Impact (1963)

Very Cool!!!

A lot of fun.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

A top journalist, Jack Moir (Conrad Philips), is framed for a train robbery by nightclub owner and Soho crime lord, The Duke (George Pastell), because he considers that he has become too interested in his activities in his newspaper columns and fears that it could arouse the interest of the police. Moir does time but, when he gets out, he vows to bring The Duke to book.An utterly routine and totally missable crime thriller from Britain's poverty row studio Butcher's Films. The Cinematograph Act 1927 stipulated that UK cinemas had to show a certain number of British made films. The result was what became known as the quota-quickies - cheaply and hastily made movies that earned themselves such a bad reputation that they gave our film industry a bad name. Yet, there were some exceptions that have become to be regarded as classics but, alas, this is not one of them. Its ultra-low budget is evident with its rickety sets - it clearly did not stretch far enough to shoot a train robbery sequence! - and never did an hour seem like an eternity as it is all chat and no interest. The film's brightest moments come from Ballard Berkeley as Moir's boss and Linda Marlowe as his girlfriend who offer energetic and likable performances in what little screen time they have. But, unfortunately, they are not given enough to do and any brief flicker of enthusiasm quickly evaporates.

Not anything to write home about, but I've always like Conrad Phillips in these budget-flicks from 'Butcher's films' which seem to be doing the rounds on obscure Satellite/Freeview channels and, put out by 'Reknown Films' on DVD.A pretty thin story, of a reporter, Jack Moir (Phillips) who constantly bothers a local hoodlum nicknamed 'The Duke' Dukelow, with bad publicity about him. Needless to say, the latter has him put out of the way by framing him for a mail-train robbery of around £60,000. Moir is sentenced to 20 months in prison and swears/exacts revenge on his release. It's pretty staid to be honest. Two points, as Malcolmgsw points out, that 20 months for robbery of £60,000 especially involving coshing a cop, is a ludicrously short sentence, which would probably start at least eight years plus, even if you didn't serve the full term of it. Another load of rubbish surely is, as has also been said elsewhere, that the police (led by Mike Pratt) would surely not expect him to be hanging around waiting to be pinched with the evidence that was 'planted' on him (that he hadn't known about until they unearthed it). Of course, though, cops are cops 'We're a very narrow-minded lot' as was quoted in the film 'Villain' from Inspector Matthews. From an interest point of view, Ballard Berkeley as Moir's Newspaper boss puts in an early appearance before his 'famous' one as 'The Major' in Fawlty Towers. Anita West, 'The Duke's' resident singer and floosie disappeared as a character actress (sorry, actor) sometime in the seventies/eighties (Crossroads) but puts in a welcome appearance too. A pretty laughable ending is also had to add to the purile writing of the story. Again, bad skiffle and jazz music as well as short back-and-sides and Brylcreem add to the atmosphere but worth it only for a curious look of B-support movie featurettes..

Butcher's Film Productions are the chaps behind a series of low-rent, low budget British thrillers made throughout the 1950s and '60s, but IMPACT is very much a lesser product even by their low standards. This is a lifeless thriller with a simple storyline and not much in the way of incident or intrigue to recommend it.The storyline sees journalist Conrad Phillips being framed and sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. He's eventually released, at which point he swears revenge on the man responsible: crime boss George Pastell (Hammer's THE MUMMY). Unfortunately the revenge plot is hardly an exciting one, and despite a fist fight or two this is very low key and a film where barely anything happens.The film features a role for Ballard Berkeley (FAWLTY TOWERS's Major) as a newspaper editor and a few scene-setting moments of the era. Pastell is the best thing in it and the only person who seems to be making an effort in terms of his performance. This is still entirely forgettable, though.

**ENDING SPOILER(ISH)**Second feature idiocy in which Phillips is an aspiring journalist who inconveniently finds himself accused of a train robbery. With the help of his girlfriend, several rusty cans of worms are opened on the tracks to proving himself innocent.The jury were also unanimous on Phillips' co-screenwriting ability it would seem, as he had not been given the chance to do so before this and was afforded even less chance to do so afterwards.