Impact (1963 film)
1963 British film by Peter Maxwell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Impact is a 1963 British crime thriller directed by Peter Maxwell and starring Conrad Phillips and George Pastell.[1] It was written by Maxwell and Phillips, and produced by John I. Phillips and Ronald Liles for Butcher's Film Service.
Conrad Phillips
Ronald Liles
George Pastell
| Impact | |
|---|---|
Quad poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Maxwell |
| Written by | Peter Maxwell Conrad Phillips |
| Produced by | John I. Phillips Ronald Liles |
| Starring | Conrad Phillips George Pastell |
| Cinematography | Gerald Moss |
| Edited by | David Hawkins |
| Music by | Johnny Gregory |
Production company | Butcher's Film Service |
| Distributed by | Butcher's Film Service |
Release date |
|
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
Seeking vengeance for newspaper articles written about him, crooked Soho nightclub owner "The Duke" kidnaps crime reporter Jack Moir and frames him for theft. While serving a two-year prison sentence Moir plots his revenge and, upon release, embarks on a scheme to clear his name.
Cast
- Conrad Phillips as Jack Moir
- George Pastell as Sebastian "The Duke" Dukelow
- Ballard Berkeley as Bill MacKenzie
- Linda Marlowe as Diana Travers
- Richard Klee as Wally Wheeler
- Anita West as Melanie Calf
- John Rees as Charlie Wright
- Frank Pettitt as Sid the foreman
- Edward Ogden as Maury Parfitt
- Jean Trend as Hilda, the secretary
- Desmond Cullum-Jones as prison warder
- Mike Pratt as Detective Sergeant
- Don Barkham as constable
- Cecil Waters as Jules
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A modest but adequately staged thriller, with a script which is neat enough, and keeps one nicely guessing for a time whether Charlie has turned traitor or not. If it all seems rather flat, it is probably due to the acting. George Pastell's villain, and Anita West's night-club-singer-moll, are persuasive in an orthodox way, but the rest of the cast is variable, with one or two performances which would scarcely do credit to a hard-pressed repertory company. And many a schoolboy will pounce on errors in railway detail."[2]
Kine Weekly wrote: "The picture, which presents a rugged permutation of the tit-for-tat theme, seldom lets up and the hero's battle against the villain is at once plausible and exciting. Conrad Phillips plays it cool as the determined Jack, George Pastell makes a thoroughly menacing 'Duke,' John Rees is a card as Charlie, and Linda Marlowe pleases as the loyal Diana. There are a few gay night club sequences, complete with songs, but it's the malarky in the deep freeze that gives the tabloid bite."[3]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "Co-written by star Conrad Phillips and director Peter Maxwell, this was produced in a matter of days on a shoestring budget and contains no surprises as ace reporter Phillips is set up as a train robber by vengeful club boss George Pastell. Maxwell just about keeps what action there is ticking over, but he is fighting a losing battle with a cast that is substandard, even for a B-movie."[4]