Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Suddenly

 Suddenly
type
TVTItem
 Suddenly
label
Suddenly
 Suddenly
page
Suddenly
 Suddenly
comment
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Suddenly is a 1954 film noir thriller directed by Lewis Allen and written by Richard Sale. It stars Frank Sinatra, in his first film role after winning an Oscar for From Here to Eternity.Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden), a World War II veteran, is the sheriff of a small California town with the unlikely name of Suddenly. When word comes down that the President of the United States will be making an unscheduled whistle stop at the local train station, Secret Service agents descend on the town and work with Tod to make sure things go smoothly. They take particular interest in a house on a hill overlooking the station. As it turns out, a retired Secret Service agent, Peter "Pop" Benson (James Gleason), lives there, along with his widowed daughter-in-law Ellen (Nancy Gates) and her young son Pidge (Kim Charney).Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Before Tod and the Secret Service can make it to the house, though, three men claiming to be FBI agents show up: John Baron (Sinatra) and his henchmen Bart Wheeler (Christopher Dark) and Benny Conklin (Paul Frees, in a rare live-action acting role). While they claim to also be in town to guard the President, when Tod and Secret Service chief Dan Carney (Willis Bouchey) ring the doorbell, the ruse is revealed: Baron and his men are hired killers, and they've commandeered the house to assassinate the President by firing a high-powered rifle from a window, holding everyone hostage and threatening their lives in the meantime.A moderate critical and commercial success at the time of its release, Suddenly has gained a certain amount of notoriety over the years, not only for having Sinatra playing a Big Bad, but for being eerily prophetic to the JFK assassination, which has led to a number of myths and misconceptions about the film over the years.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_3'); })It has fallen into the Public Domain, and is available in numerous prints (of varying quality) online and elsewhere. A remake, directed by Uwe Boll and starring Ray Liotta as Shaw and Dominic Purcell as Baron, was made in Canada in 2013.
 Suddenly
fetched
2023-02-23T13:11:47Z
 Suddenly
parsed
2023-02-23T13:11:47Z
 Suddenly
processingComment
Dropped link to TheMafia: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Suddenly
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Suddenly / int_1237828f
type
Anyone Can Die
 Suddenly / int_1237828f
comment
Anyone Can Die: Several bursts of gunfire in the film, and the unexpected deaths of Carney, Benny, Bart and Jud the TV repairman dial up the tension quite a bit.
 Suddenly / int_1237828f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_1237828f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_1237828f
 Suddenly / int_19851b86
type
The Sociopath
 Suddenly / int_19851b86
comment
The Sociopath: John fits the bill, but as he gives his Motive Rants, it's revealed that he's quite a neurotic mess, who probably got in over his head with the assassination plot, and he becomes a Nervous Wreck when his plans start to unravel.
 Suddenly / int_19851b86
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_19851b86
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_19851b86
 Suddenly / int_1fb4d915
type
The Stool Pigeon
 Suddenly / int_1fb4d915
comment
The Stool Pigeon: A mortally wounded police informant in Los Angeles tipped the cops off about the assassination plot, allowing the Secret Service to get a head start in setting up protection.
 Suddenly / int_1fb4d915
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_1fb4d915
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_1fb4d915
 Suddenly / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 Suddenly / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: Literally a gun belonging to Pop, which gets used to thwart John at the climax. Also the broken TV set, which gets used as part of an Electrified Bathtub-type trap for the assassins later.
 Suddenly / int_22cf536c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_22cf536c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_22cf536c
 Suddenly / int_372bc105
type
Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism
 Suddenly / int_372bc105
comment
Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Pidge's father died in the war, so his widowed mother (The Idealist) tries to protect Pidge from violence in any form. This includes forbidding Pidge from seeing a violent movie at the cinema, and forbidding him from buying a toy cap gun. Sheriff Shaw (The Cynic) argues that it's ineffective to shield the boy from violence, since violence happens in the real world and allowing Pidge to see that will let him develop a mature sense of right and wrong.
 Suddenly / int_372bc105
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_372bc105
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_372bc105
 Suddenly / int_479d4e5a
type
Would Hurt a Child
 Suddenly / int_479d4e5a
comment
Would Hurt a Child: John repeatedly threatens to kill Pidge if Ellen, Pop and Tod don't comply with his orders.
 Suddenly / int_479d4e5a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_479d4e5a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_479d4e5a
 Suddenly / int_4920f624
type
Hidden Villain
 Suddenly / int_4920f624
comment
Hidden Villain: John points out that he's only getting paid to kill the President, and has no political motivations to do so. He's not even aware of who exactly hired him to do it.
 Suddenly / int_4920f624
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_4920f624
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_4920f624
 Suddenly / int_7464705c
type
Arc Words
 Suddenly / int_7464705c
comment
Arc Words: "You don't have the guts!"
 Suddenly / int_7464705c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_7464705c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_7464705c
 Suddenly / int_7570a10c
type
Bond Villain Stupidity
 Suddenly / int_7570a10c
comment
Bond Villain Stupidity: John could very easily just kill everyone, but he sure loves his Evil Gloating. Tod is Genre Savvy enough to recognize this; he points out that John is way too chatty, and if they keep goading him into giving Motive Rants, he'll get distracted and start screwing up.
 Suddenly / int_7570a10c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_7570a10c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_7570a10c
 Suddenly / int_7a143509
type
Shell-Shocked Veteran
 Suddenly / int_7a143509
comment
Shell-Shocked Veteran: John maybe fits the trope, but it's clear that he had major psychological issues even before he joined the service. Tod susses out the information that, despite his Silver Star, John wound up getting discharged on a Section 8.
 Suddenly / int_7a143509
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_7a143509
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_7a143509
 Suddenly / int_85d24c0b
type
Cutesy Name Town
 Suddenly / int_85d24c0b
comment
Cutesy Name Town: As Slim the deputy explains in the opening scene, Suddenly, California got its name in the Gold Rush years when fortunes were won and lost quickly. But it's a Meaningful Name for the purposes of this story, since many major plot developments indeed happen quite suddenly.
 Suddenly / int_85d24c0b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_85d24c0b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_85d24c0b
 Suddenly / int_898ff050
type
Villain Protagonist
 Suddenly / int_898ff050
comment
Villain Protagonist: Frank Sinatra as John Baron gets top billing and dominates the film.
 Suddenly / int_898ff050
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_898ff050
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_898ff050
 Suddenly / int_943b920b
type
Electrified Bathtub
 Suddenly / int_943b920b
comment
Also the broken TV set, which gets used as part of an Electrified Bathtub-type trap for the assassins later.
 Suddenly / int_943b920b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_943b920b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_943b920b
 Suddenly / int_99fa6bc0
type
Because I'm Good At It
 Suddenly / int_99fa6bc0
comment
Because I'm Good At It: John brags about his prowess in killing people being the reason why he's a hit man, constantly bringing up the Silver Star he won in the war for killing dozens of Germans.
 Suddenly / int_99fa6bc0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_99fa6bc0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_99fa6bc0
 Suddenly / int_9b25aa51
type
Half-Hearted Henchman
 Suddenly / int_9b25aa51
comment
Halfhearted Henchman: Bart and Benny both show some reluctance to follow John's orders.
 Suddenly / int_9b25aa51
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_9b25aa51
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_9b25aa51
 Suddenly / int_9e03dbd6
type
Mr. Fixit
 Suddenly / int_9e03dbd6
comment
Mr. Fixit: At the beginning, Pop tries to fix the TV set, boasting of his expertise with electronic devices. He very nearly electrocutes himself in the process.
 Suddenly / int_9e03dbd6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_9e03dbd6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_9e03dbd6
 Suddenly / int_b2a06892
type
Fourth Wall Psych
 Suddenly / int_b2a06892
comment
Fourth Wall Psych: During a couple of his monologues, John walks up to the front of the frame and looks directly into the camera.
 Suddenly / int_b2a06892
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_b2a06892
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_b2a06892
 Suddenly / int_c868a42a
type
Freudian Excuse
 Suddenly / int_c868a42a
comment
Freudian Excuse: John blames his alcoholic parents for why he's so evil.
 Suddenly / int_c868a42a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_c868a42a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_c868a42a
 Suddenly / int_e13156e1
type
Mama Bear
 Suddenly / int_e13156e1
comment
Mama Bear: Ellen walks a tightrope throughout the story, trying not to agitate John so Pidge won't be harmed. At the end she fires the shot that wounds John, allowing Tod to finish him off.
 Suddenly / int_e13156e1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_e13156e1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_e13156e1
 Suddenly / int_fabd6906
type
Everytown, America
 Suddenly / int_fabd6906
comment
Everytown, America: Suddenly had a wild-and-woolly past, but by 1954 it's mellowed out into one of these.
 Suddenly / int_fabd6906
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_fabd6906
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_fabd6906
 Suddenly / int_name
type
ItemName
 Suddenly / int_name
comment
 Suddenly / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Suddenly / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Suddenly / int_name
 Suddenly / int_name
itemName
Suddenly

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Suddenly
hasFeature
Colorization / int_e5b05ed2
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Cutesy Name Town / int_e5b05ed2
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Film Noir Index / int_e5b05ed2
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Friendly Sniper / int_e5b05ed2
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here / int_e5b05ed2
 Suddenly
hasFeature
Thriller / int_e5b05ed2