Sudden Fear

Joan Crawford has delicious fun as a playwright who contrives revenge when she discovers her new husband is a two-timing con man plotting her demise with the help of his mistress, in director David Miller's 1952 noir potboiler "Sudden Fear."

Crawford plays Myra Hudson who, in addition to being a successful playwright, is also a wealthy heiress. When Myra gets an actor named Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) fired from the premiere production of her new play because his looks don't suit the role, Blaine takes it personally. Even so, when the two happen to meet on a cross-country train journey, they connect and love blossoms.

Or does it? Once the two are married, it doesn't make long for one of Blaine's old associates -- a moll named Irene (Gloria Grahame) -- to show up in San Francisco, where the newlyweds make their home. Before long, Irene and Lester are working on plans to do away with Myra so that Lester can inherit her money. A sophisticated recording system in Myra's study captures their plans on a wax disc, though, and once alerted to Lester's treachery the playwright puts her imagination to work figuring out how to neutralize the threat Lester and Irene present. But will her flair for dramatic plotting be realized in real life as neatly as on the stage?

This obscure film comes from Crawford's post-"Mildred Pierce" phase, when she'd signed on at Warner Bros. Film historian Jeremy Arnold provides a wealth of fascinating detail, context, and trivia on his commentary track; it helps that he's a fan of the movie, and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Other than Arnold's commentary and a trailer, there are no extras on this beautifully remastered Blu-ray release. But you don't need much more than the movie itself, and Arnold as your guide, to enjoy it thoroughly. Among the Oscar noms the film received was one for cinematography; it's a well-earned nomination. Charles B. Lang's work is lovely on this 2K restoration; Crawford's performance is a treat (and garnered the actress another Oscar nomination), and Palance is nothing short of vividly intense (he also scored an Oscar nomination for his work here).

"Sudden Fear"
Blu-ray
$34.99
http://cohenfilmcollection.net/films/sudden-fear