John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin in 1963. Nine years earlier, a psychopath named John Baron tried the same thing. It happened in a small town and it was … fictional. In ‘Suddenly,’ a film noir from 1954, the bad guy is embodied by none other than Frank Sinatra. The original marketing campaign proclaimed “SINATRA… tears loose with a gun in his hand! SINATRA… out to get the No. 1 man in the nation! SINATRA… as a kill-hungry hoodlum!” On ‘Noirvember 2022’ day 13, Classic Movie Ratings deals with the most serious, and in my opinion the best, cinematic performance of his career, the story and other characters.
Baron underestimated the family of ex-secret service agent Pop Benson (James Gleason). He, his daughter-in-law Ellen (Nancy Gates) and grandson Peter (Kim Charney) are held hostage as their home is a convenient spot for a shot with a rifle … They get assistance from town sheriff Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden) and TV technician Jud Kelly, which also end up in the killer´s trap. A dangerous game of cat and mouse begins …
Sterling Hayden is a well known face in the industry. He also played Johnny Clay in ‘The Killing (1956)’. Another famous noir. His role in ‘Suddenly (1954)’ is very straightforward. A typical patriotic US sheriff who does anything to serve his country.
Widow Ellen Benson (Nancy Gates) is the good soul of the house and tries to teach her son Peter (Kim Charney) the best possible manners, as well as keeping him away from guns …
James Gleason´s portrayal of retired special agent Pop Benson is a treat.
Rating:
‘Suddenly (1954)’ reached the ‘Breathless Heights‘ on the ‘Rating Mountain:‘
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One Response
Like many actors Sinatra would have a few duds in his movie making history. However this wasn’t one of them. It’s not an easy movie to find these days, or maybe it never was. I haven’t seen it in over thirty years but his psycho way reminds me a tiny bit of Richard Widmark in KISS OF DEATH. Just a tiny bit 🙂