Suddenly (1954 Film) - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

When the film was released, New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther, liked the direction of the film and the acting, writing, "Yet such is the role that Mr. Sinatra plays in Suddenly!, a taut little melodrama that... shapes up as one of the slickest recent items in the minor movie league... we have several people to thank- particularly Richard Sale for a good script, which tells a straight story credibly, Mr. Allen for direction that makes both excitement and sense, Mr. Bassler for a production that gets the feel of a small town and the cast which includes Sterling Hayden, James Gleason and Nancy Gates." Crowther especially liked Sinatra's performance. He wrote, "Mr. Sinatra deserves a special chunk of praise...In Suddenly! he proves it in a melodramatic tour de force."

The staff at Variety magazine also gave the film a good review and praised the acting. They wrote, "Thesp inserts plenty of menace into a psycho character, never too heavily done, and gets good backing from his costar, Sterling Hayden, as sheriff, in a less showy role but just as authoritatively handled. Lewis Allen's direction manages a smart piece where static treatment easily could have prevailed."

More recently, film critic Dennis Schwartz also reviewed the film favorably, writing, "Lewis Allen (The Uninvited) directs this fast-paced crime thriller, a minor film written by Richard Sale, about a violent incident that interrupts the tranquil life of a middle-class family and changes their life significantly. Frank Sinatra stars and delightfully shows up for the part, while Sterling Hayden helps with a fine supporting role performance and the gritty 80-year-old James Gleason provides some laughs for this grim narrative...What I liked best was that Frank Sinatra wore a fedora throughout, even indoors. It's interesting to note that it was filmed years before the Kennedy assassination, but there are many similarities between the Sinatra character and Lee Harvey Oswald."