Alfred Shaughnessy's The Impersonator (1961) is one of those thought- forgotten little films that has seen its profile rise in the last few years, in this case because horror film experts like Kim Newman and Pete Walker have praised it and made it clear to their considerable fan followings that it is worth tracking down (for a comprehensive appraisal of the film, check out Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane's excellent book on the history of British B-movies). A lowly supporting feature from cheapjack outfit Bryanston Films, it stars in the lead role Hollywood also-ran John Crawford as a US Airforce sergeant who finds himself accused of murdering a local woman whilst stationed in a small English town.
A rather quickly-paced, at times funny, murder mystery about an American flyer (John Crawford) who becomes embroiled in an investigation after a women is murdered in a sleepy British village. Jane Griffiths is a local school mistress whom he had befriended, and together they try to find the true culprit who might just have been seen by a young boy (John Dare) obsessed with "Mother Goose".
This is heralded as a drama of Washington life and is adapted into picture form from a novel of the same caption written by Mary Imlay Taylor. Gertrude McCoy essays a dual role, the mother and the daughter.
When a USAF sergeant stationed on a base in England is suspected and then accused of murdering a woman, both he and a local school teacher must race to clear his name and find the real killer.Fascinating mix of pedestrian acting, atmospheric scenes and period themes in this British B movie.
A very poorly acted and scripted movie but not without interest, an American serviceman is wrongly accused of the murder of a woman, the acting in this film verges on the downright silly to very bad, the leading lady is oh so terribly posh to be bothered with men but hunky John Crawford appears on the scene, the murderer is probably the most ridiculous villain ever in a movie, in actual fact he is playing lead in the Mother Goose pantomime but in reality is a leering sex murderer, and the final scenes where he is chased up the theatre curtain is a hoot, in any case if you have the misfortune to see this film you will crease up at this final scene and think to yourself, how did the police know it was him that did it?, there is no evidence against him just an off the cuff remark from the murdered woman's little boy.
