Rent Suddenly (1954)
3.6 of 5 from 61 ratings
1h 13min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Nothing ever happens in Suddenly. It's just a small town with small concerns. That is until the President decides to show up. Thus, amid fears of an assassination attempt, the F.B.I. arrive and occupy a local family's home from where they can monitor the arrival of the President's entourage. As the clock ticks down towards the commander in chief's arrival however, we discover that the men from the F.B.I. aren't quite who they say they are. In this intelligent 1954 film noir thriller, Frank Sinatra's electrifying lead performance as psychotic under-cover assassin John Baron demonstrates why he'd just garnered an Oscar for his supporting role in From Here To Eternity. Ably assisted by Sterling Hayden, Nancy Gates, and James Gleason; Sinatra's menacing interpretation of his character and Lewis Allen's accomplished direction squeeze every last bit of tension from Richard Sale's taut screenplay. Alleged to have been viewed by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963, only days prior to the shooting of President Kennedy, Suddenly was subsequently withdrawn from circulation by United Artists at Sinatra's personal request. In the substantial aftermath of JFK's assassination the American public would not see the film again for many years. - Actors:
- Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden, James Gleason, Nancy Gates, Kim Charney, Willis Bouchey, Paul Frees, Christopher Dark, James O'Hara, Kem Dibbs, Clark Howat, Charles Smith, Paul Wexler, John Beradino, Richard Collier, Roy Engel, Ted Stanhope, Charles Wagenheim, Dan White
- Directors:
- Lewis Allen
- Writers:
- Richard Sale
- Studio:
- Sanctuary
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- JFK on Screen
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Reviews (1) of Suddenly
Cracking - Suddenly review by sb
FILM & REVIEW https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047542/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1 Lewis Allen’s cracking paranoid thriller set in the small town of Suddenly. Local Sheriff Todd (Haydon) is informed The Presidents train will be stopping so he can be driven to a remote ranch. Soon the town is crawling with cops and Secret Service Men who have received a tip of an assassination attempt. A retired Secret Service man lives with his widowed daughter in law and grandson in a house overlooking the station and the FBI show up to check it out - except something isn’t quite right. They are led by John Barron (Sinatra) and are in fact the hit squad awaiting the trains arrival. They take the family and the Sheriff hostage and wait for the clock to tick round….. All manner of psychological mind games take place all set within the house - who will crack first? Sinatra is electric in the role - in it for the money but as he reveals more about himself a picture of a cold calculating psycho emerges with all manner of Nietzchien neurosis - it really was a brave career move for him and it’s one of his best performances. Solid support from Hayden and Gates and pre-figures The Manchurian Candidate by several years ……quite superb - 4/5
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