Suddenly (1954) is an American film noir directed by Lewis Allen with a screenplay written by Richard Sale. The drama features Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden, James Gleason and Nancy Gates, among others. The tranquility of a small town is jarred when the U.S. President is scheduled to pass through and a hired assassin takes over the Benson home as a perfect location to ambush the president.
In post-war America, the President of the United States is scheduled to journey through the small town of Suddenly, California. Claiming to be checking up on security prior to his arrival, a group of FBI agents arrive at the home of the Bensons, on top of a hill that looks down upon the station where the Presidential train is due to stop. However, they soon turn out to be assassins led by the ruthless John Baron (Frank Sinatra), who take over the house and hold the family hostage. Sheriff Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden) arrives with Dan Carney (Willis Bouchey), a Secret Service agent in charge of the President’s security detail. When he does, Baron and his gangsters shoot Carney and a bullet fractures Shaw’s arm. Baron sends one of his two henchmen to double-check on the President’s schedule but he is killed in a shootout with the police. Jud (James O’Hara), a television repairman, shows up at the house and also becomes a hostage. Pidge (Kim Charney) goes to his grandfather’s dresser to fetch some medication and notices a fully loaded revolver which he replaces with his toy cap gun.
Baron is confronted by the sheriff on the risks and meaning of killing the President and Baron’s remaining henchman begins showing some reluctance. For Baron, however, these are the very least of his concerns and it soon becomes clear that he is a psychopath whose pleasure comes from killing — who and why he kills being the least of his problems.
A sniper’s rifle has been mounted on a metal table by a window. Jud discreetly hooks the table up to the 5000 volt plate output of the family television. Pop Benson (James Gleason) then spills a cup of water on the floor beneath the table. Although the hope is that Baron will be shocked to death, his remaining henchman touches the table first and is electrocuted, firing the rifle repeatedly and attracting the attention of police at the train station as he struggles to free himself. Baron shoots Jud, disconnects the electrical hookup and aims the rifle as the president’s train arrives at the station, but to his surprise, doesn’t stop (having been alerted to the risk). Ellen Benson (Nancy Gates) shoots Baron in the chest and Shaw shoots him again. Baron’s last words are, “Don’t… please.”
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Directed by Lewis Allen, produced by Robert Bassler, written by Richard Sale, starring Frank Sinatra as John Baron, Sterling Hayden as Sheriff Tod Shaw, James Gleason as Peter “Pop” Benson, Nancy Gates as Ellen Benson, Kim Charney as Peter Benson III (Pidge), Paul Frees as Benny Conklin, Baron’s Accomplice (also TV announcer voice), Christopher Dark as Bart Wheeler, Willis Bouchey as Dan Carney, Chief Secret Service Agent, Paul Wexler as Deputy Slim Adams, James O’Hara as Jud Kelly, Kem Dibbs as Wilson, Clark Howat as Haggerty, Charles Smith as Bebop, Dan White as Desk Officer Burg
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Source: “Suddenly (1954 film)” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 24 September 2012. Web. 15 October 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suddenly_(1954_film).
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The plot was almost unthinkable at the time, and eerily prescient, as it anticipated the JFK Assassination by almost exactly ten years.
Typical fifties repressed society movie over protected one child family and of course I enjoyed it I just hated the fifties as I was a small child at the time and it was oppressive. Really forced nationalism or else Edgar would get you Edgar the cross dresser.
Love This.
Sinatra killed JFK? Of course! Why didn't we see this before? Sinatra hated being slighted.
May be Frank Sinatra`s character was a "Manchurian Candidate".
I would like to see the dress get shorter.yes central I think styles come from what people like and in the early years they had some beautiful things to wear. Because my mother and sisters wore some gorgeous clothing that would definitely look good today . And they get lots of ideals from the past ,for things the beautiful ladies wear today.
Simpler time and place in Santa Clarita, California…
Sterling Hayden. Sounds like a Princeton student.
I watched this movie tonight. Thought it was good due to the suspense.
May I ask, if it is not a secret, what contract you have with the company Egeda for the use of this film? They removed this film ( with 2 subtitles I wrote ) on my channel. And now I have a strike for 6 months.(
i dont know what helen is worried about, the sheriff will never have sex with her…he wont surrender any of his precious bodily fluids
mom shoulda let pidge play with guns…cuz in about 11 years, he is gonna be drafted and sent to nam and he will have to learn how to shoot gooks
Was watching this old movie on HULU, and it was eerily similar!
Is THIS The #Illuminati Warning In 1954 To The Assassination of #JFK
Imagine California in the 1950s, must have looked liked paradise!
Wow! A toy gun! His mom doesn't like guns. Gun violence runs deep
Wow all those people in the room could have jumped Frankie
Frank was a short guy
Sinatra should have won Oscar for this not From Here to Eternity.
great flick, I read where this picture reincarnated Sinatra's career.
A great little movie. An hour and 15 minutes is long enough. [Without being too long]
Not a believable set up. Hayden does a decent job occasionally
Film is an eerie dress rehearsal for assassination of John Kennedy.
Dear manager, this film, belongs to the public domain. Could you pelase read the message I just sent to you?
Dear manager, I sent you a second polite reminder before taking action.
Good film, but it had pretty dark and very eerie undertones alluding to a forthcoming event that happened 10 years later.
Todd the hornie cop and his guns and war movies…hope she stay away fron him
the guy in the car at the start of the movie asked the cop what town is this……couldn't he see the sign read "Welcome to Suddenly" he should have been more observant
From the town, the house looks like it's two or three miles away – from the house, the town looks no more than a couple of hundred yards. Maybe the windows are made of magnifying glass!
A great movie.
If Trump was the President, I would have been on Sinatra's side!!!!!
This is the way towns and cities should be.Decent people , decent towns, decent cities. Thank God Trump is bringing these days back.
I love it!
Sterling Hayden was such a brilliant actor. He appeared in several 'off-beat' films during his career. I always found his work to be of the highest order.