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?

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

A Breathtaking Experience !

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Genres:

Film-Noir | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ehe mit dem Satan

Filming Locations:

250 Beach Road, Belvedere, 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

According to a story told by Jack Palance, Joan Crawford and Gloria Grahame did not get along and got into a physical altercation at one point during the filming. The fight started after Grahame sat on the edge of the set during a Crawford closeup and very obviously sucked and smacked loudly on a lolly pop in an attempt to wind Crawford up. It worked, and Palance noted that the all male crew watched the fight for a few moments rather curiously before stepping in to end it.

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Goofs

When Junior brings Irene to her apartment and refuses to leave, she tries twice to close the door. Each time, a stagehand's hand can be seen reaching for the knob from out in the hall, a common practice on stage sets if a door doesn't latch properly or stay closed.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

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Soundtracks

"Sudden Fear"
Music by Arthur Altman
Lyrics by Irving Taylor (credit only)

User Reviews

San Francisco melodrama starring Joan Crawford

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.