Joan Crawford took charge of her career as she aged out of the ingénue roles that propelled her to stardom, developing stories and pursuing properties that offered strong characters for a mature woman. This 1952 film, her first after being released from Warner Bros., features Crawford as middle-aged San Francisco heiress and successful Broadway playwright Myra Hudson, who is wooed by the handsome (and younger) actor Lester Blaine (Jack Palance). They marry following a whirlwind romance on a cross-country train ride and a San Francisco courtship, after which he plots to murder her for her fortune with the help of his mistress (Gloria Grahame). Sudden Fear takes a while to get going but once Lester reveals his true intentions the tension builds nicely, and the screenplay makes ingenious use of a dictating machine as both a plot device and a dramatic element, while also adding a twist of poetic justice. Director David Miller showcases the San Francisco locations to great effect and the moody black-and-white cinematography takes on an inky beauty as the bright outdoor imagery is edged out by the nocturnal prowlings of its protagonists in the third act. Crawford earned her third and final Oscar nomination for her performance and the film also earned nominations for Palance, cinematography, and costumes. Bowing on Blu-ray with a new restoration, extras include audio commentary by film historian Jeremy Arnold. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Sudden Fear
Cohen, 110 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $34.99 Volume 32, Issue 2
Sudden Fear
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