Sudden Fear (1952)

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), Robert Smith (screenplay),

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Myra Hudson
Jack Palance	...	Lester Blaine
Gloria Grahame	...	Irene Neves
Bruce Bennett	...	Steve Kearney
Virginia Huston	...	Ann Taylor
Mike Connors	...	Junior Kearney (as Touch Conners)

Storyline

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?

---

Plot Keywords:

actor | playwright | cat and mouse | mistress | reference to nietzsche | 

---

Taglines:

A Breathtaking Experience !

---

Genres:

Film-Noir | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ehe mit dem Satan

Filming Locations:

Bunker Hill, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$720,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph Kaufmann Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marlon Brando was originally offered the role of Lester Blaine

---

Goofs

After Lester puts down Irene's telephone, he calls out her name three times but the second we hear her name, his lips don't move at all.

---

Quotes

Lester Blaine: I like to look at you.
Myra Hudson: You couldn't possibly at this hour of the morning.
Lester Blaine: Oh, anyone can look at you in the afternoon.
Myra Hudson: But I haven't even got my lipstick on! A woman has to wear lipstick. I feel positively naked without it.

---

Connections

Featured in Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star (2002)

---

Soundtracks

"Afraid"
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Lyrics by Jack Brooks (credit only)

User Reviews

Whewwww!

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.