No One Ever Thinks of Susan Peters

Susan Peters (1921-1952) has a soft spot in my heart. I may have been the only one who participated in the 20 Actresses Movie meme to have chosen her as one of my top faves. Susan Peters had a soft, unassuming quality that made her mesmerizing yet approachable. She was a quintessential 1940's beauty with gentle features, glistening eyes and soft pouty lips. She had an aura of innocence, understanding and sadness that intrigues me. She always manages to fascinate me whenever she graced the screen. Susan Peters worked with big names such as Olivia DeHavilland, Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, Greer Garson and Ronald Colman yet in her own quiet way was never overshadowed by these brighter stars.

Peters had a short-lived career with various films in the 1940s. She started off with small roles in 1940 and 1941 under her real name Suzanne Carnahan. She switched to the more Hollywood-friendly name of Susan Peters and in 1942 made a formidable impression on the industry in her role in Random Harvest (1942), a role which got her a nomination for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. This was the first film I had seen her in and I was immediately drawn to her.

The height of Susan Peter's career was 1942-1944 . Within that time she married film director Richard Quine and folks in the industry saw her as a young star on the rise with lots of potential. She made several films, a few of which got her top billing. In 1944 she filmed Keep Your Powder Dry (1945), a WWII movie about 3 very different young women who join the Women Army Corps (WACS) while the men are off at war. It's a very sweet film about patriotism, love, friendship and self-sacrifice. This just happens to be the favorite of the Susan Peters films I have seen because it showcases her at her most genuine. It also happens to be Susan Peters last hurrah.

Shortly after filming ended, Susan Peters became paralyzed from the waist down, an unfortunate result from a hunting accident, and was wheel-chair bound. Peters made one more film The Sign of the Ram (1948), played Elizabeth Barrett Browning in a stage production of The Barretts of Wimpole Street and was in the 1951 TV series Miss Susan. All of these were valiant attempts to keep her career going despite her disability. However, she went into deep depression, her marriage with Richard Quine ended and her contract with MGM was terminated. She died in 1952 of what most people say was a long, slow suicide in which she lost the will to live and succumbed to starvation.

I often think of what she could have been if the accident hadn't happened, but I don't think her life be overshadowed by her tragic demise. It's really her career and wonderful films that should be celebrated. I hope you will watch one of her films if you haven't already. Luckily, there are several opportunities for you to do this.

Turner Classic Movies (US) is showing 5 of her films in the next few months. Here is the line-up.

Santa Fe Trail (1940) - March 25
Meet John Doe (1941) - April 16
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant (1942) - April 28
The Sign of the Ram (1948) - May 10
Random Harvest (1942) - June 20

Some of Susan Peter's films are on DVD too.

Santa Fe Trail (1940)
Meet John Doe (1941)
Random Harvest (1942)

Random Bits of Miscellany

I'm in the middle of a big project right now for this blog, so haven't had time to post (seems counterintuitive doesn't it?). In the meantime, here are few miscellaneous things I wanted to mention.

1) Decades I Love - This is a new networking site for folks like me who love various decades of the past. It's an interactive community that is just starting up. On it you can upload music, photos, videos, etc. and connect with other old souls. Please check it out! (decadesilove.com)

2) Twitter - I have succumbed to the tweet. Follow me on Twitter (twitter.com/QuelleLove) for various classic film related updates. I'll tweet about articles and blog posts of note, classic film news, new books out on the market, or anything else that strikes my fancy. My tweets will be as relevant as possible. You can also see my latest tweets on the sidebar of this blog.

3) Fred Astaire - There are a couple new Fred Astaire books out on the market. Check them out! As always, I'm taking this opportunity to remind folks of the wonderful picture book, Footwork which is about the childhood of Fred and his sister Adele Astaire.


Puttin' on the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache
written by Peter Levinson
9780312353667
$30.00
St. Martin's
April 2009

Fred Astaire
Icons of America series
written by Joseph Epstein
9780300116953
$22.00
Yale University Press

Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire
written by Roxane Orgill
Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch
9780763621216
$17.99
Candlewick Press

4) Ideal Bite - I've added the Ideal Bite widget to the sidebar. Ideal Bite: A Sassier Shade of Green is a daily newsletter has lots of great tips about how to be more environmentally friendly. I highly suggest you sign up. The widget will update regulary with the latest tip.

I'll be back soon!

Box Set Review: The Sidney Poitier Collection

The Sidney Poitier Collection could have easily been called Sophistication in a Box: Sidney Poitier, or Awesomeness Redefined: Sidney Poitier or my personal favorite: Sidney Poitier Therapy, . They could have just put Sidney Poitier's likeness on the box and had no text at all, and people would know they were in for a treat.

Released during this year's Black History Month, The Sidney Poitier collection highlights this legendary actor in all his glory. Poitier is classy and sophisticated and shines in any role he is given. It is very possible that they could have thrown his worst films in this set and it still would have worked. Instead they assembled a set of 4 gems. This box set contains 4 of his films, 3 of which are new to DVD and all of which are exclusive to the set.


Edge of the City (1957) - Gripping drama about the meaning of friendship. Sidney Poitier plays Tommy, a dock manager who befriends wayward newcomer Axel (John Cassavetes). Axel has a lot of baggage and is trying to get his life back on track by lying about his past. Tommy senses something's wrong and takes Axel under his wing. Their interracial friendship angers increasingly volatile dock manager Charles (Jack Warden). Their friendship is put to the test when it becomes clear Charles wants revenge. This film gets poor reviews, but I thought it was excellent. It's very moving and the final scene is raw and vivid.



A Patch of Blue (1965) - One of my all-time favorite films. Poitier plays journalist Gordon Ralfe, who befriends a young blind woman Selina D'Arcy (Elizabeth Hartmann in her first role). Selina comes from the most dire of circumstances. She has no proper education, no father and her blindness was caused by a cruel accident. She lives in a hovel with her drunk grandfather and hateful mother, Rose (Shelley Winters) who dabbles in prostituion. With Gordon's help, Selina learns the joys of life and becomes more independent, threatening the hold her mother has over her. This one movie is worth the purchase of box set!



Something of Value (1957) - Two young men, of different races, grow up together in 1940's Nigeria. Soon they both learn, that even their close bond could not prevent the inevitable divide that race, society and religion creates between them. Insulted by a white settler, Kimani (Sidney Poitier) becomes vengeful against the settler and his white friend Peter (Rock Hudson). The final straw comes when Kimani's father is put in prison for performing a tribal ritual. Kimani becomes a member of a violent tribe, Mau Mau and Peter finds himself fighting a war against his friend. This is the first classic film I've seen which actually criticizes white, Christian presence in Africa. The film is violent and difficult to watch, but absolutely necessary!



A Warm December (1973) - Melancholy love story of foreigners abroad. Poitier plays widower Dr. Matt Younger, who takes his daughter Stacey on an extended vacation to England. There he sees Catherine (Esther Anderson), a mysterious and elusive beauty who is being chased along the streets of London by mysterious men. Intrigued by her, he helps her out only to have her slip away. Appearances are deceiving and Dr. Younger gets into more than he's bargained for. This is such a sweet movie yet very sad. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good weepy romance.

Purchasing Links
(Because this would look so HOT in your DVD collection)
Barnes & Noble - Borders - TCM Store - Warner Bros. Home Video Store - Amazon