Joan VS Jack Death Match in Nifty Noir “Sudden Fear” 1952

Jack Palance lights Joan Crawford's fire in 1952's "woman in jeopardy" film noir,
 "Sudden Fear."

I watched Sudden Fear starring Joan Crawford for the first time in years, with renewed interest. The film has grown in reputation in recent decades, what with several high profile film critics championing the film noir flick as a classic. 

Sudden Fear was the first film Crawford made as an independent after leaving her second long term studio contract, this time with Warner Brothers. Like the post-MGM Mildred Pierce, Sudden Fear gave Crawford’s career a shot in the arm. Fear was not in the same league as her biggest comeback with Mildred, but was enough to keep her career going in its 4th decade, especially in 1950s Hollywood, when the studio system was swiftly beginning to wane.

Joan Crawford gets to be glam and serious in the 1952 suspense noir, "Sudden Fear."

What I remembered as a solid star vehicle, is currently called one of Crawford's finest films. Well, I still think Sudden Fear is a solid star vehicle, not a classic, yet admirable in its own right. The nifty noir is not Mildred Pierce, Humoresque, or Possessed by any means, but closer to Crawford's slick star vehicles like Flamingo Road and The Damned Don't Cry. And Sudden Fear is certainly more substantial than camp classics that followed, such as Queen Bee and Female on the Beach. 

Though "Sudden Fear" was filmed on a moderate budget,
these essentials were provided for Miss Crawford's wealthy character.

An expert collection of artists were rounded up for Sudden Fear, a “woman in jeopardy” thriller: director David Miller, skilled with star actors; screenwriter Lenore Coffee, who had worked at Metro with Joan; Sheila O'Brien, Joan's favored designer, for the costumes; cinematographer Charles Lang; and composer Elmer Bernstein for the ominous, booming score. Newcomer Jack Palance was cast as the younger husband, and noir queen Gloria Grahame as the other woman. Bruce Bennett, who had played Mildred Pierce’s first husband Bert, was a good luck charm, as the family lawyer, and Flamingo Road co-star Virginia Huston played Joan’s secretary.

Joan Crawford with Bruce Bennett, Virginia Huston, and Jack Palance in 1952's "Sudden Fear." Huston reminds me of Carole Lombard here.

Many veteran film divas have done a "woman in jeopardy" movie, so it's only fitting that superstar Joan starred in several of this genre. Throughout her film stardom, Crawford’s movies often cast her as adversarial characters toward her leading men, which intensified at WB. And with Sudden Fear, the adversarial became antagonistic, with Joan often fighting for her film life.

While Joan often played working girls and women, which played off her well-known backstory, Crawford loved to play "great ladies" on-screen and labored to be thought of as one off-screen. As Myra Hudson (no relation to Blanche or Jane!), she's an heiress who has found further wealth and prestige as a playwright. The heiress/playwright is so loaded that she plans on leaving her inherited wealth to charity. 

Joan Crawford's heiress/playwright revises her will in hubby's favor, with her
 recorder. And will soon hear back a message from him! 1952's "Sudden Fear."

Crawford is great fun to watch as the playwright planning her life and dictating missives to her recorder in the most dignified of tones, as if she’s giving a sermon. Yet, there's a genuine warmth to her character as the lonely career woman who lets love come later into her life. Just a few years later, Joan herself would find the same, after being single a decade, when she married Pepsi’s Alfred Steele.

Joan Crawford as Myra Hudson, heiress and playwright, in 1952's "Sudden Fear."

When Crawford's Myra has to let the leading contender go from her latest play, the actor leaves in an angry huff. But a "chance" meeting on a train trip from NYC's Broadway back to California's San Fran, they meet again and fall in love. Myra is in seventh heaven, but Jack Palance as Lester Blaine is steadily revealed to be the schemer from hell. 

Stranger on a train, indeed! Jack Palance as Lester Blaine, in 1952's "Sudden Fear."

While Crawford gets to emote up a storm as Myra Hudson, David Miller was an adept studio/star director. He lets Joan give a diva performance without going totally over the top in this taut thriller. Crawford's expressions of loneliness as well as happiness as the betrayed bride are most believable. Joan’s solo scenes in Myra’s study and hiding out in Irene's apartment in climatic scenes are played big, but not to the total point of ridiculousness. Joan uses all her accumulated acting skills and tricks to put this character and story across and got a well-deserved Oscar nomination. Only a few times are there camp moments: Myra's imagining the different ways hubby Lester could kill her while bug-eyed with fear or Joan hiding in terror at Irene's before the finale, sweating like she’s in a sauna, instead of closet. 

Joan Crawford strikes one of her go-to movie poses in 1952's "Sudden Fear."

What I found interesting is that Myra's career as a playwright is a stellar success, but has no romantic life. She is great at creating characters, but not a great judge of character, and is fooled by this actor—and a “charm boy,” at that! Also interesting is that Lester Blaine's shady past is not spelled out. What really did happen at that house on Fire Island, for instance? Lester is a hot head, yet amazingly keeps his cool as he jumps through hoops in Myra's world.

Once the facade is dropped and Myra finds her life in jeopardy, Sudden Fear goes into overdrive as the newlyweds plot to kill each other. How fascinating that the genteel playwright's gut reaction is to fight back with her own plan of murder. Yes, she drops and shatters the recording of Lester's murderous intentions. But I think the authorities would easily believe old money Myra over no-name actor Lester. Hey, film noirs aren't renowned for their believable plotting. So, game on!

Who's zoomin' who? Myra and Lester let the death match begin in "Sudden Fear."

I won't give away the endless twists except to say that when it comes to the finale, Lester and Myra make such a racket in their death match that it's amazing the entire neighborhood isn't awakened by their Tom and Jerry-style chase!

How intriguing that a number of the plot twists hinge on accessories of the day that are now a thing of the past: monogrammed kerchiefs, stationary, and head scarves. In this film noir, everyone smokes like chimneys, have guns tucked in their furs and overcoats, and notes hidden in gloves!

There are also some nods to living legend Crawford's way of life: her overly coordinated wardrobe, ankle strap shoes, and even an extremely organized list of a revenge timeline against her hubby and his girlfriend.

Like Joan Crawford herself, Myra Hudson is very organized, right down to her murder timeline, in 1952's "Sudden Fear."

Jack Palance got his big break with Sudden Fear. As the beginning actor who becomes the husband to older, wealthy playwright, Palance goes from charming suitor to doting husband to brutish opportunist skillfully. Palance is intense, made even more so with his severe facial features. Jack got a Best Supporting Actor nomination, though he was actually the film’s leading man.

Jack Palance, with his intensity and severe looks, was perfect as the villain husband,
in 1952's "Sudden Fear."

As with Myra, Lester Blaine has a dualistic personality. The one he shows to Joan's Myra is sensitive and cultured as the struggling young actor. Quoting Shakespeare, reading to her, and solicitous to her needs, plus letting her monogram everything he owns! Then when scheming with Gloria's Irene, Lester's animalistic, even when he is showing affection.

Irene Neves, Lester’s partner in crime, is played by Gloria Grahame. It just happens that Irene has also changed coasts, from New York City to San Francisco. And with no visible means of support, Irene has started dating a friend of Myra’s family, "Junior," played by a young Mike Connors, here billed as “Touch.”

Gloria Grahame as the vixen of "Sudden Fear" has some of the best lines! Here she is with a very young Mike Connors as her suitor.

Gloria's performance as the sexy, poisonous little Kewpie doll is delicious. Gloria’s a bit of droll comic relief from the glowering intensity of Crawford and Palance. Grahame won a supporting Oscar that year, not for Sudden Fear, but for The Bad and the Beautiful.

The ex-couple re-team for a more drastic plan. Unfortunately, one of their debriefings takes place in Myra's study, which has a state of the art recording system that was left on. The revelation in Myra's library is skillfully done, as is the murder as it's supposed to happen, as opposed to how it really goes down. It's all a bit far-fetched for my taste, but is still great fun to watch. The final scene has Joan walking off into the wee hours alone, as was often the case!

A striking moment by Joan Crawford in 1952's "Sudden Fear," when Myra Hudson sees what she has become. 

A look at Joan Crawford sparring with Jeff Chandler, Female on the Beach:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2023/01/love-is-beach-for-lana-joan.html

One of the many absurdities of FX's "Feud: Bette and Joan" was 70ish
Jessica Lange recreating snippets of Crawford's greatest hits.
For "Sudden Fear," Jessica looks more like Kaitlyn Jenner than Joan!