Back in November I mentioned a film "Sudden Fear" (1952), a film noir starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame. I got around to watching it yesterday evening,
A good film noir. Crawford relatively likeable for a Crawford film as a wealthy playwright is involved in casting of her new play, Palance does an audition, though Crawford declines to accept him for the role so he leaves the theatre. Later she goes on a train journey and Palance just happens to get on the train and joins her, A rapid romance and they marry. Anyone with a knowledge of 1950s films will know that Palance played baddies at that time and so would know that the Palance character had ulterior motives, And so he did,
The last part of the film is the strongest part and is very stylish, with the cinematography being a bit reminiscent of silent German expressionist films in the use of camera angles, and shadows. Film was in black and white, colour would not have the same effect. The cinematographer was Charles Lang, one of the best, and made many classics (including "The Ghost and Mrs Muir") Lang excelled in the use of chiaroscuro, light and shade.
On a trivia point was one the scriptwriters was was Lenore Coffee and the film was adapted from a story by Edna Sherry
Crawford, Palance and Lang were nominated for Oscars but didn't win.