And Sudden Death
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Charles Barton
Randolph Scott
Frances Drake
Tom Brown
Fuzzy Knight
Porter Hall
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Police lieutenant James Knox, chief of traffic, takes a personal interest in repeat speeding offender Betty Winslow. After she and her wealthy family attend traffic school, Betty comprehends the dangers of speeding, but her family continues to drive recklessly. When Betty's car breaks down on the way to a party, James rescues her, and they head toward the party, but first stop at a home for sale and play house, pretending they live there. When they finally reach the party, everyone is leaving. Because her brother Jackie is drunk, Betty insists on driving his car, while James takes the rest of the family. At a police brake-testing site, Betty is warned that the brakes on the car are severely worn, and she is not to drive over 30 m.p.h. Betty and Jackie stop for cigarettes, and Jackie takes the wheel, refusing to let Betty drive. Speeding down a road, he smashes into a busload of children. Bobby Sanborn, a policeman's son, dies on the operating table as a result of his injuries in the accident. Betty takes the blame for the accident and is found guilty of second degree murder and imprisoned. Remorseful about his cowardice, Jackie intends to confess to James. In the meantime, James has determined that Jackie was driving and is relieved that Betty is not guilty. Jackie is unable to confess, however, and runs out of the house away from James. James and his partner pursue Jackie until his car crashes into a bridge and plunges into the water. Just before he dies in the hospital, Jackie confesses. Betty is released and she and James are married.
Director
Charles Barton
Cast
Randolph Scott
Frances Drake
Tom Brown
Fuzzy Knight
Porter Hall
Joseph Sawyer
Oscar Apfel
Terry Walker
Billy Lee
Maidel Turner
Charles Arnt
Jimmy Conlin
John Hyams
Don Rowan
Charles Quigley
Herbert Evans
Fred Blanchard
Harry Depp
John Dilson
Janet Elsie Clark
Hal Davis
Russ Clark
Jerry Fletcher
Sam Ash
Bryant Washburn
Florence Wix
Eddie Dunn
Hal Price
Tom Hanlon
Harry Geise
Robert Littlefield
Eddy Chandler
Earl Pingree
Lee Phelps
William Ingersoll
Howard Mitchell
Hilda Vaughn
Jane Keckley
Edwin Stanley
Dora Clemant
Wilma Francis
Don Brodie
Eddie Fetherston
Lee Shumway
Jack Mack
Crew
Hugh Bennett
A. M. Botsford
Hans Dreier
A. E. Freudeman
Alfred Gilks
Earl Hedrick
William T. Lackey
William Le Baron
Joseph Moncure March
Louis Mesenkop
Harry Mills
Edward Montagne
Theodore Reeves
Madeleine Ruthven
Adolph Zukor
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to Motion Picture Herald, the film was inspired by a furor over J. C. Furnas' essay "And Sudden Death" published in the Literary Digest (18 January 1936), which focussed on automobile accidents. This article is also noted in the Paramount story files at the AMPAS Library. A Daily Variety news item, however, noted that in December 1935, Paramount was unable to match a story to the title and was considering a remake of Cecil B. DeMille's 1922 film, Manslaughter, starring Thomas Meighan and Leatrice Joy, which was based on Alice Duer Miller's novel of the same name (New York, 1921). In 1930, Paramount released a remake of Manslaughter, directed by George Abbott and starring Claudette Colbert and Fredric March (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.3466 and F2.3467). Although the story of Manslaughter has similar elements to this story, it May not have been the source material for And Sudden Death. Hollywood Reporter production charts include Del Henderson, Robert Emmett O'Connor and Robert Homans in the cast, however, their contribution to the final film has not been determined.
