but as is usually the case when people are not directly involved it's always easier to take the 'blue pill'. Impact was filmed during the Chinese Civil War between the communists led by Mao Tse-Tung and the democratic nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek. With the Korean War only a year off this may be one of the last films to portray the Chinese in a positive light.
Both the Korean-American Ahn and Chinese-American Wong are portrayed as two individuals of high moral standards. Wong is Donlevy's maid. This was Ms. Wong's penultimate film appearance and even in a minor role as a domestic her sophisticated, classic beauty is obvious. Mr. Ahn is especially strong as an erudite, sophisticate, who when asked by Lt. Quincy if he speaks English, answers in the affirmative as well as several other languages. Their positive image may be among the last for Chinese and Chinese-Americans. The Chinese people suffered tremendously under the forces of Imperial Japan. The Rape of Nanking should have been a wake-up call, but as is usually the case when people are not directly involved it's always easier to take the 'blue pill'. Impact was filmed during the Chinese Civil War between the communists led by Mao Tse-Tung and the democratic nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek. With the Korean War only a year off this may be one of the last films to portray the Chinese in a positive light.
Impact is more than just a mystery crime story. Impact uniquely and subtly depicts an America with a burgeoning economy and a stable work force rebounding from a devastating war and decades of economic privation. At the end of the movie Marsha and Walter have married and are headed to Denver. This affirms the mobility and transformation of the entire nation. In all likelihood the young couple will eventually leave Larkspur and with their belongs they will bring the values and traditions of the small town working class mentality.
In The Reckless Moment Lucia Harper (Joan Bennett) prevails through a series of emergencies. At the end of the film when answering a phone call from her husband from Europe she tells him, “Everything is fine except we miss you terribly.” It is a cry for a return to the way things were before the war. But that won’t happen; not for her, her husband her children or for the rest of the country. And so the same can be said for Marsha, William, the young couple and their new born, who in twenty or so more years could very well have fought in another foreign country. Most films exist in a world with situations most will never face with people many would cross the street to avoid. It is, I suppose the invisible wall between film and audience. The wall between Larkspur and audience is not very highs and easily scaled even today.
I've always liked Impact and it seems most people do as well. I'm not interested in why I don't like something, but rather as to why I like a particular movie. Impact takes the audience to a time (sans the murder of course) that many people of a particular generation can relate to only too well. You can count me as one of them.
In The Reckless Moment Lucia Harper (Joan Bennett) prevails through a series of emergencies. At the end of the film when answering a phone call from her husband from Europe she tells him, “Everything is fine except we miss you terribly.” It is a cry for a return to the way things were before the war. But that won’t happen; not for her, her husband her children or for the rest of the country. And so the same can be said for Marsha, William, the young couple and their new born, who in twenty or so more years could very well have fought in another foreign country. Most films exist in a world with situations most will never face with people many would cross the street to avoid. It is, I suppose the invisible wall between film and audience. The wall between Larkspur and audience is not very highs and easily scaled even today.
I've always liked Impact and it seems most people do as well. I'm not interested in why I don't like something, but rather as to why I like a particular movie. Impact takes the audience to a time (sans the murder of course) that many people of a particular generation can relate to only too well. You can count me as one of them.