Customer Reviews

Susan & God [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

George Cukor's Susan and God has a couple of things going for it. First the subject matter, religion, which is not treated in depth but provides material for a satire of spiritual faddism circa 1940. Second, Joan Crawford before her late-phase bulldozer style had taken over entirely. Crawford plays a thoroughly silly rich matron whose latest fling with a self-analytic cult becomes her crusade, much to the chagrin of her family, friends and household staff. Of course her conviction runs just about as deep as her makeup. The movie's priceless line is delivered by housekeeper Marjorie Main who, taking Crawford's exhortations that they're equals quite literally, purrs an insolent "Suuuuuusan" back at her.

This film is an odd one in Joan Crawford's MGM films, but entertaining and well worth viewing for one of Crawford's better, more carefully thought-out performances. Originally purchased for Norma Shearer (who balked at playing the mother of a teenager), this dramatic comedy provides a fine framework for one of Crawford's few successful comedy portrayals. Widely faulted at the time for too closely copying Gertrude Lawrence's stage performance (in the same role), today it is apparent how much originality and commitment Crawford brought to the part of Susan, a flighty upper-crust socialite hell bent on bringing her newfound religious enlightenment to her family and friends, with disasterous results. Frederick March turns in a fine, delicately shaded performance as Susan's long suffering husband who is driven to drink by her fecklessness. This is a first rate MGM production of its day, with stunning costumes and brilliant supporting players. Majorie Main, as Susan's down-to-earth housekeeper, almost steals the film and Rose Hobart gives a brilliant, tense performance as Susan's unhappy best friend. This film has often been overlooked by fans and critics alike, but it offers many delights and highlights excellent contributions by George Cukor, the director, and the rest of the MGM production team. The subject (born again religious mania) is rather an odd one for Golden Age Hollywood to have touched on at all, but it is handled with care and Susan, in the end, emerges a wiser, happier woman. No Joan Crawford fan should miss it!

Because religion coupled with sophisticated comedy was such an unusual subject for the Hollywood of 1940 to dabble with at all, this little movie is a curio. This film, which is based upon Rachel Crother's comedy of manners is not really in Joan Crawford's range; supposedly, she failed to provide the charm that Gertrude Lawrence reportedly gave the role on Broadway. When Crawford is being intellectually frivolous, it's merely tiresome. The director, George Cukor and the scenarist, Anita Loos, must certainly have been aware of the problem, because Loos supplied some new characters and Cukor lavished affection on the actresses - Marjorie Main and Constance Collier - who played them. Joan plays a woman who finds religion and drives her husband (Frederic March) and friends up the wall with her pious attitudes and newly found graces. Rita Quigley plays her discontented daughter and Marjorie Main steals the show when Susan insists that she (as the housekeeper) refer to her by her first name. Susan enters her summer cottage and asks Main how long ago the new decorating was done. Main replies heartily "About six months ago - SUSAN!!" to a hilariously shocked Joan. While not considered a completely successful transfer of the play, it is untypical for its subject matter and you can see a youthful Rita Hayworth in a supporting role as one of Susan's bewildered victims!

The beginning of the 1940's decade saw the start of the "changing of the guard", at MGM illustrated in the tapering off of the careers of the resident movie queens of MGM from the 1930's, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. In her own effort to retain her position in the MGM pecking order Joan Crawford, long dissatisfied with many of the scripts handed to her, began to actively seek out more prestigious vehicles for her future starring roles. When Norma Shearer turned down the lead in the highly successful Rachel Crother play "Susan and God" which had been a smash hit on Broadway starring Gertrude Lawrence, fearing to play the mother of a teenage girl Joan jumped at the chance and turned in one of her most interesting later day MGM performances. Comedy and religion dont normally go together in 1940's comedy and that is what gives this Crawford vehicle it's own unique interest.

Featuring the only teaming on screen for Joan Crawford and Fredric March this film has two distinct parts to it with the high comedy prominent in the first half being replaced by a more traditional Crawford type dramatic slant in the second. "Susan and God", tells the story of society matron Susan Trexel (Joan Crawford) who after an extended trip to Europe arrives back home in a flurry of excitement over her newly discovered religious beliefs which to all her society friends appear to be just the latest fad embraced by Susan in her normally frivolous existence. Those beliefs based on the idea of a public confession of one's own shortcomings begin however to cause troubles between her jaded society friends and more importantly within her disfunctional home life with husband Barrie (Fredric March) and daughter Blossom (Rita Quigley). Susan's meddling in her friend's married life also causes problems between Hutchie (Nigel Bruce) and his much younger wife Leonora (Rita Hayworth in an early role). Susan however is no shining example of the advise she so piously dispenses and she experiences a complete estrangement from her normally loving husband who has been driven to drink by her repeated lack of care, and from her daughter who is socially withdrawn and simply wants a loving home environment with both parents. Barrie sees that Susan's religious pontificating is simply another of her wild schemes for attention and like all she does has no sincerity or lasting value below the surface gloss. Being the loving father that he is however Barrie decides to ask Susan for the sake of their daughter to begin a new life together again. Agreed to reluctantly at first by the superficial Susan, as time passes she begins to realise the real damage that she has caused over the years to those closest to her by her self centred attitude. Seeing the real hurt she has been responsible for Susan begins to realise that running away from her responsibilities is not the answer or the way of finding the personal salvation she has been talking so much about. Seeing the total lack of any real love in her immediate family circle Susan does an about face and begins to make a real effort to really practice what she has been preaching so lighly to all and sundry since her return.

This most unusual topic of the detrimental effects that religion has on a family was a theme rarely explored in Hollywood at this time and it is a pity that this film, like the celebrated stage play it was based on have been largely forgotten with the passing of time. Directed by veteran George Cukor who always worked well with strong female performers and with Joan in particular as seen in their next film together the classic "A Woman's face", here he has a difficult task on his hands with an essentially unsympathetic and unlikeable lead female role that somehow must being able to logically reform as the story progresses. It reveals the much larger range that Joan Crawford was rarely allowed to show in her MGM years and her change from shallow society queen out for more attention into a mature and reflective individual thinking of others for the first time really is a stunning showcase for her by now experienced talents. The gifted Fredric March has the far less colourful role here of the husband who is largely a victim of Susan's latest caprices however being the strong actor he is manages to make something of his weak character who gains inner strength and purpose. Rita Hayworth was beginning to emerge at this time from her years as a "B" movie actress and her scenes reveal the glowing freshness that became so much of her later appeal. Rose Hobart and Ruth Hussey as Susan's friends Charlotte and Irene also make most favourable impressions in their scenes dealing with Susan's latest wild schemes, Hussey in particular excellent in the love scenes she shares with Fredric March.

Backed up by the expertise in every department that one comes to expect from MGM this film nowadays certainly has curiosity value for it's unorthodox subject matter and largely non traditional role undertaken by Joan Crawford. It revealed her talents in full bloom backed up by solid direction and great attention to detail. I recommend this different Crawford vehicle made just prior to the end of her legendary career as a top star at MGM.

Susan and God is the story of a quarreling superficial woman from high society (Joan Crawford) and her alcoholic husband (Frederic March). When Susan returns home from Europe babbling about God and how enlightened she is, her friends recoil in annoyance. Her husband sees it as an opportunity for them to patch up their severed relationship. The two bet each other that if Barrie does not drink, the two will stay in their summer home with their daughter Blossom (Rita Quigley) and try to live as man and wife.

The film focuses on how hypocritical some Christians are, that most of the time it is the loudest that behave the least Christ-like. It is certainly an interesting, modern topic, and one that Joan Crawford would not be expected to play the lead in. This may be one of the roles originally intended for Norma Shearer that Crawford managed to take away. Nonetheless, Crawford is very good and believable in the part. March is very good and likable with his understated performance. Rita Hayworth also makes a small early appearance.

This is one of the "Archived Warner Brothers Collections" films pressed into a DVD format.

Without giving, away too much, Joan Crawford as Susan Trexel, is a rich, spoiled, sort of a ditz-brained "eccentric." She is stricken quite suddenly with having `seen the light,' so off she goes into a religious conversion, into which she drags her entire entourage, husband, child, friends and acquaintances, imposing upon them a life altering experience. However, hold on, this is not St. Paul Struck from his horse by the thunder of God; it is scatterbrain Susan, off on only the latest of her romps. Her much suffering (from neglect) husband, friends and their loves, affairs, what have you, is also massively to minutely affect by her peccadillo `le choix du jour'.

Crawford coveted this role and she put her career on the line, as, as many men and women of talent in the old studio days did, she blurted out to Warner, "I'd play Wally Beery's grandmother if it's a good part."

WB, took her at her word and handed her a witty, dramatic part, with a superb cast: Fredric March, Ruth Hussey, John Carroll, Nigel Bruce, and the very young `Rita Hayworth.' Crawford thus battled her way into a part made famous by Gertrude Lawrence on Broadway, a very brave, and calculated move on Crawford's part. One misstep by Crawford under the stress of competing with the flawless handling of Susan Trexel's persona (by Gertrude Lawrence) would most likely doom her own career.

However, it appeared that Warner Brothers believed in Crawford, because they backed her up with a strong investment, great supporting actors, a great director- George Cukor, with screenplay by Anita Loos, from the Play by Rachel Crothers, which paid off nicely and lifted her from the sleazy shop-girl, chorus girl parts in which they continued to cast her, into true stardom. I saw this film as a kid at a local theater, which in summer often played old film classics.

Crawford (real name Lucille Fay LeSueur on March 23, 1905 in San Antonio) followed this film with most of her very best parts in movies like; A Woman's Face (1941) as Anna Holm, When Ladies Meet (1941) as Mary 'Minnie' Howard, They All Kissed the Bride (1942) as Margaret J. 'MR.' Drew, Reunion in France (1942), as Michelle 'Mike' de la Becque, Above Suspicion (1943), as Frances Myles, Mildred Pierce (1945), as Mildred Pierce Beragon, Humoresque (1946), as Mrs. Helen Wright, Possessed (1947) as Louise Howell, Daisy Kenyon (1947), as Daisy Kenyon, Flamingo Road (1949), as Lane Bellamy, The Damned Don't Cry (1950), as Ethel Whitehead, Harriet Craig (1950), as Harriet Craig, Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) as Agatha Reed, This Woman Is Dangerous (1952) as Elizabeth 'Beth' Austin.

Crawford and Warner both profited well from her rebellion from the studio game of type casting purgatory. It is a witty, sometimes serious movie and Crawford does well in a role a bit apart from her previous studio contrived pattern.

Marketing Prediction!
The only misgiving I have about Warner Brothers marketing this series of old films at $25-$29 each (and some pot boiler B movies, labeling them as "Classics" which some of them, are quite definitely NOT), is that whomever now has the Warner Copyrights for these older films, is vastly overcharging for these conversions to the DVD format. The market right now is dying and soon DVD's, Blue Ray and other formats trying to entice silly spenders to throw out their DVD players, will find that the market for downloads will soon put all manufactured products of this sort, including CD's, out of business.

This movie is not well-known and certainly not in some of Joan Crawford's usual style later on, but she is light, comical and shows herself off with a great supporting cast. Frederic March is great, as always. This little known classic is a bit of clean entertainment and my family loved it!

In "Susan and God", Joan Crawford plays Susan Trexel, a wealthy socialite who returns home from Europe, not to her husband, whom she wants to divorce, but to her friends, eager to tell them about her religious awakening. She's full of love for other people, she says, but it's obvious to everyone (except herself) that she's still extremely self absorbed. Her religious fervour seems to be a new way to become the center of everyone's attention. She's not really interested in trying to save her marriage or to devote any time to the daughter she hasn't seen in a long time.

While Susan is the center of the story and the most influential person in the lives of the people around her, we don't get to meet her until after we've been introduced to just about everybody else, including her long-suffering alcoholic husband Barrie (Fredric March) and her neglected daughter, Blossom (Rita Quigley), and they're the ones we really get to care about, as we realize their happiness depends on whether Susan will undergo some real (as opposed to her present self-righteous) personal transformation or not. Everybody in the cast do a great job. Crawford is a bit theatrical in the way we (or at least I) like about her, and March and Quigley are very likable. The story is interesting but a bit too slow paced, with too many minor characters; some of them could have been eliminated without losing much depth in the story and the pace would have been better.

"Susan and God" is not a great film, but worth watching for fans of the cast.

This is one movie that I'm not overly crazy about. I hate it when Joan's in a movie and she's not the center of attention and she's almost just there to liven things up and capture an audience. Even though the story was built around her character it seemed like she was missing in action for most of the movie (in both mind, body and spirit.) My favorite scene was towards the beginning when Susan made her grand entrance on the speed boat. This movie reminded me of "When Ladies Meet" which is another one that I'm not too crazy about. Excepts for perhaps "Strange Cargo" most of her later MGM pictures weren't nearly as good as the ones she made after or before them. The actor who played her husband in this was certainly no Clark Gable but nevertheless Joan still tries to give it her best shot.

From the second she steps off the boat for a weekend with her society friends, Joan's "Susan" is a glittery whirling dervish of newfound religious enthusiasm, much to the dismay of her still-jaded companions. Susan's misguided attempts at converting these "worldlings" are the high point of the movie. The excellent supporting characters, played by Ruth Hussey, Nigel Bruce, Rose Hobart, and Rita Hayworth, et al, are all wittily horrified at her meddling in their personal lives, and these scenes zip along with style and verve.

Joan doesn't really have a light comedic touch here, as someone like Carole Lombard might have brought to the role; rather, her Susan is quite high-strung, jittery, feral even---never, even in her earlier flapper roles, have I seen her this jumpy, and her rapid-fire delivery and intensity in these early scenes is decidedly unusual for her and will probably be especially fascinating for Joan devotees.

Things do slow down in the movie's second half once Susan's relations with her alcoholic husband (Fredric March) take center stage, and the storyline then shifts to focus on the rather trite lesson Susan must learn that "family comes first." Not a knock on March, or Rita Quigley, who plays their daughter Blossom---both are quite subtle and sensitive as the neglected family members. It's just that Susan's earlier repartee with her friends is much more interesting than seeing Blossom, er, blossom under Susan's newly discovered mothering skills. Director George Cukor also seems to lose a bit of steam in the second part of the film --there are several scenes and shots that linger too long without purpose.

Overall, though, I'd definitely recommend -- a "10" for the snappy first half, and "6" or so for the duller but still well-acted second half. (With kudos, as always, to the cantankerous Marjorie Main as the family's surly, sassy housekeeper.)