Impact: Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, Anna May Wong, Mae Marsh (1949 Movie)

DVD: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008G8WL/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=doc06-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399353&creativeASIN=B00008G8WL http://thefilmarchive.org/ Impact is a 1949 film noir starring Brian Donlevy and Ella Raines. It was filmed entirely in California and included scenes at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. The film was based on a story by film noir writer Jay Dratler. Millionaire industrialist Walter Williams has a young wife, Irene, who is trying to kill him with the help of her young lover, Jim Torrance. The plan falls apart when Williams survives a hit on the head from the would-be killer. Torrance flees the scene in Williams' car but dies in a head-on collision. At this point, it is believed that Williams was the driver. The dazed Williams ends up in a small town in Idaho. He gets a job as a service station mechanic and falls in love with Marsha, the station's owner. Meanwhile, the police arrest Williams' wife for his "murder." Marsha eventually persuades Walter to go back to clear his wife, but he is charged with the murder of the lover. That leaves Marsha and a kindly police detective named Quincy scrambling to prove his innocence. Cast: Actor / Role Brian Donlevy / Walter Williams Ella Raines / Marsha Peters Charles Coburn / Lt. Tom Quincy Helen Walker / Irene Williams Tony Barrett / Jim Torrance Anna May Wong / Su Lin Robert Warwick / Capt. Callahan This was Anna May Wong's first screen appearance since 1942. Character actor Tom Greenway made his first appearance on screen as an unnamed moving van driver in Impact. Gary W. Tooze, reviewer for dvdbeaver.com, praised the B-movie: "As far as 'modest' Film Noirs go, this is one of the best. A simple plot idea is twisted to the max for late 1940s audiences." Quotes: Walter Williams: In this world, you turn the other cheek, and you get hit with a lug wrench. In the 1940s, it was still uncommon for brand name products to be seen in movies, but this was a notable exception. A Bekins truck is prominent in several scenes. The movie trade paper Harrison's Reports typically called attention to cases in which such products appeared on screen, and always took a stand against that practice. Although its review did not mention Bekins, the Harrison's review noted "advertising plugs worked in for such products as Blue Ribbon beer, Raleigh cigarettes, Coca Cola, Mission Orange soda pop, Mobiloil gasoline, oil and tires, Gruen watches, and the trade name, Rexall." Ella Wallace Raines (August 6, 1920 -- May 30, 1988) was an American film and television actress. Born Ella Wallace Raines near Snoqualmie Falls, Washington, Raines studied drama at the University of Washington and was appearing in a play there when she was seen by Howard Hawks. She became the first actor signed to the new production company he had formed with the actor Charles Boyer, "B-H Productions", and made her film debut in Corvette K-225 in 1943. Immediately following her role in that film, she was cast in the all female war film Cry 'Havoc', made the same year. In 1944 she starred in a series of big films including the film noir Phantom Lady, the comedy Hail the Conquering Hero, and the John Wayne western Tall in the Saddle. Soon, she began to appearing in B-films including 1945's The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry with Geraldine Fitzgerald and George Sanders, and 1947 thriller The Web. With the exception of Brute Force in which Raines appeared with Burt Lancaster,'none of her later films were nearly as successful as her previous movies and her career began to decline. Raines appeared on the cover of Life magazine twice, once in 1944 for her work in Phantom Lady and once in 1947 for Brute Force. In 1954 and 1955 she starred in the television series Janet Dean, Registered Nurse. She also appeared in such television series as Robert Montgomery Presents, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, Lights Out, Pulitzer Prize Playhouse and The Christophers. She retired from acting in 1957, but made one further screen appearance with a guest role in the series Matt Houston in 1984. Raines has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to motion pictures at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard, and for television at 6600 Hollywood Boulevard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_%28film%29
Impact: Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, Anna May Wong, Mae Marsh (1949 Movie)