Suddenly (1954)

Suddenly (1954)

starring Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden

directed by Lewis Allen

77 minutes

John Baron (Frank Sinatra), a mob hitman, plans to assassinate the President of the United States during a planned stop in the small town of Suddenly. Baron and a couple of other mobsters, disguised as FBI agents, take over a house that overlooks the train station where the President will arrive. Pop Benson (James Gleason), the owner of the house, an elderly retired Secret Service Agent, lives there with his widowed daughter-in-law and his eight year old grandson.

Baron has everything under control until Sheriff Todd Shaw (Sterling Hayden) and the head of the advance Secret Service detail come to check out the house. The Secret Service agent gets killed and the Sherriff gets badly wounded in a shootout that occurs once they walk in the door. Things get considerably more complicated from there on out.

Thoughts

Not all but a heavy portion of this movie takes place within the house.

James Gleason is a familiar face. I've seen him in at least a couple number of other films: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) and Meet John Doe (1941).

Frank Sinatra is quite good in the role of John Baron. I've seen him in a number of movies including Tony Rome (1967), Von Ryan's Express (1965), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and Guys and Dolls (1955).

Sterling Hayden gets the job done in the role of Sheriff Todd Shaw. I've seen him in a few other movies: The Godfather (1972). Dr. Strangelove (1964), The Killing (1956), The Asphalt Jungle (1950).

Paul Frees plays Benny, one of the other mobsters. He spent most of his career doing voices for cartoon characters including Boris Badenov and Ben Grimm (The Thing).

This movie is to a degree a product of its generation. It may not work for everyone but I think some of the interactions crackle with energy.

I first saw this movie on TV in the 1980s. I enjoyed it then and I enjoyed it now. It isn't perfect but I think it held up quite well to my memory of it. I did not recall all the details or how it ended. There was a certain amount of foreshadowing of a couple elements that play a part in how the confrontation in the house ends up.