In Sudden Fear (1952), Joan Crawford played Myra Hudson, a successful playwright who discovers that her new husband and his lover are plotting to murder her. Directed by David Miller, the thriller follows Myra as she turns the tables on her would-be killers.
Crawford’s Myra is intelligent and resourceful, and she played the role with a controlled intensity that kept the audience on her side. The film’s San Francisco setting and its suspenseful plotting made it one of the most effective thrillers of its year.
Sudden Fear earned Crawford an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and it remains a favourite among her later films — a showcase for a star who could still carry a thriller with authority.