1963 British film by Peter Maxwell
Impact is a 1963 British crime thriller directed by Peter Maxwell and starring Conrad Phillips and George Pastell.[1] It was produced by John I. Phillips and Ronald Liles for Butcher's Film Service.
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.
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]
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."[3]
