The Silver Screen Oasis

Watched Noir Alley last night and the film Impact (1949). The film has a fine cast, but would have benefited by some editing, running at 111 minutes instead of 90. Helen Walker looks really good as the cold-hearted femme fatale. Ella Raines has a unique screen persona, as well as overall look.

The film also has Anna May Wong but she isn't featured until the end. Charles Coburn is the detective and Brian Donleavy the noir protagonist.

I enjoyed IMPACT. It's a great story line. There were good performances by all the actors. I t always amazes me how different things were back in the late 40s and early 50s. Imagine if something like that happened today. With the internet and social media it would be almost impossible for someone to to hide their identity for months while living and working in a small town a couple of states away. One would need fake documents to even think about doing that. Also, to find people trusting enough to invite a total stranger into their business and home would be extremely rare.
Anyway, it's just a movie and I found it very entertaining even though it made me nostalgic for simpler times.

kingrat wrote: ↑July 9th, 2023, 1:12 pm For those who are interested,there's an earlier discussion of Impact on this site, where CineMaven makes a delightful comparison and contrast of the characters played by Ella Raines and Helen Walker.

I enjoyed seeing Impact again, but I have to agree with JJG that a little trimming wouldn't have hurt. When we see so many films on Noir Alley that are 80-90 minutes or even shorter, we come to expect that kind of pacing in all the films.

Too bad that someone thought that because Charles Coburn was playing a cop, he ought to have an Irish accent. Coburn was a delight, anyway.

This time I noticed how Brian Donlevy is introduced with several tracking shots, as he is always busy and always in motion.

One thing I forgot to mention was the upscale apartment that the wife, as played by Walker, had. Classic 40s style that was well featured, and well filmed in the movie. Also, some nice shots of San Fransico but I didn't get as much of a San Fran vibe as I did from, say, Dark Passage, released a year before Impact.

Not a fan of IMPACT because well, I just can't stand Brian Donlevy in general, lol. It was hard for me to feel sorry for his character. Helen Walker could never top her exquisitely chilling performance in NIGHTMARE ALLEY. Charles Coburn is one of my favorite old character actors but I have to agree with kingrat about the unfortunate decision to equip him with an Irish accent in this instance. Very corny.

I've seen Impact a few times before. Pretty solid movie. I'm not too bothered by the running time. What I found
ridiculous was law enforcement suddenly doing a U-turn and charging Donlevy with the murder of his wife's lover. The thing
that I liked was the Donlevy's fish out of water predicament, going from a big city type A businessman to getting used to
living in that small town and coming to like it. Even the Donlevy-Raines romance wasn't too sappy, though there was a
19 year age difference IRL. And in the end, after many twists and turns, they get together. And Helen Walker needed to
find a more skilled killer than the dope she had. But that's another story. Last and least, who knew moving men kept the
back door of the van open when driving on the highway. Seems like a bad idea.

jamesjazzguitar wrote: ↑July 9th, 2023, 2:39 pm One thing I forgot to mention was the upscale apartment that the wife, as played by Walker, had. Classic 40s style that was well featured, and well filmed in the movie. Also, some nice shots of San Fransico but I didn't get as much of a San Fran vibe as I did from, say, Dark Passage, released a year before Impact.

I believe Eddie mentioned in his wrap-up that the apartment setting was also used in Vertigo. It's been a while since I've seen Vertigo, but I'll have to watch it again to see the apartment in glorious color.

Andree wrote: ↑July 9th, 2023, 4:15 pm I've seen Impact a few times before. Pretty solid movie. Last and least, who knew moving men kept the
back door of the van open when driving on the highway. Seems like a bad idea.

Yea, when I saw Donlevy go to the back of the van, I was waiting for him to enter and hide somewhere inside. Instead, he just lays down, and I think "well that isn't going to work, they have to spot him when closing that back door". Nope! That set-up made no sense.

Next weeks Noir Alley is Shockproof (1949), a Columbia film with Cornel Wilde and then wife, Patrick Knight. The pair, married since 1937 would divorce a few years later. Days after the divorce was final, Wilde then went on to marry Jean Wallace and make another noir with her, and one of the best late era noirs, The Big Combo.

Shockproof is Wilde's least successful noir film. Douglas Sirk directs, and the original screenplay is by Sam Fuller. I always wondered what the film would have been like if directed by Fuller as well, since he directed some first-rate noir films.

Hoganman1 wrote: ↑July 9th, 2023, 12:10 pm I enjoyed IMPACT. It's a great story line. There were good performances by all the actors. I t always amazes me how different things were back in the late 40s and early 50s. Imagine if something like that happened today. With the internet and social media it would be almost impossible for someone to to hide their identity for months while living and working in a small town a couple of states away. One would need fake documents to even think about doing that. Also, to find people trusting enough to invite a total stranger into their business and home would be extremely rare.
Anyway, it's just a movie and I found it very entertaining even though it made me nostalgic for simpler times.

Yep Hogan, and of course exactly the reason 'The Fugitive' television series could never be revived and updated in and for today's world.

(...Richard Kimble would be re-apprehended within the first three episodes)

kingrat wrote: ↑July 10th, 2023, 12:04 pm

jamesjazzguitar wrote: ↑July 10th, 2023, 10:57 am
Shockproof is Wilde's least successful noir film. Douglas Sirk directs, and the original screenplay is by Sam Fuller. I always wonder what the film would have been like if directed by Fuller as well, since he directed some first-rate noir films.

Since Samuel Fuller is a much better director than writer, Fuller's name on the screenplay is not necessarily a plus. Fuller's typical script has a strong premise for a film, a visually striking opening, limited development, and dialogue not sounding like the speech of actual human beings. The odd combination of Fuller and Sirk seems worth checking out.

Lured shows that the building of suspense is not Sirk's strong suit. It's an interesting film--after all, it has Boris Karloff and Lucille Ball in the same scene!--but has less of the noir feeling that one would expect. Thunder on the Hill, also enjoyable, feels more like a traditional mystery than a noir. The Tarnished Angels has more of the look and feeling of noir, but does not have a crime plot. I've never seen Sleep, My Love, and I look forward to Shockproof.

Funny but at the other 'classic' film website we are discussing the film Lured (1947), but mostly as it relates to Lucille Ball in such a film and not Sirk. As for Shockproof here is what Wiki has related to Fuller and Sirk:

A New York Times writer, Matt Zoller Seitz, discussed the significance of "Shockproof" in 2007 when the film received its first theatrical showing in New York City: "...while Shockproof will inspire more groans than gasps, it's essential viewing for fans of Mr. Fuller and Mr. Sirk — and that's why the Two Boots Pioneer Theater and an online film discussion group teamed up to give this critically and financially unsuccessful movie its first New York run. The lurid setup and obsessive-loner-versus-the-system mechanics are pure Samuel Fuller. Mr. Sirk's personality is expressed in the film's affection for its screwed-up characters, in the poetic deployment of mirrors, windows and stairways, and in the low-angled wide shots of Griff's house, a space that seems both nurturing and oppressive."

(Note the use of 'lurid setup', what irony!).

jamesjazzguitar wrote: ↑July 10th, 2023, 10:39 am

Yea, when I saw Donlevy go to the back of the van, I was waiting for him to enter and hide somewhere inside. Instead, he just lays down, and I think "well that isn't going to work, they have to spot him when closing that back door". Nope! That set-up made no sense.

It's one of those minor snafus that are fun to notice. Not only was Donlevy in plain sight, but on a steep incline he and/or
some of the furniture might have tumbled out. I wonder what the Bekins' big wheels thought about it. Charles Coburn was
enjoyable as the somewhat unorthodox cop, but that Irish accent made him sound like he just got off the boat.

I don't think I've seen Shockproof before, but I could be wrong. No problem about running time. This one clocks in at
80 minutes.

kingrat wrote: ↑July 9th, 2023, 1:12 pm For those who are interested,there's an earlier discussion of Impact on this site, where CineMaven makes a delightful comparison and contrast of the characters played by Ella Raines and Helen Walker.

I enjoyed seeing Impact again, but I have to agree with JJG that a little trimming wouldn't have hurt. When we see so many films on Noir Alley that are 80-90 minutes or even shorter, we come to expect that kind of pacing in all the films.

Too bad that someone thought that because Charles Coburn was playing a cop, he ought to have an Irish accent. Coburn was a delight, anyway.

This time I noticed how Brian Donlevy is introduced with several tracking shots, as he is always busy and always in motion.

I'd seen Impact before but noticed the sluggish running time this time around. It's too long. Could've been trimmed a good 10 mins. I had to laugh when Anna Mae is recognized by Walker in the court room and puts on sunglasses, as if that was going to help at that point! Too bad Walker's scandal affected her career. She was great at playing bitches (and comedy:Cluny Brown) IIRC she died young and developed a drinking problem. Sad.

Hoganman1 wrote: ↑July 9th, 2023, 12:10 pm I enjoyed IMPACT. It's a great story line. There were good performances by all the actors. I t always amazes me how different things were back in the late 40s and early 50s. Imagine if something like that happened today. With the internet and social media it would be almost impossible for someone to to hide their identity for months while living and working in a small town a couple of states away. One would need fake documents to even think about doing that. Also, to find people trusting enough to invite a total stranger into their business and home would be extremely rare.
Anyway, it's just a movie and I found it very entertaining even though it made me nostalgic for simpler times.

DEFINITELY simpler times!