Suddenly

Suddenly (1954) is Lewis Allen's black-and-white noir thriller, free to watch online on iFILM. Word reaches a sleepy California town: the President of the United States will roll through by train. Right behind that news, three armed men walk into a house on the hill.

The man leading them is John Baron, played by Frank Sinatra — not the smooth crooner but a cold, twitchy killer hired for a single shot. Baron takes over the home of widow Ellen Benson because its windows look straight down onto the depot. Sheriff Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden) ends up trapped inside with the family, counting the minutes to the train. The whole thing runs a tight 77 minutes and barely leaves one living room.

This is a lean, nervy picture that rides on Sinatra cast hard against type; film buffs still point to it as a sharp early example of low-budget noir. If you like tension in a confined space with little blood spilled, set the evening aside. Stream Suddenly (1954) online on iFILM.