Sudden

 

 (imdb)

SUDDEN FEAR-1952-Playwright Myra Hudson (Joan Crawford) doesn't think the lead actor in her new play, Lester Blaine (Jack Palance) is right for the role and has him fired. Later, they meet on a train. After dinner, dancing and smoking cigarettes they have a fling. He almost leaves her but she changes his mind and they get married. They seem happy until Irene (Gloria Grahame), a woman from Lester's past shows up. It soon becomes clear Lester wants more than love from Myra. Soon she finds evidence that Lester with the help of floozy Irene want to do away with her. When the evidence is accidentally destroyed, Myra comes up with an intricate plan to thwart the macabre duo. 

Suspense filled film noir directed by David Miller (LOVE HAPPY (1949)) with great performances all around. Crawford (also one of the exec-utive producers) was nominated for a best actress Academy Award (her last) and Palance got a best supporting nomination. Also with Bruce Bennett, Mike “Touch” Con-nors and in smaller roles Arthur Space, Bess Flowers and Selmer Jackson. It's based on a novel by Edna Sherry.

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Anna May Wong (New Named Blog)

 

 (wikipedia)

DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI-1937-Lan Ying Lin (Anna May Wong) wants revenge on the smugglers who killed her dad when he threatened to expose their gang leader Frank Barton (J Carroll Nash; known for playing phony Asians) and his thugs (including Buster Crabbe and Anthony Quinn) who deal in illegal aliens. She tries to find out the identity of the mysterious Hartman (Charles Bickford) and his dealings in human traffic. Federal agent Kim Lee (Philip Ahn) goes undercover to discover the big boss, who turns out to be a seemingly kind and caring rich woman, Mary Hunt (Cecil Cunningham) whose chauffeur turns against her and helps stop her. 

This Paramount production is one of those unique features that has 2 actual Asian actors in the leads! Anna May Wong also made WHEN WERE YOU BORN? the same year and later would find decent roles hard to come by. Director Robert Florey manages to rise above the mundane story line to make this a great but forgotten vehicle for Wong.

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 (wikipedia)

Crazy Marshall

DAIL 1119-1959-Usually good guy Marshall Thompson is great as a psychotic killer out for revenge on a psychiatrist (Sam Levene; the same year he created the role of Nathan Detroit in the original Broadway production of GUYS AND DOLLS) who he believes is the cause of all his trouble. In reality it was the shrink’s testimony that saved him from death row!


Thompson holds some customers of a gin mill bar hostage while he negotiates with the police. The customers include Keefe Braselle, Leon Ames, Virginia Fields and Andrea King. William Conrad is Chuckles the bartender.

Director Gerald Mayer made a few more movies than moved over to TV directing episodes of THRILLER, MANNIX, THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and many others. He died in 2001.

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Point Blank

POINT BLANK-1967-Lee Marvin stars as Walker, a bank robber whose partner (John Vernon) double crosses him during a heist leaves him for dead and even steals his wife (Sharon Acker) in this violent action drama from British director John Boorman. Walker survives of course and seeks revenge plus his cut of the heist. Lloyd Bocher and Carroll O’Connor are mob bosses. Angie Dickenson is Walker’s sister in law who takes up with him after his wife commits suicide. It seems no matter how many people he kills or how much destruction he wreaks Walker just can’t get his money.

Keenan Wynn is a police officer that helps out. Sid Haig is seen briefly as a bodyguard. Also with Michael Strong James Sikking and Kathleen Freeman. Marvin starred in THE DIRTY DOZEN the same year and was in Boorman’s HELL IN THE PACIFIC the next year. Boorman made this two years after CATCH US IF YOU CAN. It’s based on a Donald Westlake novel.

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