IMDb > Suddenly (1954)
Suddenly
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Suddenly (1954) -- In the city of Suddenly, three gangsters trap the Benson family in their own house, on the top of a hill nearby the railroad station, with the intention of killing the president of the USA.

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   1,832 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Lewis Allen
Writer:
Richard Sale (written for the screen by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Suddenly on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 October 1954 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller more
Tagline:
A cold-blooded thriller!
Plot:
In the city of Suddenly, three gangsters trap the Benson family in their own house, on the top of a hill nearby the railroad station, with the intention of killing the president of the USA. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
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User Comments:
Old Blue Eyes Elevates a B film more (60 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Frank Sinatra ... John Baron
Sterling Hayden ... Sheriff Tod Shaw
James Gleason ... Pop Benson
Nancy Gates ... Ellen Benson
Kim Charney ... Peter Benson III - 'Pidge'
Willis Bouchey ... Dan Carney
Paul Frees ... Benny Conklin
Christopher Dark ... Bart Wheeler
James O'Hara ... Jud Hobson (as James Lilburn)
Kem Dibbs ... Wilson (as Ken Dibbs)
Clark Howat ... Haggerty
Charles Smith ... Bebop
Paul Wexler ... Slim Adams
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
75 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.75 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:Unrated | Finland:(Banned) (1954) | Finland:K-14 (1990) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | USA:Approved (PCA #17058) | UK:PG | West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
Newhall, California, USA more
Company:
Libra Productions Inc. more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Contrary to popular belief this film was NOT withdrawn from circulation at Sinatra's behest, as he had no say in the matter. His own family have gone to great lengths through the years to dispel this popular rumor. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Sheriff Shaw is making the phone call from the railway station, the mouthpiece jumps between an upper and a lower position in the long and close-up shots. more
Quotes:
Sheriff Tod Shaw, Suddenly California: He has to learn that guns aren't always bad, it just depends on who uses them.
Peter Benson III: Tod carries a gun, doesn't he?
Ellen Benson: Yes he does.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Sinatra raconté par le FBI (2007) (TV) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful.
Old Blue Eyes Elevates a B film, 19 September 2006
7/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

I'm at a loss to explain why Frank Sinatra chose this particular project in the wake of all the acclaim he got for From Here to Eternity. Without his presence in the film, Suddenly with its length of 75 minutes on my VHS version would be a B film, even with Sterling Hayden starring in it as the sheriff. My guess is that Sinatra wanted to expand and test himself as an actor, something he did less and less of in the following decade.

The President of the United States is coming to the small town of Suddenly where he will leave the train he's traveling on and proceed by motorcade to a vacation in the Sierras. The Secret Service has come to town to do their usual thing in protecting the Chief Executive.

But three contract killers headed by Frank Sinatra are in town to kill the president. We're never told exactly who is paying for this contract, but the inference is that it is our Cold War enemies. Through a combination of circumstances the sheriff is wounded and the head of Secret Service detail, Willis Bouchey, is killed. And the killers are holed up in Nancy Gates's house with her, her father-in-law James Gleason, and child Kim Charney and the wounded Hayden.

Most of the film is taken up with the wait for the train to arrive where a lot of souls are bared open, including Sinatra's. It's the one and only time that Francis Albert ever essayed the role of an out and out villain. He does it well, but I suspect he didn't want to push it with his public too much, so he never did anyone as evil as this again.

Of course history tells us that the president named Eisenhower at the time never was an assassin's target so we know Sinatra's efforts will fail. However it's rather ingenious as to how it does fail.

I think more than fans of old Blue Eyes will like Suddenly.

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