All Anime Applications Games Movies Music TV shows Other

Sudden Fear (1952) Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Mike Connors, Ann Sher

    Seeders : 0      Leechers : 0

Note :

Please Update (Trackers Info) Before Start "Sudden Fear (1952) Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Mike Connors, Ann Sher" Torrent Downloading to See Updated Seeders And Leechers for Batter Torrent Download Speed.

Trackers List

Torrent File Content (2 files)

Description

Movies : Drama : DVD Rip : English



After an ambitious actor insinuates himself into the life of a wealthy middle-aged
playwright and marries her, he plots with his mistress to murder her.
Director: David Miller
Writers: Lenore
J. Coffee (screenplay) (as Lenore Coffee), Robert Smith (screenplay) | 1 more credit »
Stars: Joan Crawford,
Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame | See full cast & crew »

Summaries
Actor Lester
Blaine has all but landed the lead in Myra Hudson's new play when Myra vetoes him because, to her, he doesn't
look like a "romantic leading man." On a train from New York to San Francisco, Blaine sets out to prove Myra
wrong...by romancing her. Is he sincere, or does he have a dark ulterior motive? The answer brings on a game of cat and
mouse; but who's the cat and who's the mouse?

—Rod Crawford
The wealthy playwright Myra
Hudson is the heiress of a great fortune. However she works and is donating part of her inheritance to foundations. When
she watches the rehearsal of her play, she asks the director to replace the lead actor Lester Blaine that she believes
is not adequate for the lead role. When she returns home, she meets Blane in the same train and they travel together.
They stop in Chicago and soon Myra is seduced by him. They get married and live at Myra's home in San Francisco.
Myra summons her lawyer Steve Kearney to change her will and transfer her fortune and properties to her beloved husband.
She uses her Dictaphone to record the changes to be done in her will. However Steve will travel with his son Junior
Kearney to Sacramento and they leave the room. Then Blaine and Junior's girlfriend Irene Neves, who is his lover,
come to the room to plot a scheme to kill Myra so that he will be the heir of her fortune. On the next morning, Myra
learns that she has forgotten her Dictaphone on and when she will proceed to dictate her new will, she hears the
conversation of her husband with Irene. What will she do now that she knows what are Blaine's real feelings and
intention?

—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
After an ambitious actor insinuates himself
into the life of a wealthy middle-aged playwright and marries her, he plots with his mistress to murder her.

—[email protected]

 8/10
I could break your bones!
wayjack11 June
2006
In the film Jack Palance tells a woman during an embrace, "I could break your bones." And he means
it romantically! That probably sums up the odd, entertaining, and off-beat nature of this movie. There is so much
"eye-action" from Joan in this one that it's almost funny. Actually it is funny. Though Sudden Fear is
not a comedy, it has moments that are truly hysterical in a "did they really just say that?" kind of way.
Watch for the moments when Joan responds to overheard conversations, personal scheming, (or the voices in her head)with
nothing but wide-eyed reaction shots. Joan is also a tremendously sympathetic character more so than in almost any other
Crawford film I've ever seen (and I've seen almost all of them). I caught this film on TV one night and was
utterly surprised at how entertaining it was. Not that I had low expectations but Sudden Fear wasn't a film
I'd ever heard of. It was proof that there are lots of dark diamonds hidden out there. We all know about the
"top 100" lists and the legendary films on them but there are gems worth watching that never got the attention
they should have. I watched from beginning to end not knowing what to expect. Truly thrilling in places and just plain
classic Crawford. Watch for the moment when Joan embraces her love interest Palance and asks, "I was just wondering
what I'd done to deserve you."
26 out of 28 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report
this
 10/10
Whewwww!
robert-temple-120 August 2008
This is a real edge-of-your-seat nail-biter.
David Miller did a terrific job of directing this one, and the cinematography is spectacular by Charles Lang. Some of
the shots are as inspired as anything ever seen in Hollywood, such as one in Joan Crawford's library where upon
hearing an inadvertent recording made on her dictaphone, she gradually shrinks back in horror against the far wall,
until she becomes nearly a dot in the distance. That shot is a real triumph of cinematic inspiration. Much is
accomplished with a clock and its pendulum, with the star-shaped pendulum at one point shown in shadow swinging across
her chest as she gets more and more anxious. None of this is overdone, but is all subtle and effective. Joan Crawford
has us all spellbound with her magnificent performance. She throws vanity to the winds, and is not afraid to show her
character as someone in the round, complete with cowardice, foolishness, and even extreme stupidity, combined with
cunning, intelligence, charm and inspiration. Rarely has a woman been shown so soaked in sweat with sheer terror, and
she must have stepped straight out of the shower for each of those shots. When we aren't staring at her
incredulous, we notice that Jack Palance is highly effective, and then we have the delectable treat of Gloria Grahame
turning up. Which true cineaste does not adore Gloria Grahame? She herself probably never knew what all the fuss was
about, regarding herself no doubt as an ordinary girl. But Gloria Grahame was far from ordinary. She had that
indefinable something plus a lot of other somethings, which for reasons which are deeply mysterious and impossible to
explain leave many people like myself in a state of entranced wonder. What was it about her? No matter how many times we
watch her we will never know, all we can say is there will never be another one. This film is a real humdinger.
35
out of 40 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 9/10
Nothing Else Duplicates
SUDDEN FEAR
Marcin Kukuczka27 May 2012
It seems that the first impressions are really the most lasting. No
matter how seriously we take that into account, a slightly similar conclusion could arise at the encounter of a
playwright Myra Hudson (Joan Crawford) with an actor she auditions. Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) does not appear to be
HER idea of a romantic leading man, "he just looks romantic but does not sound so." What is more, his notion
about an oil painting of Casanova leaves confusing riddle within her mind and yet...she will soon stand before the
dilemma to make up her mind and stick to it no matter what price she is going to pay. 

Like Joan Crawford did
not, initially, prefer Jack Palance as her leading man in the motion picture, Myra Hudson did not fancy Lester. Changing
her mind, however, occurs inevitable. Myra soon utters romantically "Without you I have nothing!" And yet, is
the truth about him disguised behind a romantic smile? Will sudden fear occur to disillusion Myra and rescue her from
sudden murder?

When I have recently viewed this wonderful film noir, I felt it was the right time because I
had already got to know the greatest films of the genre, not superior ones but similar ones. What I mean by that are the
films directed by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. When seeing SUDDEN FEAR, you had better be acquainted with
some of Hitchcock's best films because then, you may realize that SUDDEN FEAR has so much in common with the gem of
noir. It's Hitchcock's fertile theme and Miller's stylish bravura. From the characters, objects,
undertones, certain details, doom-filled atmosphere to the unique charm of San Francisco and the utterance that seems to
be the core of Hitchcock's suspense: "This place is so perfect for an accident." Let me broaden some
aspects of David Miller's picture which make us see it as one of the greatest representatives of its genre in the
purest form.

The TORMENTED LEADING CHARACTER, Myra Hudson played brilliantly by Joan Crawford, highlights
something truly ahead of its time. As an executive producer of SUDDEN FEAR, Ms Crawford allows viewers to get into her
inner psyche and provokes a progressive approach: we psychoanalyze her as a character! Nothing like a linear
storytelling, forget it! Yet, something that talks about a psychological world. We psychoanalyze her 'professional
eye' in the theater scene, her coldness melted on a train at the match game that becomes as mysterious as the
manipulative flirts, her 'blind confidence' in wedding Lester, the seeds of doubt that are being slowly
planted from the moment he does not answer her phone. As a matter of fact, this is a purely genius scene when
viewers-observers, unlike Myra herself, are granted a signal: "something is wrong about him." As a result, we
differ from Myra, we feel suspicion earlier than her and, consequently, wait for her disillusion. When the unbelievable
shock comes in her library and she confronts the reality, her behavior is utterly unpredictable: she does not resort to
a state of blending fantasy with reality but remains cold and disguised both to us and to the people around her. In that
respect, isn't she a typical Hitchcock's leading lady? Apart from one difference - she is not a blonde.
Nominated for Oscar, Joan Crawford offers us a pure masterwork of acting.

JACK PALANCE, who replaces Ms
Crawford's initial wish of casting Marlon Brando or Clark Gable, is truly surprising as a leading man. The fact we
are not used to him in such a highlighted performance that combines a doe-eyed romanticist with a secret fox makes the
effect even more memorable. An important fact here to state is that Lester is equally appealing in the psychoanalyzing
approach as Myra. His pretense at the beginning, his patronizing behavior on the train, his look at hands, and his
gradual 'promotion' in Myra's eyes beautifully depict an ambitious type. Later, his vitality and efforts
are, somehow, focused on two women: Myra and Irene. When Myra begins to be his object of wealth's desire, Irene
becomes his object of lust's desire. She is a 'blonde of lust.' Their scheme is a realization of their
sexuality - something very Hitchcock-like where crime goes with sex. "Kiss me hard..." Note the love scene at
the fireplace in the summerhouse and the way it is shot. Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Jack Palance appears
to give a performance beyond our expectations.

Another great aspect that makes the genre so engrossing and
absorbing is the use of objects that manipulate our perceptions and the cinematography that builds the atmosphere.
Staircase scenes that purely recall STRANGERS ON A TRAIN and many great noir genres. And the objects including the clock
that reveals heartbeat, the phone that disturbs the chain of emotions and rises fear, and, above all, the DICTATING
MACHINE that becomes, in a way, another character of the story. The nightmarish fantasy seems to recall SPELLBOUND. The
atmosphere is immensely powerful as the secret is partly revealed by the dictating machine ("I know a way")
and Myra's reaction being one of the most natural and daring we can encounter. Mind you the realism (she vomits and
we deduce it). Charles Lang's cinematography reaches the climax in the shots of interiors where everything seems to
be overwhelmed by torments: images are combined with various sounds from the clock ticking to screaming and morose
silence.

For a number of reasons, SUDDEN FEAR is a surprisingly modern entertainment, its age makes it a
unique achievement on its own and the one that will never be duplicated thanks to top rate performances, haunting
cinematography, plenty of daring ideas. A really ambitious and insightful production. One and only in its riveting
entertainment!
13 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
I know a way..I
know a way...I know a way...I know....
dbdumonteil9 September 2007
"Sudden fear" is everything a
good thriller should be.An inventive use of the recorder (an antique today!);The "revenge is a dish best eaten
cold" subject masterfully treated;The "flashforwards" in the conditional tense -the "accidents"
,"Irene's schedule"-;the things which seem banal and which play a prominent part in the story:the
clock,the wind-up toy,the mirror,all contributes to building a film full of suspense .The three leads ,Joan Crawford , a
wealthy lady getting old and thinking she 's found true love,Jack Palance ,not the romantic lead of her play but a
disturbing character ,and Gloria Grahame at her bitchiest are terrific.

Like this?Try these.......

"Sorry wrong number" Anatole Litvak 1948

"Dial M for Murder" Alfred Hitchcock 1954 

"Les Diaboliques" Henri Georges Clouzot 1955 

"Sleep my love" Douglas Sirk
1948
13 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 7/10
Crawford Tops
In S/M Noir
David (Handlinghandel)10 February 2006
Joan Crawford is an heiress and a famous playwright. During
rehearsals, she insists that Jack Palance be fired: It's not that he isn't a good actor. He just doesn't
have the matinée idol looks, she maintains. Before we know it, the play has been successfully launched and she is on
a train back to San Francisco. Who should kind of turn up on this train but Palance? He and Crawford play poker and she
falls in love with him. OK, it seems: He wasn't right for a Broadway Don Juan. But for an unmarried lady of a
certain age like her, he has just what it takes.

The fact that Crawford and Palance (the actors) have no
chemistry isn't a problem. In a way, it works in the movie's favor. We know he hasn't forgotten the
humiliation she put him through. We know she thought him not so hot to begin with.

Gloria Graham is used well
as his girlfriend. They're kind of rough with each other too. He speaks of breaking all her bones, rather casually
and almost endearingly.

Once Crawford and Palance have married, the suspense heats up. It's a highly
suspenseful film -- well written and well directed. Palance is nimble in his role and Crawford is at her very best too.
My problem with it is that I've seen it a few times and the print has never been good, which is a problem in the
dark scenes toward the end.

But compare this with other movies Crawford was making at around the same time.
"Torch Song" is one of the most outrageously ludicrous star vehicles of all time. "Queen Bee" is
pretty funny, too -- unintentionally, of course. "Female on the Beach" ... In all the others, men come from
miles to fall at Joan's feet. (Speaking of feet, "Sudden Fear" seems, for whatever reason to have more
than a usual number of close-ups of its stars stockinged feet and her shoes.) No one has ever seen anyone so beautiful
as Crawford in these movies. Maybe this made sense at the time but it doesn't now. She was near 50. Inthose days,
this was like being near 65 for a woman.

In "Sudden Fear," she is an old maid. No one comments on
her appearance one way or another. She is rich and successful but it doesn't seem that we're meant to view her
as a great beauty. What we have instead is a beautiful movie -- quite possibly her best.
36 out of 48 found this
helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
Right up there with Hitchcock at his best
Mankin10 July
2000
Joan Crawford's reputation as a gay icon and crazed child abuser courtesy of "Mommie Dearest"
have tended in recent years to overshadow her considerable talents as an actress. When she died in 1977, a journalist
wrote that she was one of the few major movies stars in Hollywood's Golden Age to create a genre all her own.
It's true that she was often seen in rags-to-riches sagas, but in "Sudden Fear" (****), one of the best
suspense thrillers ever made I feel, she is simply terrific as an already wealthy playwright who marries struggling
actor Jack Palance, then accidentally discovers that he and his girlfriend Gloria Graham are planning to murder her for
her money. After the initial shock wears off, she devises a plan to turn the tables on them both. The chasm between the
clockwork perfection of the plot she devises in her imagination, and the unexpected setbacks that develop in the
real-life execution of it, keep this gripping film hugely entertaining. Fine direction, atmospheric night photography of
San Francisco locations and even occasional mordantly witty dialogue don't hurt, either. (You may never hear the
line "I was just wondering what I had done to deserve you" quite the same way again.)
44 out of 60 found
this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
Joan and Jack are an impressive duo...good
suspense...
Neil Doyle24 June 2001
Joan Crawford is a playwright who marries Jack Palance and then realizes he
is planning to kill her. The formula works this time, thanks largely to the impressive acting of both Crawford and her
leading man, Jack Palance. Gloria Grahame is the "other woman" (as usual) and plays an important part in the
plot twist that provides a surprise ending.

Nail biting suspense, this is a film noirish kind of thriller
that goes into full gear once Crawford learns her marriage is a mistake. Both Joan and Bette Davis (real-life rivals)
were nominated for Best Actress Oscars when this was released (Davis for 'The Star') but they both lost to
Shirley Booth (for 'Come Back, Little Sheba').

A good, crisp, no-nonsense thriller that showed us
how good Jack Palance was in sinister roles.
24 out of 32 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No |
Report this
 7/10
Excellent First Half
Claudio Carvalho19 August 2017
The wealthy playwright Myra
Hudson (Joan Crawford) is the heiress of a great fortune. However she works and is donating part of her inheritance to
foundations. When she watches the rehearsal of her play, she asks the director to replace the lead actor Lester Blaine
(Jack Palance) that she believes is not adequate for the lead role. When she returns home, she meets Blane in the same
train and they travel together. They stop in Chicago and soon Myra is seduced by him. They get married and live at
Myra's home in San Francisco. Myra summons her lawyer Steve Kearney (Bruce Bennett) to change her will and transfer
her fortune and properties to her beloved husband. She uses her Dictaphone to record the changes to be done in her will.
However Steve will travel with his son Junior Kearney (Touch Conners) to Sacramento and they leave the room. Then Blaine
and Junior's girlfriend Irene Neves (Gloria Grahame), who is his lover, come to the room to plot a scheme to kill
Myra so that he will be the heir of her fortune. On the next morning, Myra learns that she has forgotten her Dictaphone
on and when she will proceed to dictate her new will, she hears the conversation of her husband with Irene. What will
she do now that she knows what are Blaine's real feelings and intention? 

"Sudden Fear" is a
suspenseful film-noir with excellent first half. The story of a wealthy spinster seduced by a crook is great until the
moment that the lead character learns that he husband and his mistress are plotting to murder her. Her plan to save her
life and get rid of them is also great. However her clumsy and moralist attitudes are terrible and reduces what could
have been a little masterpiece to a good film-noir only. Joan Crawford has another magnificent performance. My vote is
seven.

Title (Brazil): "Precipícios d'Alma" ("Precipices of the Soul")
5 out
of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 9/10
They Knew How to Make Movies in
1952 (not anymore)
vitaleralphlouis12 July 2008
This picture, as well as the re-issue of KING KONG, were the
first two movies to be heavily advertised on television. A big success for RKO Radio Pictures. Being an RKO Picture you
can expect lots of on-location photography and seeing places like New York and San Francisco as they were 55 years ago
adds to the appeal of this fine movie.

SUDDEN FEAR was nominated for 4 Academy Awards (given in 1952 for high
quality rather than political opinion), and this recognition was well deserved. An obvious -- and pretty successful --
imitation of Hitchcock this movie is one of the best murder mysteries ever made. I've never seen Joan Crawford or
Jack Palance play better roles. David Miller's direction is inspired. And the black and white cinematography meets
the highest standard.

Since they haven't yet made a good movie in 2008, and apparently intend to
continue a 90% diet of so-called action movies --- utterly lacking in courage or purpose, where the hero solves
made-believe problems by using computer animation instead of brains... Don't get me started. Just go back to the
good ones, rent the DVD of Sudden Fear.
20 out of 27 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report
this
 10/10
Women's Picture Meets Film Noir
Irecken6 February 2002
Film Noir was never more
suspenseful and energetic than in this, a wonderful movie. The best reason to see this film is for one of the three
principals, either Jack Palance, whose portrayal of a murderous actor husband is great, Gloria Grahame's role as a
sultry other woman conspiring with Palance to murder his wife is deftly played, and the best of all is Joan Crawford,
who steals every scene and gives a greatly emotional and wholly impeccable performance as the wealthy playwright wife to
Jack Palance and would-be murder victim. If this movie ever shows up, DON'T miss it. You'll be quite sorry,
for this is a brilliant motion picture.
23 out of 32 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report
this
 10/10
Best Noir?--Last Third a Silent Film Making Great Use of Sound.
edgeplayer5 November 2009
Many other posts here comment usefully on the acting in this under-appreciated but amazing film--one of the very best
films noir. Little has been written about it and it's the kind of film one used to learn about through word of
mouth and coincidence though sites like this make that easier now. 

But what really turns my crank about this
film is its brilliant combination of cinematography and sound. In many ways this is a silent film and Crawford, coming
of age during the silent era, reprises her silent self masterfully during the final third of the film. Silent films were
never fully 'silent'--they were accompanied by music. In this film, the musical score complements the visual
action but sound effects increasingly become front and center as the film progresses, completely overtaking dialog
toward the end. The sound of the wind-up dog as it walks across the carpet, a walk shot so tightly that we see the weave
of the rug the dog walks on and the thread in the rug that catches its paw just in time. The sound of the Dictaphone
machine (a new technology at the time) and the way the recording of Irene Neves' (Gloria Grahame's)
disembodied, mechanical voice repeats "I know a place" over and over (several minutes actually) are crucial to
the suspense of this film. The final third of the film is virtually dialog-free--instead, through an inspired use of
flash forwards we enter a truly cinematic space of the fantastic, the paranoid and, finally, the sublime. Joan walks
alone into the morning light. The silent section of the film, the ticking clock and its Poe-like pendulum telegraph her
moral ambiguity. See this film--it's a unique, an early 1950s reprise on the silent cinema and how to communicate
to an audience through visuals and sound effects. It's widely available on DVD and the transfer is excellent.
7 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 10/10
Joan Crawford at her
best.
PWNYCNY17 July 2012
If anyone has any doubt about Joan Crawford's greatness as an actor, then watch
this movie. Her performance is sensational as the playwright who accidentally finds out that she is being set up. The
story is compelling and conveys the sense of foreboding and suspense which grabs and keeps the audience's
attention. Jack Palance gives a strong and convincing performance as a conman who marries Ms. Crawford. He is suave,
urbane and sinister. Yet this movie is a Joan Crawford showcase. She is the center of the story and she succeeds in
making this movie a most effective work of cinematic art. The cinematography is outstanding; it captures and conveys the
sense of terror as the audience is taken on an emotional roller coaster ride toward a final, exciting conclusion.
6
out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 9/10
San Francisco melodrama
starring Joan Crawford
Steve Tarter17 September 2002
Jack Palance has always looked a little maniacal and he
plays it here. Just imagine seeing this one in the theater when it arrived on the scene in '52--suspense
aplenty!

San Francisco is the backdrop for a mystery that builds until the very end. Joan Crawford is a
wanted woman and doesn't crack too many smiles over the last 40 minutes of the picture.

The beauty of
this film is its simplicity. There could have been a dozen different endings but this one works. 

We
won't talk plot--you'll just have it see it for yourself--you won't be disappointed.
32 out of 52
found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 9/10
Sudden Fear- The Advantage of Being A
Writer ***1/2
edwagreen23 November 2007
Joan Crawford was absolutely marvelous in this 1952 thriller. In this
film, she plays a wealthy playwright who rejects Jack Palance for the lead role in her new play only to wind up marrying
him instead.

Crawford has everything until she discovers from a taping machine that Palance and secret girl
friend, Gloria Grahame, plot to kill him. Using her writing talents, Crawford concocts a plan to outdo them. Remorse
sets in before she can do this but she is aided by fate as the film ends.

Crawford becomes mesmerizing once
she knows she is an intended victim. Gloria Grahame certainly had a busy 1952. Besides this film, she collected the
supporting Oscar for "The Bad and the Beautiful," and was also in the best picture winner that year-"The
Greatest Show on Earth."

Palance displays the villain type character that he would make famous in his
50+ film year career.
9 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 9/10
So dark, twisting with surprises, cheery and sinister, a total thrill! See it!
secondtake16 February 2010
Sudden Fear (1952)

Such a dark and dramatic, noir-styled surprise for me. Joan Crawford as the rich
daughter and talented playwright is terrific, avoiding the camp of later years and really playing a complex, emotional
role perfectly. I didn't even notice that Gloria Grahame was in it, and when she shows up I knew there was going to
be a thrill--she balances Crawford, and gives the third main actor, Jack Palance, a way to bounce back and forth. And
Palance, as a seeming actor/lover, is two-sided and then some, and really gives the part depth. He's so believably
likably it's chilling.

Add to this some of the darkest, and most shadowy, night photography you've
seen, and a hard hitting orchestral score, and fast editing up and down the streets of San Francisco, and you've
got a gem. It's an amazing, over-the-top movie, but it makes sense, and the last shot of Joan Crawford at night
(I'll say no more) is astonishing for its emotional shifts. Yes, there is Mildred Pierce and countless other great
Crawford films, but for her performance alone you have to see this one. Director David Miller I've never heard of
and may never hear of again judging by his film history, but he pulls off a stylish, intense masterpiece. It's
filled with common types and common twists, but a lot of them, and well done, well done.
7 out of 9 found this
helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 10/10
a class act all the way
blanche-25 August
2016
Warning:spoilers

In the old days of Hollywood, glamorous leading ladies were
finished getting starring roles around age 30. Many times they were reduced to horror films, badly produced B movies,
and television. If they want to strip their glamour and gain weight, they could do character roles. 

However,
Joan Crawford, whose contract was terminated by MGM at the age of 35, continued to make good films throughout the
'40s and into the early '50s. One of them was this one, Sudden Fear, for which she served as executive
producer. In that capacity, she chose the screenwriter, the actors, the director, the composer, the cinematographer -
and they were all top drawer.

The story concerns Myra Hudson, a woman born into a wealthy family who became a
successful playwright. She marries an actor, Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) and then realizes that he and his mistress
(Gloria Grahame) are plotting to kill her.

Crawford registers the bliss of new love, the pain of betrayal,
hysteria, and then the steel to pull herself together and take action. Really it is one of her best roles. This is a
woman who knew how to play to her strengths.

Sudden Fear is exciting, suspenseful, atmospheric, and highly
entertaining. Of course, if I saw Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame together, I'd know something was up. The first
choices for the Lester role were Gable and Marlon Brando. Palance is excellent as a masculine, romantic man hiding a
violent and psychopathic personality. As his flirtatious mistress Irene, Grahame is perfect.

While there is
no actual sex, there is a lot of raw desire and innuendo in this film.

The end of the film has very little
dialogue, and you'll be glued to the screen.

It's sad to see once great stars like Lana Turner,
Merle Oberon, and others reduced to poor circumstances in film, and sadder still that they knew that once they were at
the top of the heap. Crawford at least fought the good fight and in Sudden Fear proved that she was still a force.
4 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 8/10
In a superior suspense
movie, and one of her last good roles, Crawford proves her mettle
bmacv1 January 2003
Warning:spoilers

Sudden Fear proves a doubly unexpected pleasure: As one of the more inventive and effective suspense
thrillers of the 1950s, and as a Joan Crawford picture from her last decade of real stardom in which she pulls from the
full fetch of her long-seasoned acting skills.

Crawford plays San Francisco heiress-turned-playwright Myra
Hudson, in New York for rehearsals of her latest hit play, Half-Way to Heaven. Producer and director find their new
leading man (Jack Palance) an ideal mouthpiece for dribbling out her syrupy dialogue. But Crawford, repelled by the
alarmingly Cubist planes of his face, has him fired (the off-screen Palance had been burned badly in the war and
underwent reconstructive surgery).

But on board a train back to California, she not-so-serendipitously meets
up with him again. They have a drink, play gin rummy, and soon are sharing their histories under the night sky of the
observation car. Now an "item," they enter Crawford's upscale social whirl until the crafty Palance plays
his hard-to-get card. Crawford falls for the ploy and makes him her husband.

Enter Gloria Grahame, some nasty
unfinished business of Palance's from back east (`Kiss me – Kiss me hard'). These two schemers plan to
wrest a hefty divorce settlement from Crawford, but when it seems that her will specifies otherwise, they move to Plan
B. Thanks, however, to the elaborately clunky recording equipment the author has installed in her study, Crawford learns
not only that her bridegroom loathes her but that he plans to murder her for her money. In this audacious and prolonged
scene, Crawford remains wordless as the taped voices hiss and sputter out (`I know a way...I know a way...I know a
way'), letting her extraordinary eyes do the acting (and reminding us that her career started in the silent era).
But once her hysteria subsides, Crawford puts her writer's wiles to work and starts some intricate plotting of her
own....

Crawford starts out at her customary big-star wattage, that fan-magazine glamour which at this stage
of her career had to be all but welded on. But as her illusory happiness crumbles, so does her armored facade. Pitiless
closeups of her contorted, sweaty face show us the aging woman beneath the camouflage (and give a foreshock of her
coming roles in fright films, particularly that other Hudson, Blanche, in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?). It was a
courageous move for this notoriously vain and controlling actress; perhaps she recognized in Lenore Coffee's
script the last role (with the possible exception of Blanche) that would ever test her
mettle. Her instincts were right. Sudden Fear is testament that, no, Crawford was more than the talentless, drunken
witch her idle detractors would have us believe. Once again she did what was expected of her as a star, and what she did
for vehicles far less promising than Sudden Fear: She carried the picture on her broad shoulders, unassisted by shoulder
pads.

Trivia note: This movie marks the film debut of Mike (here, `Touch') Connors, TV's Mannix.
10 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 8/10
great noir
jib122-117 December 2006
Warning:spoilers

This is a great movie - the opening of the film has
Crawford claiming that Palance's character doesn't have the "look" required to say her lines - he
isn't romantic enough. So, he sets out to prove that he IS romantic enough by wooing her for real. In one seen he
woos her by quoting the play she kicked him out of, thus, wooing her with the very lines she said he wasn't
romantic enough to say on stage! This a wonderful juxtaposition of theater and reality - he sets out to show her he can
play romantic by being romantic in real life - BUT - the real deep and interesting twist is that he is just acting the
part in real life, playing her for her money! She is unable to tell, so what does this prove? To what extent is
'looking the part' essential to real life? She saw it as essential to the role on stage (and she turns out to
be right, since the play is a big hit with his replacement); but how far is she able to endure the acting in real life -
that is, the only 'looking the part' and not really having the 'being' of real romance? Great
twisting questions through a deeply suspenseful and psychologically gripping noir (it's Crawford, what would you
expect?).
5 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
Good Thriller With A
Good Performance By Crawford
Snow Leopard14 January 2003
There are some very good features to this thriller
that make up for its occasional flaws. Joan Crawford is very good in a role that gives her a chance to do a lot of
different things, and the story builds up suspense effectively, to the point where you share in the anxiety and fear of
her character. Those strengths make up for the implausible and occasionally unsatisfying plot turns.

Crawford's role gives her a chance to start off as a supremely confident, comfortable playwright, whose dream
world is then transformed into a nightmare. She does quite a convincing job of taking her character through the joys,
fears, and other turns that she experiences. It is largely thanks to her performance that the suspense build-up works
especially well. By the time that the lengthy cat-and-mouse game in the last half of the movie begins, you are really
thinking and feeling along with her. The crisis is built up skillfully, though again at the cost of some credibility.

This works very well the first time you see it. Watching it over again, it is easier to see through the less
credible plot devices and other small flaws. But none of the flaws detract from Crawford's fine leading
performance. Overall, it's a pretty good thriller and certainly well worth seeing once.
5 out of 8 found this
helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 6/10
Good but not Great
Shawn Spencer9 February
2015
I liked Sudden Fear but I didn't love it. On the plus side, Joan Crawford is always a force of nature,
and this film is no exception; and Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame give good performances as well. The cinematography is
good and the use of San Francisco locations adds luster.

My trouble is with the
script. The first half of the movie drags a bit--almost as if they are trying to lull you
to sleep--before they whack you over the head with the first big twist. 

I love twists in a plot, but they
need to be believable and organic to the characters. This one felt contrived, and the character's response to the
twists unbelievable. It was like watching three different personalities playing the one part -- with no real explanation
for WHY the sudden shifts and turns of personality.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No
| Report this
 10/10
Joan Crawford as Myra Hudson...
MarieGabrielle9 April 2012
a wealthy and
established NY playwright who resides in a beautiful cliff side San Francisco home. Ms. Crawford is believable as a
lonely but wealthy woman who meets struggling actor Jack Palance.

He begins to pursue her after he is
rejected as a leading man to be cast in her play. They take a cross country train back to California so Myra may show
him "my beautiful San Francisco". The house and cliff side scenes of the ocean are beautiful and very
film-noir. The winding steps have no guardrail, Palance notices. Myra seems unafraid, but he is already planning
possible accidents.

Of course, femme fa-tale Gloria Grahame enters the scene and is Palance's sometime
mistress and partner in crime. She hints that Myra's will may not be enough for them to live comfortably on. Myra
utilizes a Dictaphone/recorder and by accident overhears them plotting her murder.

There are a few good
twists worthy of a Hitchcock motif, and Joan Crawford gives a deep performance of fear and rage as she seeks to get her
revenge. There is also an interesting scene with a toy mechanical dog that creates odd suspense, as we often see in film
noir any little thing that can go wrong.

Overall, a lost gem. Rent it on Netflix if you can. 10/10.
3
out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 8/10
Tension, Treachery &
Terror
seymourblack-114 January 2011
Warning:spoilers

"Sudden Fear" is a
"woman in danger" film noir in which Joan Crawford plays a wealthy playwright who's the intended victim
of a murder plot. The opening scenes are intriguing but what follows quickly becomes very gripping and full of suspense
and remains that way right up until the movie's violent conclusion.

This story about treachery, greed
and revenge is well written, well acted and presented in a way which is visually impressive and full of atmosphere. The
use of interesting camera angles, close ups and dramatic shadow patterns also contribute strongly to the ominous mood
and the emotional intensity of the piece.

At the rehearsals for her latest Broadway play, Myra Hudson (Joan
Crawford) is unimpressed by the inexperienced actor who'd been cast as the leading man and arranges for him to be
axed without delay. Some weeks after the successful opening of her play, she catches a train to return home to San
Francisco and notices that the actor she'd fired is also on board. Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) accepts Myra's
invitation to join her for a drink and they get to know each other better. Their relationship soon develops into a
romance and the couple marry and settle in San Francisco.

One evening, Lester and Myra attend a party
together and meet Junior Kearney (Touch Connors) who is one of Myra's lawyers and he introduces them to his new
girlfriend Irene Neves (Gloria Grahame) who also happens to be one of Lester's old flames.

Myra is an
heiress and Lester discovers that she is in the process of changing her will to leave most of her estate to a heart
disease foundation. In her study, Myra has a voice activated dictating machine which she uses to write her plays. On her
birthday, she starts to use the machine to record her will but breaks off from that task when the guests start to arrive
for her party.

During the party Lester and Irene slip into the study together and next morning, when Myra
uses the Dictaphone again, she discovers that she'd inadvertently left it switched on overnight and is then shocked
to hear Lester and Irene's conversation in which they discuss their plan to kill Myra before she can arrange for
her original will to be changed. In her state of fear and panic Myra accidentally drops the recording which could have
provided evidence of the couple's treachery.

Eventually, when she starts to come to terms with
what's happened, Myra responds to the situation by devising a clever scheme to murder Lester and frame Irene.
Before she's able to carry out her plan, she recognises that her conscience will not allow her to go through with
it and her life then remains under threat until the story's shocking climax is reached.

The performances
by Crawford, Palance and Grahame are all top class and the supporting cast are also very good. Joan Crawford is at her
very best as she portrays convincingly the ruthless side of her character at the beginning of the story, the wonderful
happiness that she enjoys when her relationship with Lester seems to be perfect and then the devastation, heartbreak and
sheer terror that she experiences on learning about the plot to kill her.

Jack Palance is extremely effective
as the controlled but also very devious and threatening Lester who conceals his powerful bitterness and hatred for Myra
so well. Gloria Grahame also makes a great impact as the greedy and totally unprincipled Irene.

It's
ironic that an actor who was considered so unsuitable for the romantic lead in a play should be so successful in making
Myra fall deeply in love with him and the fact that he was able to conceal so well how much he detested her, was also
proof of his considerable acting ability.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report
this
 10/10
Terrific Film Noir
maryszd1 September 2010
Warning:spoilers

As one of
the other reviewers here has noted, Sudden Fear is a fascinating cross between a woman's film and film noir.
Perhaps because of its older female protagonist, it has been unfairly neglected. Joan Crawford, acting less
histrionically than usual, plays Myra Hudson an heiress and successful playwright. The fact that she's rich and
talented makes her an obvious target. She falls for and marries sleazy actor Lester Blaine, terrifically played by Jack
Palance. Blaine and his mistress, the younger and more attractive Irene (Gloria Grahame) plot to kill her for her
fortune. Crawford looks middle-aged and frumpy in this film; she seems to be wearing less make-up and is photographed
from less flattering angles. It almost transforms her into a different actress. Its as if we're seeing her true
face. For financial reasons, Lester and Irene only have a small window of time to murder her in order to get the money.
The latter part of the film is punctuated by ticking clocks. Myra has minutes to pull herself together and save her own
life. The ticking clocks also have to do with Myra's aging, dwindling attractiveness and mortality. There are many
close-ups of her aging hands and feet that have the effect of magnifying her physical vulnerability. In the film's
dramatic denouement, Myra dresses like Irene and the two women's identities merge as they become the object of
Blaine's murderous rage. Crawford's training as a silent film actress make the last part of the film
extraordinary. A truly great film!
4 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 9/10
The Play's the Thing
hildacrane24 November 2006
Warning:spoilers



A taut thriller. Although I've seen this film many times, it wasn't until the most recent viewing that the
many ways in which it is about theater/"play acting" became apparent to me. How could it be otherwise, when
the two main characters are a playwright (Myra) and an actor (Lester)? When Myra learns of the plot against her, we see
her plan for revenge as it unrolls in her mind, like a play, and when she decides not to go through with it, it is
because she gets a glimpse of her frantic, gun-toting self in a mirror. When Lester affirms his love for Myra, he quotes
from her play. At various times, in Myra's mansion, people excuse themselves from a gathering, and go into another
room, to connive; we follow them, as though going "offstage" to see what a character is up to.

There are wonderful bits of business for Crawford to do, as when she fakes an injury--first excusing herself from her
guests, then going to a bedroom, unsnapping garter belt, rolling down stocking, applying stage makeup for the
"bruise," etc, and ultimately "falling" down some stairs, in view of her guests. What dexterous
fingers she had! In view of the brutal reality of her marriage, the title of her play, in which she meets her future
husband before having him fired, is ironic--"Halfway to Heaven." Also paradoxical is the use of the beautiful
and meditative bedtime reading that Lester provides for Myra (she is at this point on to his murderous conniving):
"Let mystery have its place in you. Leave a little fallow corner in your heart...." The author is the
19th-century Swiss writer Henri Frederic Amiel and the quote is from his "Journal Intime."
4 out of 6
found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 10/10
A Deadly Cat & Mouse Game, But
Who's the Cat in This One?
char treuse23 July 2006
One of my favorite Joan Crawford films, and one that
got her an Oscar nomination. It's a suspenser that starts as a female-in-distress story but, as the female is Ms
Crawford, it unsurprisingly turns into a rather deadly cat & mouse game.

Joan plays heiress/playwright
Myra Hudson who falls in love with, and marries, a brash younger man (an impressive Jack Palance). Palance, it turns
out, is plotting to kill Joan with the assistance of the delightfully minxish Gloria Grahame, who plays his lover. (The
inference about their sadomasochistic relationship must have raised a knowing eyebrow or two in 1952.) With their murder
plot accidentally recorded, Crawford is given the opportunity to put to use one of her greatest assets: her reactions.
Schooled in the silent era, she gives a remarkable, prolonged, dialogue-less acting job with facial expressions that go
from contentment to shock, horror, grief and, finally, revulsion as she hears the recorded setups and declarations of
love. (Crawford has put this ability to good use throughout her career; a strong point in her portrayal of Blanche in
"Baby Jane.") Joan -- not one to be a victim for long -- is shortly at work hatching a revenge plan. The
suspense is turned up several notches as things develop not-quite-as-expected. 

The film has a fantastic
dream sequence and an effective fantasy one in which Joan foresees how her counter-plot will, ideally, play out. It is
juxtaposed, later, with the reality of carrying things off and it's brilliant.

I consider David Miller
to be, generally, a mediocre director. But herein, he is unusually cinematic. Contrast this with his later
female-in-distress picture, "Midnight Lace" with Doris Day, for all its atmosphere, or his later film with
Crawford, "The Story of Esther Costello," which seems leaden in comparison.

Well-scripted, directed and acted, "Sudden Fear" is a fun-filled thrill ride
with much to savor along the way to its beautifully contrived climax.

p.s.-- Absolutely avoid the TV-movie
remake with Stephanie Powers.
6 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
Fabulous
ladbroke5 January 2001
Not as over-the-top as later works such as Female on the Beach or Queen Bee,
but Joan is up to her midlife crisis shenanigans, playing a character much younger than herself and having the
scriptwriters write dialogue that constantly refers to her as "girl". She's
a fab-tastic rich girl and successful playwright who marries the wrong dude (a very spooky looking Jack Palance). Some
great OTT scenes, especially where she learns about the plot against her - as she learns the truth, she shamelesly chews
the scenery, gurning and rolling her eyes back and forth. Fantastic!
8 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this
review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 8/10
Despite a slow start, an excellent film noir
TheLittleSongbird27 February 2015
Sudden Fear appealed to me right away as a fan of film-noir, classic film and
thrillers. It does get off to a slow start with some uneventful storytelling and parts that could easily have been
trimmed, but when it gets going it is just an excellent film, as a film-noir, thriller and a film in general, with a
riveting and very suspenseful second half in particular.

The costumes and sets are sumptuous and the lighting
gives the right amount of chills in the appropriate places. Visually, most impressive was the cinematography(nominated
for an Oscar for a good reason), the film is just exquisitely shot and one of the best-looking film-noirs of the early
50s. The dream sequence and the whole second half, reminiscent of the ending of The Third Man, stood out in this regard.
Elmer Bernstein's score is hauntingly dynamic and sends chills up the spine sometimes while the film also has a
literate script that doesn't hesitate in making the characters interesting and
expertly direction.

Joan Crawford is superb in the lead role, classic Crawford really and wholly deserving of
the Oscar nomination, while Gloria Grahame lights up the screen in a deliciously sultry performance and Jack Palance-
also nominated- shows very well early in his career how good he could be in sinister roles(he was also Oscar-nominated
for Shane a year later, which I did admittedly did find a much better performance). All in all, starts slow but ends
rivetingly, an excellent film noir with the cinematography being especially good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
3 out of 5 found
this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 8/10
Suspense. Intrigue. Joan Crawford steals
every scene.
Michael O'Keefe14 December 2007
Warning:spoilers

Film Noir based on a book
by Edna Sherry. Heiress Myra Hudson(Crawford)is a very successful playwright; what she touches turns to gold. She falls
into a whirlwind romance with a not-so-known actor Lester Blaine(Jack Palance). Of course it is the ever so typical
romance of an older woman madly in love with a younger man, who is really in love with a younger woman. After their
marriage, Blaine is more interested in Myra's money than her love. He meets with an old flame Irene(Gloria
Grahame), and the two work up a scheme for Myra to suffer a fatal accident leaving her fortune to Lester. Never even
considered a "pre-nup". The heiress suspects the two are conspiring her demise and she has a plan of her own.
Crawford steals every scene she's in. The last twenty minutes or so of the SUDDEN FEAR is worth the price of
admission. The shadows, the suspense, the moody atmosphere. I especially liked the final scene of Myra walking away in
disbelieve and despair that turns into her normal self reliance and that air of money walking. This film will mark the
debut of Touch Connors, who later will change his name to Mike.
3 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review
helpful? Yes No | Report this
 9/10
Crawford shows she really is a great actress, not just *Mommie Dearest*
twelve_dollar_tiara16 March 2005
Warning:spoilers

Whether you view it for the Ms. Crawford, the
suspense, the "film noir" motif, or if you happen to be a Jack Palance fan (and he indeed has his unique
qualities just as lovely Joan) , this a great watch. 

I rented it to see Joan because I adore even her worst
work, which I expected this to be because this was made well after her prime (so I thought) . But her acting is truly
excellent, her character's learning of the ultimate betrayal is heartbreaking and I myself felt Myra's pain.
Its as good as "Mildred Pierce" and "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" as far as her range, ability
to emote for the camera, and it makes up for the awful films she (had to do) did in the fifties. 

Her
portrayal of the raised-from-a-wealthy-background-but-wants-to earn-her-own-way playwright is perfect, with the correct
accent (west coast upper class), mannerisms, and so on. 

The pace is excellent, you know you smell a rat, but
watching it unfold is truly suspenseful. 

Jack Palance- is, well, Jack Palance.
4 out of 8 found this
helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 7/10
A full-fledged star vehicle for Ms. Crawford
lasttimeisaw10 July 2016
A full-fledged star vehicle for Ms. Crawford, in this film-noir tale, she plays Myra
Hudson, a rich Broadway playwright-spinster, who intuitively vetoes an actor Lester Blaine's (Palance) audition for
her newest play, since his unusual look doesn't seem to be well qualified for a romantic role, which prompts
Lester's chagrin and he rebukes that Myra is wrong for her impetuous decision.

Some days later, on the
train back to her home in San Francisco after the play turns out to be a hit, Myra encounters Lester, out of courtesy
and to manifest there is no hard feelings, they bury the hatchet and Lester proves to her that he in fact is a virtuoso
romantic suitor for her despite the age difference, and she is significantly besotted, the two tie the knot afterwards,
which erects a perfect hotbed for the ensuing murder plan.

There is an ulterior motive in Lester's
agenda from his very first move, when his old flame, a sensual siren Irene Neves (Grahame) arrives uninvited, the two
scheme together to murder Myra after knowing that the latter will donate the bulk of her fortune to a foundation. But
Ms. Crawford will not resign herself to an unwitting wife who is like a lamb to slaughter, right in the midway, Myra
receives a rude awakening and unearths Lester's sinister plan, after the initial shock and distress (which
inconveniently outstays its welcome as Ms. Crawford's one-woman show), and a clumsy act which accidentally destroys
the key testimony, she straightens up and dauntlessly decides to preempt their action in her own way.

Here,
the movie starts to glisten with suspense, under the ominous chiaroscuro lighting, particularly designated in her
favour, Ms. Crawford's dignified mien glints intensely from resolution, hesitation, worry to utter fear, and
everything is on tenterhooks, viewers vicariously experience the struggle, strain and danger from Myra's viewpoint,
playing meek and unsuspicious in front of her double-faced husband on a daily basis, cautiously plotting her
counter-move in the sly step by step, while keeping hold of her usual pretence without arousing any suspicion, she must
be a natural actress herself to fake a glamorous fall from staircases without any damage done to undercut her mobility,
also a first-rate penmanship-imitator, and practising her first-ever plan of murder in her mind, which is a dead
giveaway that things will not proceed exactly in the way as she has envisaged. The biggest question is, is she as good
killer as an actress? Is she capable of pulling the trigger when the crunch arrives?

The
script mercifully (or rather cowardly) saves Myra from being the ultimate executioner of
poetic justice, lest it would blemish Crawford's iconic benevolent image, she is never a noir heroine, and here,
she is ever so close to be one, an Oscar nomination is quite rewarding, it is the only time, she and her arch-enemy, Ms.
Bette Davis (in Stuart Heisler's THE STAR 1952) are competing in the same category, although both are the charming
also-rans in this case. An angular, hatched-faced Jack Palance is an unorthodox leading man in his career breakthrough
role, who has no qualm in oozing venom while being hospitable and deferential. Yet, he is routinely degraded with a BEST
SUPPORTING ACTOR Oscar nomination, high-fives with his fellow nominee Richard Burton in Henry Koster's MY COUSIN
RACHEL (1952), an Olivia de Havilland's vehicle, two glaring examples of Academy's category injustice for
budding leading actors.

One of the strong points of this David Miller's thriller is the cinematography
from Charles Lang, greatly taps into the forbidding nighttime of San Francisco, e.g. the final chasing sequences in the
steep streets, sufficiently surpasses the ongoing action itself. Finally, a friendly advice to all female viewers,
sometimes, you have to stick to your instinct of the first impression, simply because it is a life-saving bonanza
bequeathed by nature itself, don't easily throw it away.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review
helpful? Yes No | Report this
 8/10
Don't Mess with Joan Crawford
evanston_dad23 May 2016
A
slick little thriller from 1952 that showcases Joan Crawford's ability to carry a movie. She starred in a lot of
high-quality stuff (like "Mildred Pierce" for example) that any actress would have shined in, but it's
when she landed in more middle-of-the-road material that she was able to illustrate her star wattage, because not just
any old actress could take a movie like "Sudden Fear" and make something memorable out of it.

In
this one, Crawford is a playwright and reluctant heiress who decides the actor chosen for the lead in her new drama
(Jack Palance, darkly but disturbingly handsome) isn't right after all and has him booted. He meets up with her a
few months later and lets her know there are no hard feelings. Indeed, not only aren't there any hard feelings, but
the two end up getting married after a whirlwind romance. Only after they're married do we find out that Palance is
unsurprisingly a creep and that he and his jilted ex-wife (or current wife, I'm foggy on that point), played with
bad-girl relish by Gloria Grahame, have designs on getting their hands on Crawford's dough. Let the plotting
begin.

The twist in this one is that Crawford finds out about their plan without them knowing, and proves
herself to be a sharp cookie in hatching a counter plot to save her skin. It's quite refreshing to see her take
matters into her own hands rather than simper and quail waiting for someone else to save her. The ending, a chase
through the dark streets of San Francisco, is a bit of a mess, but by then you've had so much fun with the movie
and Crawford has won you over with her ballsiness that you don't much care.

Crawford received her third
and final Academy Award nomination for her performance, and Jack Palance was nominated in the supporting category as
well. Perennial Oscar nominee Charles Lang won his 9th of an eventual 18 career nominations for using shadows to make
the most out of San Francisco's murky streets and Jack Palance's razor sharp cheekbones. And Sheila
O'Brien landed the last of the film's quartet of nominations for designing Crawford's elegant black and
white gowns.

"Sudden Fear" is a treat for film noir lovers, Joan Crawford lovers, San Francisco
lovers, suspense thriller lovers, or anyone who just loves a good old fashioned entertaining movie.

Grade:
A-
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 7/10
Fun to watch, but
not an all-time classic by any means
rochesternypizzaguy17 April 2015
Joan Crawford delivers a typically
strong performance as a wife who discovers that her husband plans to murder her, and it's fun to see Jack Palance
in an early role (interestingly, playing a stage actor who was rejected for a part as a romantic lead). Film noir fans
will appreciate the cinematography, especially in the final scenes, which of course take place in darkened rooms and on
darkened streets and alleys. But the plot has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese. Most obviously, when Joan
Crawford's character finds proof of her husband's homicidal intentions, she doesn't go to the police, as
any sane person would do, but instead comes up with a convoluted plan of her own, which of course goes awry. Add to that
the movie convention that a man can simply sweep a woman off her feet with a little sweet talking, and be married to her
in practically no time at all, plus the stretch that Jack Palance's character is so angry about being rejected for
a Broadway role that he decides to marry and then kill the playwright, that we're talking about some serious
suspension of disbelief here. If you can overlook those flaws, it's a fun couple of hours.
2 out of 3 found
this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 7/10
Solid Thriller
kenjha22 July 2010
A struggling young actor marries a rich middle-aged playwright and isn't thrilled to learn that she plans to give
away her wealth to charity. This is a solid thriller with good performances from Crawford (reviving her career) and
Palance (only his third film), each nominated for an Oscar. Grahame has typical bad girl role, Bennett is wasted in an
inconsequential role, and Connors makes his film debut. After a slow start, the suspense builds nicely, although the
plot is contrived. It is hard to believe that Crawford would take matters into her own hands rather than seek help from
the police or friends. The fine film noir cinematography is a big plus.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this
review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 5/10
too many dumb plot holes to lift it above mediocrity
MartinHafer21 April 2006
While this film suffers, at times, from MANY dumb mental lapses by the lead, it is still
an interesting film. Crawford meets and falls in love with nice guy Jack Palance--who turns out to be a dirty rat
interested only in Joan's money,....and murder! When Joan discovers this by way of a recorder (that used records
not tape), she naturally accidentally breaks it and ruins the evidence she needed to convince others of his intentions.
And, she does NOT go to the police but decides to handle it herself. She also could have just divorced the guy, but her
character was a real problem in the film--described as being smart but acting quite stupid throughout the film. Then,
late in the movie, she has doubts about whether to kill him first and begins to either sweat and pant profusely or
accidentally steps on a cat's tail or knocks something over to alert this murderous dog where she's
hiding--thus spoiling any chance she has to kill him before he kills her. Then, as he chases her through the streets of
San Francisco at night, no one even wakes up AND Joan not once bangs on a door or window to let anyone know a maniac is
chasing her. I would have chucked some rocks through some windows and yelled "HELP" at least once or twice!!
Hmmm,...wait a minute,...now that I think about it, Ms. Crawford plays the part of a complete imbecile!! In fact,
because of her many odd and inexplicable behaviors, I was actually rooting for Jack to kill her after a while! Well,
despite all this, the film had a lot of cool Film Noir dialog and the very end of the film was a high spot,...so I
guess, apart from the way Crawford's part was written, it's a pretty good film. But, in hind-sight, it's
a real shame the film wasn't re-written to make it smarter and more believable.
8 out of 21 found this
helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 8/10
Loony in the best ways possible
JasparLamarCrabb14 May 2017
Warning:spoilers

David Miller directed this noir and it's
loony in the best possible ways. It's outrageously plotted and impeccably mounted and features some of Joan
Crawford's best post-MILDRED PIERCE acting. Crawford is a profoundly wealthy heiress/playwright who falls wildly in
love with actor Jack Palance (after having him fired from her play!). Mayhem ensues as Crawford & Palance head to
San Francisco where their courtship is tied together in a series of montages. Miller keeps this fast paced thriller
moving and he's helped along by a stunning Elmer Bernstein score. Crawford emotes a lot in her own inimitable style
but really has just one moment of pure Crawford camp...as she discovers that the diabolical Palance is not at all what
he seems. The great supporting cast includes Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett and a very young Mike Connors as
"Junior."
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes No | Report this
 6/10
Moral marital thriller
begob1 March 2016
A wealthy playwright is swept off her feet by an audacious actor
who she'd just rejected for the lead role in one of her Broadway plays, but something nasty awaits at the end of
their honeymoon.

Full on melodrama noir that really cranks through the plot gears, and repeatedly clips the
audience round the ear to make sure we're paying attention. It would have gone smoother if the director had had a
bit more faith in us. The conspiracy is revealed straight away, and the motivation doesn't really convince.
Pl

Related torrents

Torrent Name	Added	Size	Seed	Leech	Health
Sudden Fear (1952) Xvid 1cd - Joan Crawford, Jack Palance Thriller [DDR[	1 Year+ - in Movies	700.08 MB	0	1
Sudden Fear (1952) DVD5 - Joan Crawford, Jack Palance Thriller [DDR[	1 Year+ - in Movies	4.29 GB	1	0
This Woman Is Dangerous (1952) Joan Crawford	1 Year+ - in Movies	741.62 MB	1	0
Sudden Fear 1952 1080p BluRay x265-RARBG	1 Year+ - in Movies	1.73 GB	2	3
Sudden Fear (1952) BDRip 720p HEVC PlamenNik	1 Year+ - in Other	2.77 GB	0	0

Note :

Feel free to post any comments about this torrent, including links to Subtitle, samples, screenshots, or any other relevant information. Watch Sudden Fear (1952) Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Mike Connors, Ann Sher Full Movie Online Free, Like 123Movies, FMovies, Putlocker, Netflix or Direct Download Torrent Sudden Fear (1952) Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Mike Connors, Ann Sher via Magnet Download Link.

Comments (0 Comments)

Please login or create a FREE account to post comments