Search - Sudden Fear on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1952 DVD Release: 09/02/2003 Format: DVD - Black and White Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Studio: Kino Members Wishing: 9 Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller

Joan Crawford stars as wealthy San Francisco heiress Myra Hudson, a successful playwright who meets Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) while casting her new play in New York. They meet again on the train ride back, fall in love and marry. Unknown to Myra, Lester is seeing mistress Irene Neves (Gloria Grahame), whom he still loves and has married only for her money. While looking through her study, Irene and Lester learn that Myra has made a will leaving only $10,000 a year to Lester (though if he remarries following her death he receives nothing). Seeing that the will has not yet taken effect, they plot to kill Myra without noticing that Myra's dictating machine is on and recording their conversation. After listening to the conversation and spending a sleepless night, Myra goes to Irene's apartment and steals a gun. Irene then lures Lester to the apartment, intending to kill him. Losing her nerve, she flees the apartment with Lester chasing her. The film has an exciting and surprising climax as all meet unexpectedly during the chase. Joan Crawford gives a fine, if melodramatic performance, and Jack Palance is amazingly effective playing against type as a leading man. Despite a slow start, this is a fine suspense thriller that earned Oscar nominations for Joan Crawford and Jack Palance and a nomination for Charles B. Lang Jr. for his striking black and white photography. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

Joan Crawford - Myra Hudson
Jack Palance - Lester Blaine
Gloria Grahame - Irene Neves
Bruce Bennett - Steve Kearney
Virginia Huston - Ann Taylor

David Miller's psychological thriller Sudden Fear comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. There are neither subtitles nor closed-captions on this release. Although there are no special features on this disc, Joan Crawford fans will find her performance special enough to warrant giving this DVD a look. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide