BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

blanche-2 Filmed in Copenhagen, "Hidden Fear" is a 1957 film starring John Payne, Conrad Nagel, and Alexander Knox. It was directed by Andre de Toth, who had seen better days.Payne loved playing tough guys and did a few of this type of film. This was his last before going into television work.He plays Mike Brent, who comes to Copenhagen because his sister is in prison for murdering her boyfriend Tony Martinelli. She swears she didn't do it.In trying to find the killer, Mike stumbles across a counterfeit currency ring. I was a little confused as to where this money ended up. I also don't actually know who killed Martinelli. We do know they were looking for something as Mike's hotel room and Martinelli's apartment were both trashed.There was a lot of punching and knocking people over the head - I'm surprised no one wound up with brain damage.It's sad in a way to see people in this who were former stars in other eras - Nagel way back in the '20s and early '30s, Payne, of course, and Knox who wasn't a huge star but played leads in films. I suppose back then it was a natural progression, particularly in the case of Knox and Nagel, to turn to character roles. Nowadays it seems as though male stars stay on top longer.Really didn't care for it and there's some poetry or some sort of recitation at the end that seemed out of place.

Michael_Elliott Hidden Fear (1957) * 1/2 (out of 4) An American cop (John Payne) arrives in Denmark after his sister is arrested for murdering her boyfriend. It doesn't take long for the cop to realize that there's something more going on and that his sister wasn't behind it. One could argue that I watch way too many movies but what can I say? It's a passion of mine and something that I really love. I alway say my favorite genre is horror and that my favorite kind of movies are those with great acting (those two favorites really never go together) but I think I've seen more mystery, noir or crime films, whatever you want to call them. Each time one is on Turner Classic Movies, it get recorded and watched. Each time one gets thrown on Netflix, it gets watched. HIDDEN FEAR is exactly what you'd expect from a crime film as it features a tough good guy, an evil bad guy and the girl who is part good and part bad. HIDDEN FEAR is without question one of the worst films I've seen from the genre as it features one bad moment after another and in the end it never adds up to anything interesting. One could argue that you should never put logic into a film like this and I usually don't but I simply couldn't get around the fact that this American comes to Denmark and their police just start giving him all sorts of information about the case. This isn't believable for a number of reasons not to mention the fact that he's the brother to a murderer so why would they just release anything to him? Payne seems absolutely bored by everything going on as his performance has no energy and it's hard to tell that he's even alive. His line delivery makes it seem as if he's falling asleep and the supporting players, including Conrad Nagel, add very little. The entire plot is just one big bore and director Andre De Toth adds very little excitement or energy to the material.

MartinHafer This is an odd film noir movie. John Payne's career had changed with the times. Now middle-aged, he stopped playing pretty boys and acted in some very dark films like "Kansas City Confidential", "99 River Street" as well as "Hidden Fear". But, in an odd twist, "Hidden Fear" is set in Denmark! The film begins with Payne's sister being arrested for murder. Naturally she says she didn't do it and since Payne is a cop back in the States, he starts digging around to see what really occurred. His trail soon leads him to some counterfeiters. Payne plays a violent and tough guy--and this is the best aspect of the film. As for the plot, it's just okay--and a bit talky at times. Worth seeing but not at all a distinguished film.By the way, when Payne discovers some fake $100 bills, he describes them as 'Alexander Hamiltons'. Hamilton is on the American $10 bill and Ben Franklin is on the $100 (even back in the 50s). Also, get a load of that carousel in the bar near the end of the film!

GUENOT PHILIPPE I haver never seen an American film noir shot in Danemark before. That's really the first time.The story itself offers no great surprises. Payne plays an American cop who tries to clear his sister of a murder charge. He has to fight against counterfeiters. I must admit that we have already seen this before, a thousand times. Especially Payne who is as hard boiled as ever.But it's a tough thriller, no boring at all with, at the end, a good chase through the country side around Copenhagen.A rare Andre de Toth movie that deserves to be discovered.