HotToastyRag If you liked The Manchurian Candidate, you're not going to want to miss out on Suddenly. Suddenly is the name of a small American town, but it's also a metaphor for the plot, which is reflected well in Lewis Allen's tense direction and Richard Sale's smart screenplay.Nancy Gates is a widow, trying to raise her young son properly while falling in love with Sterling Hayden, the town sheriff. How can she teach her son that guns are bad, because his father died in the war, but the man vying to become his stepfather uses a gun to keep the peace in town? While that isn't the main plot, it's the underlying theme and the motivation behind her character. The President of the United States is slated to pass through Suddenly as a good-will gesture to small time Americana, and just before his stop, three strangers arrive in town. The leader of the group is Frank Sinatra, and he charms his way into Nancy Gates's home. Then—suddenly—Frank and his gang are holding the family hostage as they prepare to assassinate the president.The film is very tense, and an extremely entertaining ride. I wouldn't bother to pop corn during this one; you probably won't look away from the screen long enough to grab a handful. Frank Sinatra does an excellent job as the slightly-psycho assassin; he's not over-the-top, but he's sufficiently scary so the audience doesn't expect him to start singing. I liked this movie a lot, but if you don't think you'll like seeing Ol' Blue Eyes as the bad guy—even though the movie is in black-and-white—you might want to rent From Here to Eternity instead.

Leofwine_draca Prior to watching SUDDENLY, I had no idea that the 'home invasion' thriller existed before the 1970s. I thought the genre had its origin in gritty films like Sunday IN THE COUNTRY, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, and STRAW DOGS, but it turns out that SUDDENLY had a stab at the genre long before those movies, and just so happened to do a very good job of it too.The film features a snarling, hissable turn from Frank Sinatra who is surprisingly efficient as the cold-blooded hit-man who will do anything to complete his job. The rest of the cast are almost as good in their clearly-defined roles, from the brave but foolish kid whose role is pivotal to the story, to the patriotic grandfather and even the dumb TV repair guy.Sure, SUDDENLY has dated in a few respects, and it's doubtlessly not as thrilling as it once was due to a new threshold in on-screen violence. But British director Lewis Allen really knows what he's doing here and he packs his film with suspense and tension where you never know what violent act will take place next. The last twenty minutes of the piece are particularly gripping, rounding off an unexpected gem of a thriller.

Blake Peterson For his entire career, Frank Sinatra remained the skinny kid (and later skinny legend) with a voice that made you believe in God. That voice, that voice, was and is one of the many wonders the entertainment industry has given us over the years. Throughout the 1940s, he was placed in throwaway musical comedies that only continued to paint him as a singer first and foremost — but the 1950s changed all that typecasting stuff.Beginning with his stunning performance in 1953's From Here to Eternity, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, audiences were introduced to Frank Sinatra The Actor; he was no longer just a singer who decided that headlining movies would be a fun side-gig. Today, only the nerdy cinephiles seem to appreciate his stunning acting abilities, while the rest of the world paints him as Old Blue Eyes. Either party will find themselves bathing in a hearty basin of nostalgia, but exploring all of his occupational triumphs is nothing short of astonishment. Singers turned actors were and are never ever this talented.Suddenly continued his "serious actor" path, placing him in a low-budget thriller and having much of the focus lie single-handedly upon him. Like Dial M for Murder, much of the action takes place in a single location — a house in the suburbs — and like The Manchurian Candidate, the assassination of the president may or may not be the climax. At just 77 minutes, it's a tight, to-the-point psychological exercise, giving Sinatra one of his juiciest roles as the assassin. It's an unexpected character for an actor who always played the hero.In Suddenly, Sinatra portrays John Baron, a psychopathic sniper whose arrival coincides with that of the country's leader, who is stopping by the small town of Suddenly, California for a visit. John's intent is to ambush him and successful exterminate him, with payoff. Finding a perfect safe house in the suburbs, Baron and his men hold the Benson family hostage until they meet the point of no return.The film is a minor work in Sinatra's filmography, but it's also an important one. It shows a performer unafraid to explore low-budget but challenging territories, curious about his abilities and willing to see how far he could go. As Baron, Sinatra is surprisingly formidable, managing to make us forget about his charming past and replace it with unbridled fear. Perhaps Suddenly is too stagy for my taste, but it manages to be taut and pulse-pounding when we least expect it. This isn't a film concerned with deep characterizations or in your face action — it is a film about acting, writing, and directing, and how the three characteristics can take you to places you never thought you would have traveled to before. Read more reviews at petersonreviews.com

atlasmb In a town called Suddenly--which might pass for any small Midwestern town--little of note happens. But the normally quiet Mayberry gets more than its share of action and attention on this Saturday.The President of the U.S. is scheduled to arrive via train, so the Secret Service get there first to reconnoiter the train station and the properties that overlook it.It would be a shame to reveal too many details, but some locals get involved in a suspenseful showdown that might easily serve as the basis for a Hitchcock film.I would not call this film noir, but it is filmed in B&W. It is a psychological drama which delves into post-war issues.Frank Sinatra turns in a rare performance as the villain and he's rather good at it. Nancy Gates plays a widow who inadvertently enters the cross-hairs of the villain's plan. She delivers a strong performance as a mother whose primary motivation for living is the protection of her young son.Various political messages can be read into the plot. No matter which subtext one advocates, this is a story about courage. Maternal courage. Patriotic courage. And the behaviors that are often mistaken for being courageous.