Suddenly
Directed by Lewis Allen
Written by Richard Sales
1954/USA
Libra Productions Inc.
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Ellen Benson: Don’t you have any feelings?
John Baron: No, they were taken outta me by experts.[/box]
How can something be a film noir if it takes place in broad daylight? This is more a cross between a thriller and an apologetic for the National Rifle Association. Frank Sinatra keeps it interesting though.
The setting is Suddenly, a small town in the USA where everybody knows everybody else. The sheriff, Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden), is sweet on a war widow, Ellen Benson. She is still grieving her dead husband and isn’t having any. The widow’s son “Pidge” is longing for a cap pistol but his mother refuses to let him have toy guns or watch war movies. The sheriff thinks the boy should learn that guns are not so bad and buys it for him.
The sheriff gets a cable saying that a train carrying the President of the United States will make an unscheduled stop in the town and be driven to a nearby lodge. He mobilizes the state police. Shortly thereafter, a group of Secret Service agents arrive. They are going to check every building on the President’s route. The widow’s home is on a hill overlooking the train station and must be checked as well. It turns out that her father (James Gleason) is an ex-Secret Service agent.
Before they can do this, three men arrive at the Benson home, claiming to be FBI agents. They are doing pretty well until the sheriff and one of the Secret Service men arrive. After they shoot the agent dead and wound the sheriff, they admit to being there to assassinate the President. The leader of the paid assassins is John Baron (Frank Sinatra) who says he got his taste for killing in the war and was awarded with the Silver Star. As time goes on, it becomes clear that he was eventually discharged from the service on a Section 8 for mental problems. What is the plucky band of hostages to do? You can be sure that somewhere along the way everyone will learn the value of firearms.
Do not be fooled by any lists claiming that this is a film noir. It actually has the feel of a 50’s or 60’s TV drama. It gets fairly patriotic in addition to the not-so-subtle firearms message. But Sinatra is pretty good in a role way outside his comfort zone and it keeps moving at a good pace. On balance, I liked it.
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