Sudden Fear

David Miller’s 1952 noir suspense film follows a San Francisco heiress, played by Joan Crawford, whose seemingly secure life becomes entangled with betrayal and murder. Set amid cliffside homes, covertly recorded conversations, doppelgängers, and excursions into the redwood forests, the film explores danger across both physical and social distances, including the tensions of class and gender.

Crawford’s performance presents an unusually complex heroine who is both resilient and vulnerable, while Jack Palance embodies the threat surrounding her. The screenplay is by San Francisco–born writer Lenore Coffee, whose work brings added depth to the film’s woman-centered melodrama.

When: November 7, 2026

Showtime: 7:00 pm

Venue: Harvard Film Archive

Director: David Miller

Cast: Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, and Gloria Grahame

Run time: 110 minutes

Format: 35mm film, black and white

Series: *Visions of a City, Or A Weekend in San Francisco*

Tickets: Price not available