Search - Sudden Fear on DVD

Joan's Oscar-Nominated Role!

JGC | 12/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is one of Joan's best films. She made it in the 50's during a slow time in her career after "Mildred Pierce". This was sort of Joan's come-back picture of the 50's. And boy did Joan know how to come back with a vengeance!

Joan plays Myra Hudson (I wonder if she's related to Blanche Hudson?) a successful (and rich) playwright. Myra is re-introduced (she recently fired Lester as lead-actor from her previous Broadway play) to Lester Blaine (played by the very handsome Jack Palance) on a train trip back to her home, from NY.

Myra and Jack soon fall in love and quickly marry. Their marriage seems perfect. Joan's character is an older, successful, beautiful, and highly intelligent women. And Lester wasn't at all intimidated Myra's successes.

...In fact Lester welcomes her success and her money. He soon meets up with his former flame, Irene Neves (played by Gloria Grahame). Irene and Lester plot to murder Myra so they can run away with all of her money.

Myra inadvertently learns of their deceitful plot and thus the title "Sudden Fear" is born! It's now a race against time to see if Myra can sidestep the murder plot.

Joan is absolutely devastatingly beautiful in this picture, and she had such a graceful and elegant presence that always took center stage in this picture. This movie is a must-see for any Joan Crawford fan. I have seen all of her movies and this is right up there with the very best films she made during the 30's & 40's."

Great 50's film noir

D. James | Melbourne, Australia | 02/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This flawless piece of 1950's film noir is only undone by how badly it has been transposed onto DVD. Such a treasure should have been fully restored and digitally transferred yet it seems to have been hurriedly recorded directly from the grainy VHS original and the result is a fine film that just doesn't look right.
That said if you're a lover of great film noir, a fan of Joan Crawford or simply nostalgia itself don't miss the chance to see and own this gem of a movie. Joan was one hard-working and dedicated performer who never 'slummed it' as she used to put it. Forget about all that Mommie Dearest drivel and enjoy the greatest female star of all time's finest hour!"

5 star movie , 1 star copy !! SHAME !!

Thomas Lathinghouse | 01/20/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"i love this movie, but when i watched this dvd version of it, i thought for a moment that my tv was playing up.
the sound and image are dreadfull !!!! adjusting sound and vision on tv doesn't help either, i prefer copying a video tape on dvd myself.
that's not all, nowadays we expect a dvd to come with trailers, documentarys etc.. you know some extras to enjoy the whole surrounding that made the movie. here: NOTHING ! nothing at all
compare this with dvd of "mildred pierce" or "straight jacket"
they come with FAB extras.
this dvd version is done with no effort at all."

Fear with a Twist and then Some

gobirds2 | New England | 02/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a first-class thriller based on the novel by Edna Sherry of an affluent playwright who discovers her new husband is planning to kill her. You see, she done him wrong at an earlier date. Now it's retribution time. But who is outdoing whom? Twists abound. Joan Crawford (Oscar nominated) and Jack Palance (his first Oscar nomination) are excellent. The cast also includes Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Virginia Huston and Touch (Mike) Connors. The effective Black and White cinematography is by Charles Lang (also Oscar nominated). This film also boasts one of Elmer Bernstein's earliest scores. Bernstein has been a leading writer of film scores since the mid-1950s, when his work on THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955) and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) elevated him into the front rank of Hollywood composers. His score for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) made him immortal and launched him into a string of successful Western scores through that decade. However, he highly has been noted for his strong use of solo instruments and his facility with the jazz idiom. 1999's WILD, WILD WEST returned him to his beloved Western."