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Sudden Fear

1952

David Miller

Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett ...

7.2

1,285

Film noir. Thriller. Drama Actor Lester Blaine has all but landed the lead in Myra Hudson's new play when Myra vetoes him because, to her, he doesn't look like a "romantic leading man." On a train from New York to San Francisco, Blaine sets out to prove Myra wrong...by romancing her. Is he sincere, or does he have a dark ulterior motive? The answer brings on a game of cat and mouse; but who's the cat and who's the mouse?

	Author	Review
United States	Sheila O'Malley rogerebert.com	"None of this is 'over-the-top.' None of this is 'campy.' It is world-class acting, period."	POS
United States	The New York Times	"Joan Crawford should be credited with a truly professional performance (...) [It] takes quite a spell to get rolling but once it does the acceleration is noticeable and often exciting"	POS
United Kingdom	Tom Milne Time Out	"With suspense screwed way beyond the sticking point, superb camerawork from Charles Lang, and Crawford in nerve-janglingly extravagant form, it's hugely enjoyable."	POS
United States	Pat Graham Chicago Reader	"[It] didn't do especially well on first release; its anomalous success as a revival (in 1987, in 35-millimeter restoration) seemed largely a matter of fidelity to archetype (...) and kitschy iconographic tastes"	NEU
United States	Melissa Anderson Village Voice	"An underseen classic waiting to be rediscovered (...) "Watching Crawford, however, we are transfixed by the intensity of her labor"	POS
United States	Variety	"It is essentially a routine chiller (...) replete with more or less clever gimmicks, but mounted handsomely."	POS
United Kingdom	Allen Eyles Radio Times	"Dramatically photographed by Charles Lang Jr and forcefully acted under the direction of David Miller, the film is always a visual treat. (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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