Sudden Fear

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The Homme Fatale in Sudden Fear

See, Im not the kind of man who can live on his wifes money.

Were twenty-four minutes into the film Sudden Fear when we realize that the main male character, actor Lester Blaine played by Jack Palance is rotten, and its this knowledge that acts as a suspense builder in this taut noir filma tale of greed, adultery and murder. Up to this point, weve just suspected Lesters intentions, but now our doubts are proved correct. Sudden Fear, a woman-in-jeopardy noir with Joan Crawford playing heiress, Myra Hudsonis the tale of a woman who may meet a foul end at the hands of her deceptive, less-than-loving husband, Lester. For a large chunk of the action, Myra is oblivious to her husbands ...

You know what happened to Nietzsche?

Sudden Fear is directed by David Miller and adapted to screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee and Robert Smith from the novel written by Edna Sherry. It stars Joan Crawford, Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame. Music is by Elmer Bernstein and cinematography by Charles Lang Jr.

"Miss Hudson, in your own native city of San Francisco, there's an art gallery in the Legion of Honor in which there's an oil painting of Casanova. It's quite obvious that you have never seen this painting. For your information, Miss Hudson, this is what Casanova looked like. He had big ears, a scar over one eye, a broken nose, and a wart on his chin, right here. I suggest, Miss Hudson, that when you return to San Francisco, you visit ...

Joan Crawford and Jack Palance both turn in strong performances in this dark tale of ambition and betrayal. Crawford is great portraying a middle-aged playwright who bumps Palance off a play she has written. On a train journey, however, they meet again and we start a sequence by which he ingratiates himself and marries her. Soon we discover that Palance has been in cahoots with girlfriend Gloria Grahame and they have desires on his new wife's considerable fortune. When Crawford announces plans to leave much of her cash to charity; they hasten their plans but she finds out and devises a clever plan of her own. There is plenty of jeopardy, right until the end of this gripping, tense and superbly scored (by Elmer Bernstein) film noir.