This downright genius film-noir is almost 70 (!) years old, and yet it's still far more intense and suspenseful - according to me, of course - than any thriller made nowadays. Watch and take notes, aspiring scriptwriters! The immeasurably talented cult siren Joan Crawford puts down one of her greatest performances ever, as the wealthy middle-aged playwright Myra Hudson. For her latest stage play, she decides to sack the robust actor Lester Blaine because he lacks the right romantic personality. I can relate to that, since Lester is played by the one and only Jack Palance, and even in his early thirties he pretty much looked like the human version of a demolition hammer! And yet, Lester later succeeds in wooing Myra during a train journey and shortly after they live as a married couple in picturesque San Francisco. At the peak of her marital happiness, however, Myra coincidentally discovers that Lester and his mistress are plotting to murder her. After recovering from the initial shock, Myra uses her playwright skills to turn the tables around. Should you choose to watch "Sudden Fear", prepare to witness near-perfection in every cinematic department. Both Joan Crawford and Jack Palance are amazing, and were righteously nominated for an Academy Award. Add to this a super-intelligent script and Charles Lang's dazzling camera work, and you've got yourself a guaranteed film-noir masterpiece.
Review of Sudden Fear
