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Sudden Fear

Sudden Fear

Thriller · Crime · 1952

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?

Movie details

Sudden Fear

“Every Suspenseful Moment... Every Embrace... Every Kiss... A Breathtaking Experience!”

1952 Thriller · Crime 1h 52m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.2 / 10

Community rating

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?

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Sudden Fear?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

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The Critic

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Jimmy Erskine is the most feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes and takes pleasure in savagely taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle dies, and his son takes over, Jimmy quickly finds himself at odds with his new boss and his position under threat. In an attempt to preserve the power and influence he holds so sacred, Jimmy strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actress, entangling them and the boss in a thrilling but deadly web of desire, blackmail, and betrayal.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Miller

Written by

Robert Smith · Lenore J. Coffee

Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford

Myra Hudson Blaine

Jack Palance

Jack Palance

Lester Blaine

Gloria Grahame

Gloria Grahame

Irene Neves

Bruce Bennett

Bruce Bennett

Steve Kearney

Virginia Huston

Virginia Huston

Ann Taylor

Mike Connors

Mike Connors

Junior Kearney

Bess Flowers

Bess Flowers

Party Guest (uncredited)

Court is in session

Put Sudden Fear on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.