Suddenly (1954)

Director:

Lewis Allen

Writer:

Richard Sale (written for the screen by)

Release Date:

September 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

SINATRA... tears loose with a gun in his hand! SINATRA... out to get the No. 1 man in the nation! SINATRA... as a kill-hungry hoodlum!

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.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Police | Widow | Gun | Small Town

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Beradino	...	Trooper (uncredited)
Richard Collier	...	Ed Hawkins (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Driver Asking Slim for Directions (uncredited)
Ted Stanhope	...	Driver Asking Tod for Directions (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Iz Kaplan (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Desk Officer Burg (uncredited)

Directed by
Lewis Allen

Writing credits
Richard Sale		(written for the screen by)

Produced by
Robert Bassler	....	producer

Original Music by
David Raksin

Cinematography by
Charles G. Clarke		(director of cinematography)

Film Editing by
John F. Schreyer		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Frank Paul Sylos		(as Frank Sylos)

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Makeup Department
Willard Buell	....	makeup artist
Lois Murray	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Charles Hall	....	production manager (as Charles R. Hall)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Klein	....	assistant director
Erich von Stroheim Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Irving W. Sindler	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joe Edmondson	....	sound recorder (as Joseph Edmonson)
Del Harris	....	sound editor (as Delmore Harris)
Win Hancock	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis DeWitt	....	photographic effects
Jack Rabin	....	photographic effects
Herman E. Townsley	....	special effects (as Herman Townsley)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Gough	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jack Masters	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Doris Drought	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Libra Productions Inc. (presents)

Distributors

• United Artists (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (as A United Artist Release)
• Roan Group, The (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Hollywood Classics (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Take 2 Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Master Movies (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Platinum Disc (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• BFS Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Music Département Vidéo (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Gotham Distribution (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Delta Expedition (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Laserlight Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• BFS Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• BFS Video (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Vintage Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Cosmopol-Filmverleih- und Vertriebs-K.G. (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Best Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD) (made in EU)
• Finnkino (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Hal Roach Studios (1986) (worldwide) (all media) (Colorized version)
• Hal Roach Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Treasures (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #17058) | UK:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1954) | Finland:K-14 (1990) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | Germany:12 (DVD) | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Unrated | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company:

Libra Productions Inc.

Trivia:

In the colorized version Frank Sinatra (Ol' Blue Eyes) is given brown eyes.

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.

Quotes:

[first lines]
First Driver:Officer, can you tell me the way to Three Rivers?
Slim Adams:About two miles to the first main intersection, then turn left. It's about sixty miles.
First Driver:Thanks, what town is this?
Slim Adams:Suddenly.
First Driver:Suddenly what?
Slim Adams:No no, that's the name.
First Driver:[laughs] That's a funny name for a town.
Slim Adams:Uh huh, hangover from the old days; that's the way things used to happen here, suddenly.
First Driver:I see.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Cinema Snob: Mother's Day 2010 (#4.13)" (2012)

Great

When I started to watch this movie I didn't think it was going to be any good. How wrong! I've seen lots of Frank Sinatra movies and I never liked any of them, because I think he is a terrible actor in all those movies (and that goes for films like "From Here to Eternity" and "Some Came Running", which the critics always claim to be "wonderful - come on!). BUT in this one he is GREAT, just GREAT - his best performance, perfect. The movie is quite good as well. Simple, but good. And those close-ups on Sinatra's face are always right were they should be to create the dramatic effect perfect for the situation. Watch it! It's good, and doesn't bore you because it doesn't go on and on and on like most films nowadays about somebody wanting to kill the president of the USA.