It's unfortunate that this film doesn't have more of a reputation. Had it not been for a four movie DVD compilation from Diamond Entertainment, I would never have come across it. The story involves a scheming wife out to murder her husband, a plot that backfires when her lover botches the job and winds up dying himself in a fiery crash. Poetic justice there, but the follow up is where things get interesting, as jilted protagonist Walter Williams (Brian Donlevy) spends his time trying to sort things out while keeping his real identity a secret.
Helen Walker turns in a strong performance as the two faced Irene Williams, a character you'll love to hate as the story progresses. She showed she could think on her feet when being tailed by a detective and when her husband unexpectedly shows up after his three month disappearance. It's somewhat of a surprise then when one of the 'keys' to her undoing winds up in her coat pocket.
I couldn't quite warm up to the romance between Williams and would be mechanic Marsha Peters (Ella Raines). Even in her garage gear she's an absolute knockout, and to be smitten with Donlevy's character seemed to be a bit of a stretch. Fortunately though, she had the tenacity and energy to team up with Detective Clancy (Charles Coburn). Credit Clancy with the suitcase connection that finally unhinged Mrs. Williams' story.
Everything about the late 1940's settings works well, from the busy streets of San Francisco to the bucolic trappings of Larkspur, Idaho. My own home town had the same type of fire department signal system used in the story while I was growing up, so that was a neat memory. I'm sure younger viewers will have no idea what the 'Klondike 2' telephone number is all about, and when was the last time your cab ride cost $1.15?
Throughout "Impact", I couldn't help drawing comparisons with another noir flick from a few years earlier, 1945's "Conflict" starring Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet. In that one, the scheming partner in a murder plot is the husband (Bogey), and the deed is done on top of a winding mountain road. It's got a clever twist that trips up the bad guy without using a trunk full of evidence. Both films suggest that some of the best noir efforts of the '40's and '50's had single word titles.
Helen Walker turns in a strong performance as the two faced Irene Williams, a character you'll love to hate as the story progresses. She showed she could think on her feet when being tailed by a detective and when her husband unexpectedly shows up after his three month disappearance. It's somewhat of a surprise then when one of the 'keys' to her undoing winds up in her coat pocket.
I couldn't quite warm up to the romance between Williams and would be mechanic Marsha Peters (Ella Raines). Even in her garage gear she's an absolute knockout, and to be smitten with Donlevy's character seemed to be a bit of a stretch. Fortunately though, she had the tenacity and energy to team up with Detective Clancy (Charles Coburn). Credit Clancy with the suitcase connection that finally unhinged Mrs. Williams' story.
Everything about the late 1940's settings works well, from the busy streets of San Francisco to the bucolic trappings of Larkspur, Idaho. My own home town had the same type of fire department signal system used in the story while I was growing up, so that was a neat memory. I'm sure younger viewers will have no idea what the 'Klondike 2' telephone number is all about, and when was the last time your cab ride cost $1.15?
Throughout "Impact", I couldn't help drawing comparisons with another noir flick from a few years earlier, 1945's "Conflict" starring Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet. In that one, the scheming partner in a murder plot is the husband (Bogey), and the deed is done on top of a winding mountain road. It's got a clever twist that trips up the bad guy without using a trunk full of evidence. Both films suggest that some of the best noir efforts of the '40's and '50's had single word titles.