Sudden Fear

Admission is free. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office opens one hour before the event.

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry

U.S., 1969

This 1969 Newsreel company short captures a fiery feminist play performed at an abortion rally, in which a beauty contestant is “prepared” by family, school and industry for the roles demanded by a sexist society. Produced during Newsreel’s peak years (1968–1972), it exemplifies the collective’s urgent, unfiltered documentation of protest, liberation movements and grassroots organizing beyond the reach of mainstream media.

DCP, b&w, 17 min. Director: Newsreel Collective/Third World Newsreel.

Sudden Fear

U.S., 1952

A riveting Joan Crawford anchors this masterful blend of romance, suspense and noir. As playwright-turned-heiress Myra Hudson, Crawford turns in a tour-de-force performance, transforming from smitten newlywed to cunning survivor when she discovers her husband’s (Jack Palance) murderous plot. Shot on location in San Francisco, the film builds exquisite tension through shadowy visuals, razor-sharp plotting and Crawford’s electrifying emotional range — her face a shifting canvas of shock, hurt and resolve in this rediscovered classic of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The film received Academy Award nominations for Sheila O’Brien’s costume design, Charles Lang’s cinematography and the performances of both Crawford and Palance.

DCP, b&w, 110 min. Director: David Miller. Screenwriters: Lenore Coffee, Robert Smith. With: Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame.

—Public Programmer Beandrea July