Sudden Fear
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Movie Reviews of Sudden Fear
Movie Review: In Answer to Queequeg's Review
Summary: 5 Stars
Hi Queequeg...I agree with most of what you said. However, I love the ending of "Sudden Fear" when Myra screams out Irene's name. It shows how her character is instinctively a good and honest person and could never kill anyone in real life. I find it highly effective.
I really don't think she is smirking at the end. I think she looks almost resigned, numb, somewhat exhausted by the whole surreal thing. It's my favorite ending of any Joan movie (next to "Humoresque"). There she is a survivor walking into the SUNRISE. She is alone yet liberated.
Remember, when Myra found out her hubby was going to kill her and the only proof she had of this was destroyed--and thus no cop would believe her--she had roughly 48 hours (and no sleep) to react, plan, and defend herself.
I would like to think her character smirked later on when she came home, took stock of her bank account, and found herself free of that evil little man. Finally, with some serenity back in her life, she would write her next and greatest play: "Sudden Fear".
On opening night of Myra's new play--who is in the audience but Joan Crawford. Joan runs backstage after the final curtain and tells Myra she wants to buy the film rights. After a few drinks, Myra admits it was all true. "Actually, Joan...", Myra confesses, "...when I was sweating my ass off in that mink, running away from that evil little man IN MY NEW HIGH HEELS, I thought to myself: 'Crawford could totally pull this off!!'"
Movie Review: Joan's Oscar-Nominated Role!
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is one of Joan's best films. She made it in the 50's during a slow time in her career after "Mildred Pierce". This was sort of Joan's come-back picture of the 50's. And boy did Joan know how to come back with a vengeance!
Joan plays Myra Hudson (I wonder if she's related to Blanche Hudson?) a successful (and rich) playwright. Myra is re-introduced (she recently fired Lester as lead-actor from her previous Broadway play) to Lester Blaine (played by the very handsome Jack Palance) on a train trip back to her home, from NY.
Myra and Jack soon fall in love and quickly marry. Their marriage seems perfect. Joan's character is an older, successful, beautiful, and highly intelligent women. And Lester wasn't at all intimidated Myra's successes.
...In fact Lester welcomes her success and her money. He soon meets up with his former flame, Irene Neves (played by Gloria Grahame). Irene and Lester plot to murder Myra so they can run away with all of her money.
Myra inadvertently learns of their deceitful plot and thus the title "Sudden Fear" is born! It's now a race against time to see if Myra can sidestep the murder plot.
Joan is absolutely devastatingly beautiful in this picture, and she had such a graceful and elegant presence that always took center stage in this picture. This movie is a must-see for any Joan Crawford fan. I have seen all of her movies and this is right up there with the very best films she made during the 30's & 40's.
Movie Review: Terrific Film Noir!
Summary: 5 Stars
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!Movie Review: GOOD CRAWFORD NOIR.....
Summary: 5 Stars
Probably the best of Crawford's 50's vehicles, "Fear" is a very good noir thriller on it's own terms. Director David Miller reportedly fought Crawford to get a realistic performance out of her instead of her just waltzing through the film on star power which was how she usually operated. It's still a Crawford performance but it works. A playwrite/heiress marries an actor she recently fired from one of her plays (Jack Palance). He has a trampy girlfriend on the side (Gloria Grahame) who plots with him to dispose of Myra, the playwrite, and when she finds out--after much terror-emoting---she plots to trip them up. Tension is nicely built up and the performances by all are first-rate. The noir b&w photography is great and on-location shooting in San Francisco gives it a gritty feel. DVD is fine thanks to Kino/Image providing a good, once obscure movie that had nominations for Oscars for Crawford(!) and Palance. At the time, early 50's on, it was said that Crawford was better when she was "menaced in mink". This film is a fine example of that remark. If you're a fan of Crawford, Palance or Grahame don't pass this one up.Movie Review: Quit your whining, this DVD rocks!
Summary: 5 Stars
Alright, there are no special features. Alright, so there aren't even any subtitles. And there are a couple of seconds where the picture had grain- ok, I give. But overall, this film is excellently presented. I don't have any complaints about the sound or the picture- in fact, I thought it was remarkably clear considering that it hasn't been preserved as well as a lot of other pictures. Trust me, the plot more than makes up for any minor annoyances.
In an Oscar nominated performance, Joan Crawford plays successful playwright Myra Hudson. When she falls in love with a handsome actor named Lester (played by Jack Palance, nominated for Best Supporting Actor) everything seems perfect. But when she discovers her husband's plot to murder her, she designs a plan to reverse the gun.
This movie is great, and if you're not one of those people who whine when they don't get all the bells and whistles, you'll love it too.