"Suddenly" Disc Plaza Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Image Entertainment

directed by Lewis Allen
USA 1954

"Suddenly" is a peaceful small town in Southern California. Nothing ever happens but one day the local police are notified that a train carrying the President of the United States, on a re-election campaign tour, will be making a brief stop in their little hamlet.

As expected, security is stringent as FBI agents comb the area to see that every precaution is taken to ensure the President's protection. A car draws up at the home of a family whose house overlooks the station at the very point where the President's train will stop. A trio of men headed by John Baron (Frank Sinatra) announce themselves as FBI security men and proceed to enter the house. Eventually the genuine FBI agents turn up and are shot by Baron. The family realizes that he is a paid assassin preparing to shot the President! He and his henchmen hold the family hostage at gunpoint as they await the arrival of the presidential train.
As the hours pass, Baron's pathological personality becomes more pronounced while the family try, unsuccessfully, various ways to outwit him and his men. The killer's plans have been carefully laid and as the train approaches. The tension mounts and it seems that nothing can prevent the impending murder of the nation's leader.

Suddenly is an obvious attempt at eroding any pacifist leanings. It uses and targets women as the weak link in the chain of vigilant security. The young mother Ellen Benson (played by Nancy Gates), has lost her husband in Korea (fighting the communist menace) and consistently attempts to keep her son Pidge (Kim Charney) from playing with guns. The strong father-in-law opposes this and the mother is portrayed as a simple un-worldly female unaware of the threats that society is consistently exposed to. From this standpoint the film is a true classic of pro-war propaganda and 'defense of country' with nationalistic intent. You can almost hear in the narrative " The commies could be everywhere". A fascinating and obvious piece of cold-war fear mongering - out of

NOTE: Sinatra made two films with a plot revolving around a Presidential assassination (the other being The Manchurian Candidate), but Suddenly became infamous when it was learned Lee Harvey Oswald had watched the film just a few days before he shot President Kennedy. After learning of this, Sinatra had the prints removed from circulation.

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Theatrical Release: October 7th, 1954 - USA

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DVD Comparison:

Disc Plaza Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC

(Disc Plaza Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - RIGHT)

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Distribution	Disc Plaza Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:15:45	1:12:09
Video	1.32:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 2.35 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.7 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Disc Plaza
Bitrate: Image
Audio	English (2.0 mono)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)
Subtitles	None	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Disc Plaza / Platinum Disc Corporation Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.32:1 Edition Details: • Includes "The Man With the Golden Arm" DVD Release Date: June 1st, 1999 Keep Case Chapters 6	Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment (Hal Roach Classic division) Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Liner note page with poster DVD Release Date: May 18th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: 8
Comments:	The Disc Plaza edition has the lowest bitrate I have ever seen (2.35 mb/s) and is fraught with problems - aspect ratio adjustment (stretched horizontally), contrast boosting, cropped etc. Now the Image Disc is not perfect have a blue-ish haze over the picture, but it is miles better - sharper and superior contrast. Neither disc, unfortunately, has any extras, but the inexpensive Disc Plaza (aka Platinum) has the inclusion of another Sinatra classic 'The Man With the Golden Arm" and it is in better condition than "Suddenly". There are many Public Domain issue DVDs of "Suddenly" and this Image DVD will be the best of the lot. A true classic noir that we encourage you to watch! *- Gary W. Tooze*

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(Disc Plaza Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - RIGHT)

NOTE: The Disc Plaza release has huge combing issue with scene frame shifts.