IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

It’s interesting how some films become acknowledged classics, while other fall into obscurity. Sudden Fear, a 1952 noir thriller starring Joan Crawford and Jack Palance received four Academy Award nominations (Best Actress: Joan Crawford, Best Supporting Actor: Jack Palance, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White: Charles Lang, and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White: Sheila O’Brien), but it is seldom talked about today. In fact, I had never heard of it, until The Cohen Film Collection performed a 2K restoration and theatrical re-release. While I don’t agree with Francois Truffaut that Sudden Fear is “a masterpiece of cinema,” as quoted on the cover of Cohen’s Blu-ray and DVD release, it is a solid B+ noir thriller that deserves rediscovery.

Joan Crawford stars as Myra Hudson, a somewhat unbelievably successful Broadway playwright, who fires a less than classically handsome actor, Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) during rehearsals for her latest play. After the successful opening of the show, Myra takes the train back to her home in San Francisco (which begs the question, ‘Why does a New York playwright live in California’). Once aboard the train, she not-so-coincidentally runs into Blaine, who does his best to charm her. Before you know it, the middle-aged playwright and the ambitious actor are dating, followed by the inevitable wedding. However, through a fairly obvious plot contrivance, Myra discovers that Lester is plotting to bump her off for her money, with the assistance of his mistress (the always delectable Gloria Grahame).

The greatest compliment I can give Sudden Fear is that I enjoyed it despite the fact that I’m basically allergic to Joan Crawford. Crawford’s overwrought style of overacting has always rubbed me the wrong way, but Sudden Fear had enough in the ‘plus column’ to keep me engaged. I should give props to Ms. Crawford, as she was a producer on the film; and I understand that she was extremely hands-on in the selection of director, cinematographer, and supporting cast. Most of what I liked most about Sudden Fear was largely due to her influence.

Jack Palance has one of his best early showcases in Sudden Fear, getting the chance to play charming, malicious, and even sensual. David Miller’s direction is excellent, with the exception of a couple of scenes, including a brief fantasy sequence, that stray a bit into ‘camp’ territory. Best of all is the cinematography by Charles B. Lang, which ladles on the noir shadows and effectively captures real locations around San Francisco (and occasionally Los Angeles).

You may be wondering why I chose to watch a Joan Crawford movie when I generally dislike her. The answer is Gloria Grahame. Grahame, who is best remembered today as ‘bad girl’ Violet in Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), enlivened many films noir of the classic period with her firecracker personality. I have always found Grahame’s screen presence intoxicating, so I’m on a mission to view all of her films. She is as reliable as ever in Sudden Fear, and she gives the film a shot of adrenaline when she appears at around the 30 minute mark. One wishes she had a bit more screen time, but every second of Gloria Grahame on film is precious.

I do have a few minor quibbles with the picture that keep me from ranking it as a ‘Grade A’ noir. The script, while fun throughout, has a few coincidences that strain credulity. Also, most of the plot twists are foreshadowed so far in advance that it deflates some of the tension the story is trying to build. Finally, the non-verbal climax, during the last 20 minutes of the film, is quite good. However, it would have been even more effective if it had been presented without Elmer Bernstein’s otherwise excellent score. The music detracts from the sound design of the footsteps, tire squeals, and other sound effects.

Overall, Sudden Fear is a very entertaining experience. It can be enjoyed either as a solid ‘woman in danger’ noir thriller or for the camp quality of Crawford’s artificial acting style. Plus, any film featuring Gloria Grahame in a femme fatale role is worth seeking out.

USA/B&W-110m./Dir: David Miller/Wr: Lenore Coffee & Robert Smith (based on a story by Edna Sherry)/Cast: Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Virginia Huston, Mike Connors

For Fans of: If you enjoy Joan Crawford’s florid acting style, either sincerely or ironically, you will like Sudden Fear. It is also an enjoyable thriller, which should be considered essential for noir enthusiasts and fans of Gloria Grahame.

Video: Sudden Fear was originally released on DVD by Kino Lorber in 2003. However, that release was missing about 8 seconds of footage, in which Crawford imagines terrible ways that Palance might stage an accident to kill her. That missing footage has been restored in the new 2K restoration by The Cohen Film Collection. That restoration has been given a fairly strange home video release. A Blu-ray was released in December of 2016, but the corresponding DVD will not be available until January 12, 2021.

I previewed the DVD for this review, so I cannot speak to the video quality of the Blu-ray. However, the DVD transfer was one of the best I have seen. The transfer was as sharp as DVD will allow, and the quality of the print was excellent. I only noticed a couple of minor scratches, and I only saw those when I paused the film. Contrast levels appeared correct and showcased the inky noir cinematography. I imagine that the Blu-ray is marginally better, but collectors can’t go wrong with either release.

The special features are as follows:

• Audio commentary by film historian Jeremy Arnold, author of Turner Classic Movies’ The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter — This is an informative and entertaining discussion of all aspects of the film. Jeremy Arnold is obviously a fan of the film, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
• A re-release trailer produced by Cohen Media Group (embedded above)

Streaming: At the time of this review, Sudden Fear was streaming as part of a subscription to The Criterion Channel and The Cohen Media Channel. The film can also be rented or purchased on Kino Now.

More to Explore: For another ‘woman in distress’ noir, I’d suggest Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster.

Trivia: Joan Crawford did not get along with Gloria Grahame, and the two got into a physical fight on set. It began when Grahame intentionally tried to wreck one of Crawford’s closeups by sucking loudly on a lollipop within earshot of the star.

For More Info: There are numerous books on Joan Crawford, which range from fawning to damning. One of the most balanced is Joan Crawford: A Biography by Bob Thomas. For info on the career of Gloria Grahame, I recommend Gloria Grahame, Bad Girl of Film Noir: The Complete Career by Robert J. Lentz. I was unable to find a biography of Jack Palance that was well-reviewed.