And Sudden Death was inspired by a Reader's Digest article by Theodore Reeves, which later became one of the magazine's most oft-reprinted essays. The original was a Grand Guignol affair, cataloguing in grisly detail the consequences of reckless driving. The film version avoids this approach, opting instead for a plotline closely resembling Cecil B. DeMille's
Manslaughter.
Randolph Scott heads the cast as dedicated motor policeman James Knox, who sees to it that Betty Winslow (
Frances Drake) is sent to jail for vehicular homicide. But there's something about the case that's not quite right, so Knox conducts an investigation of his own. Sure enough, he finally discovers that Betty was actually taking the rap for her alcoholic younger brother Jackie (
Tom Brown). Only by making the supreme sacrifice is Jackie able to absolve himself of his sins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide