Suddenly
A train carrying the president of the United States is scheduled to make a stop in the small town of Suddenly, California. Claiming to be part of the FBI detail checking up on security before the pres…
Suddenly
A train carrying the president of the United States is scheduled to make a stop in the small town of Suddenly, California. Claiming to be part of the FBI detail checking up on security before the president's arrival, three men (Frank Sinatra, (Christopher Dark and James Gleason) arrive at the home of the Benson family: Ellen (Nancy Gates), an over-protective war widow, her young son "Pidge," (Kim Charney) and her father-in-law, "Pop" Benson (James Gleason). The house is on top of a hill overlooking the station, making it a perfect perch from which to shoot the president. However, it soon becomes clear that the men are not Government agents but assassins, led by the ruthless John Baron (Sinatra), who take over the house and hold the family hostage. Sheriff Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden) arrives with Dan Carney (Willis Bouchey), the Secret Service agent in charge of the president's security detail. When he does, Baron and his gangsters shoot Carney dead and a bullet fractures Shaw's arm. Baron straightens his arm and lets him go to the bedroom where Mrs. Benson puts his arm in a sling. All are threatened that Pidge will be shot if they do not keep quiet and Baron boasts about the Silver Star he won in the war for killing a large number of the enemy. He explains that he has nothing against the president but is being paid $500,000 to kill him and money is his only motive. He has already been paid half up-front. Pop had broken the TV earlier and phoned the TV repair man, Jud (James O'Hara), who now arrives and is made to join the others. Baron sends one of his henchmen down to the station to check on the president's schedule, but he arouses the suspicion of the police and is killed in a shootout. Meanwhile Pop pretends he has heart pains and sends Pidge to look for pills in his dresser. There Pidge sees his grandfather's loaded service revolver and exchanges it for his toy cap gun. Now the hostages try to appeal to Baron's patriotism, but he makes clear that he has none. But when Baron is confronted by the sheriff on the risks of killing the president, including whether he will ever see his money, Baron's remaining henchman begins to show some reluctance to go through with the assassination. For Baron, however, these are the least of his concerns, and it soon becomes clear that he is a psychopath dismissed from the army for his love of killing. The assassins have mounted a sniper rifle onto a metal table by the window overlooking the tracks. Jud, under the guise of fixing the TV, discreetly hooks the table up to the 5000-volt plate output of the family television. Pop Benson then intentionally spills a cup of water on the floor beneath the table. Although the hope is that Baron will be shocked and killed in this way, it is his henchman who touches the table first and is electrocuted, reflexively firing the rifle repeatedly and attracting the attention of the agents below. Baron shoots and mortally wounds Jud, disconnects the electrical hook-up and aims the rifle as the president's train arrives, only to see it pass straight through. As Baron gapes in surprise, Ellen Benson grabs the revolver from the top of the dresser and shoots Baron in the abdomen, then Shaw picks up a gun and shoots him a second time. Baron dies appealing for mercy. Outside the local hospital in the aftermath of the incident, Shaw confirms to Ellen that Jud "didn't make it." Telling Ellen that he needs to go back to his office, Shaw now makes plans to meet Ellen after church the next day, a proposal she had refused earlier, and they kiss, resuming their courtship. After she leaves, there is a reprise of the opening scene in which a driver stops to get directions and then asks for the name of the town. When Shaw tells him it is "Suddenly," the driver remarks that "that's a funny name for a town." As the driver is pulling away, Shaw says to himself, "Oh, I don't know. I don't know about that."
Suddenly
Crime,Drama,Film-Noir
Film Details
A train carrying the president of the United States is scheduled to make a stop in the small town of Suddenly, California. Claiming to be part of the FBI detail checking up on security before the president's arrival, three men (Frank Sinatra, (Christopher Dark and James Gleason) arrive at the home of the Benson family: Ellen (Nancy Gates), an over-protective war widow, her young son "Pidge," (Kim Charney) and her father-in-law, "Pop" Benson (James Gleason). The house is on top of a hill overlooking the station, making it a perfect perch from which to shoot the president.
However, it soon becomes clear that the men are not Government agents but assassins, led by the ruthless John Baron (Sinatra), who take over the house and hold the family hostage. Sheriff Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden) arrives with Dan Carney (Willis Bouchey), the Secret Service agent in charge of the president's security detail. When he does, Baron and his gangsters shoot Carney dead and a bullet fractures Shaw's arm.
Baron straightens his arm and lets him go to the bedroom where Mrs. Benson puts his arm in a sling. All are threatened that Pidge will be shot if they do not keep quiet and Baron boasts about the Silver Star he won in the war for killing a large number of the enemy.
He explains that he has nothing against the president but is being paid $500,000 to kill him and money is his only motive. He has already been paid half up-front. Pop had broken the TV earlier and phoned the TV repair man, Jud (James O'Hara), who now arrives and is made to join the others.
Baron sends one of his henchmen down to the station to check on the president's schedule, but he arouses the suspicion of the police and is killed in a shootout. Meanwhile Pop pretends he has heart pains and sends Pidge to look for pills in his dresser. There Pidge sees his grandfather's loaded service revolver and exchanges it for his toy cap gun.
Now the hostages try to appeal to Baron's patriotism, but he makes clear that he has none. But when Baron is confronted by the sheriff on the risks of killing the president, including whether he will ever see his money, Baron's remaining henchman begins to show some reluctance to go through with the assassination. For Baron, however, these are the least of his concerns, and it soon becomes clear that he is a psychopath dismissed from the army for his love of killing.
The assassins have mounted a sniper rifle onto a metal table by the window overlooking the tracks. Jud, under the guise of fixing the TV, discreetly hooks the table up to the 5000-volt plate output of the family television. Pop Benson then intentionally spills a cup of water on the floor beneath the table.
Although the hope is that Baron will be shocked and killed in this way, it is his henchman who touches the table first and is electrocuted, reflexively firing the rifle repeatedly and attracting the attention of the agents below. Baron shoots and mortally wounds Jud, disconnects the electrical hook-up and aims the rifle as the president's train arrives, only to see it pass straight through. As Baron gapes in surprise, Ellen Benson grabs the revolver from the top of the dresser and shoots Baron in the abdomen, then Shaw picks up a gun and shoots him a second time.
Baron dies appealing for mercy. Outside the local hospital in the aftermath of the incident, Shaw confirms to Ellen that Jud "didn't make it." Telling Ellen that he needs to go back to his office, Shaw now makes plans to meet Ellen after church the next day, a proposal she had refused earlier, and they kiss, resuming their courtship. After she leaves, there is a reprise of the opening scene in which a driver stops to get directions and then asks for the name of the town.
When Shaw tells him it is "Suddenly," the driver remarks that "that's a funny name for a town." As the driver is pulling away, Shaw says to himself, "Oh, I don't know. I don't know about that.".