Sudden Fear
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Movie Reviews of Sudden Fear
Movie Review: Overly Lush Melodrama - Wonderful!
Summary: 4 Stars
What a hoot of a film! It is a classic Joan Crawford "Queen Bee, poor me the victim" story. Crawford plays an ultra-wealthy San Franciscan socialite who writes incredably successful plays in New York City - non-stop! Plus she's just so nice and polite, that when she doesn't think the new leading man is sexy enough, she can't bear to fire him - so she gets someone else to. BIG mistake! Poor Joan 'falls in love' with conniving rejected actor. Actor then schemes with Gloria Grahame (of "Oklahoma's" girl who can't say "no" fame) to well...it doesn't matter. Joan's character is so annoying blind to the scheme that even when she has blatant evidence of the 'plot against her' she has this extended, drawn-out, wild-eyed scene of disbelief that is; well, hard to friggin' believe! What fantastic overacting! The ending is predictable and a little far fetched. Palance is great as the 'bad' actor and Grahame was so young, but so good! She deserved an Oscar for this performance. The last minute is surreal. Joan's character turns from deathly horrified to a smiling "life is going to be okay" facade in less than 60 seconds! Talk about wrapping up a film as quickly as possible! Trivia: Poor Joan was showing her age in this film (bad hair; grey showing) and it's tough to believe that Palance's character (hunky, hunky) would love her for more than money. Joan - always the victim!
Movie Review: Just put on your "Chicago Lipstick", sit back & enjoy
Summary: 4 Stars
If you never liked Joan, this film may change your mind. Her royal Crawfordship uses all the skills she learned from her days as a silent star, to convey a woman attempting to outsmart her diabolical young husband & his girl. She uses that chiseled face and those big eyes to great advantage. Her reactions to a walking toy dog, while hiding in a closet are priceless. She was nominated for this performance, as was her rival, Bette Davis for "The Star" (ironically, playing a character rumored to be based on Joan!) Of the two, Joan's performance is the winner this time. Jack Palance is brute-hunkable as the husband, and Gloria Grahame puts the film in her pocket and walks away with it. If Gloria Grahame is your competion, than you SHOULD be worried! Ms. Grahame won the supporting actress award that year, but for "The Bad & the Beautiful". (although this film, as well as "The Big Heat" show her at her devious best)
As Joan once said "If you want 'the girl next door', then go next door!" Just make sure it isn't Gloria Grahame.
Movie Review: Forget Crawford, watch Palance and Graham!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a tight little noir with a clever plot. Crawford almost literally chews up the furniture, flopping against doors and bannisters for most of the second half of the movie. She gives the movie a pleasant campy flavor, but I'm not a big fan of her histrionics. The real reason to watch this movie is to be thrilled by the spectacle of the white hot young Jack Palance. His onscreen "romance" with Gloria Graham is about as good of a depiction of unsavory lust as I have ever seen. An example: the couple meet and argue. Palance's character throws Graham onto her sofa and starts to stomp out of the room. Graham purrs after him something to the effect of 'I'm glad to know that you still love me', which stops Palance in his tracks. He turns and walks towards her, all akimbo on the sofa, and the scene fades. Yow!I give this four stars instead of five because the scene with Palance's character gone mad in the car at the end of the movie is kind of jarringly out of place, and because I can take only so much of Joan Crawford flopping on the doors.
Movie Review: Crawford has great moments
Summary: 4 Stars
We all know how famous Crawford was for the melodramas' and the often overacting (think of Queen Bee). However, in Suddent Fear she is truly convincing as the wife who has just discovered her husband is out to kill her, hence the title.
Some very tense scenes in this classic film noir. Crawford herself disputed the choice of Jack Palance as the leading man saying he was not attractive enough for the lead. She was right, he looked very odd, almost plastic. That aside, Jack still puts in a good performance.
The DVD is heavily overpriced. Why it needs to be so expensive is anyone's guess. Especially considering the dismal transfer to DVD. Yes, it is as bad as you have read about in other reviews. No Restoration whatsoever. No extras. Should really be alot cheaper than it is. You are paying for Joan Crawford really.
Movie Review: Generous older woman gives younger man his come-uppance
Summary: 4 Stars
It's great to see a film about a woman of a certain age (was Ms Crawford 50 at the time?) play a role in which her vulnerability, wealth, and need for love having been exploited by a younger man gets her revenge, sort of. All the parts are well written, and though it's Mills and Boon stuff, it's well acted, directed and shot. A classy B movie so to speak. I enjoyed Ms Crawford in this role almost as much as Johnny Guitar and more so than Mildred Pearce. She makes a meal of it and what a meal it is. Yummy stuff.