Susan Slept Here
| Susan Slept Here | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Frank Tashlin |
| Produced by | Harriet Parsons |
| Written by | Steve Fisher (play) Alex Gottlieb (play and screenplay) |
| Starring | Dick Powell Debbie Reynolds |
| Music by | Leigh Harline Richard Myers |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Musuraca |
| Editing by | Harry Marker |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 25, 1954 |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Susan Slept Here is a 1954 romantic comedy film (Technicolor) starring Dick Powell (in his last film role) and Debbie Reynolds. It was based on the play of the same name by Steve Fisher and Alex Gottlieb. The film's plotline was later used again by director Frank Tashlin for 1962's Bachelor Flat.[1]
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[edit] Plot
Mark Christopher (Dick Powell) is a successful thirty-five-year-old Hollywood screenwriter who has suffered from partial writer's block since winning an Academy Award and has been unable to produce a decent script. One Christmas Eve, he receives an unexpected and very unwanted surprise present.
Vice cop Sergeant Sam Hanlon (Herb Vigran) brings Mark seventeen-year-old Susan Landis (Debbie Reynolds). Susan had been abandoned by her mother and was arrested for vagrancy. Not wanting to keep her in jail over the holidays and aware that Mark was interested in writing a script about juvenile delinquency, the kindhearted cop decides to bend the rules (much to the disapproval of his partner) and offers to let her stay in Mark's luxurious apartment until her arraignment the day after Christmas.
Mark is naturally appalled, but is eventually persuaded to take the girl in. This doesn't go over too well with Isabella Alexander (Anne Francis), a demanding senator's daughter whom Mark has been dating for years. Isabella's jealousy grows when Susan develops a crush on Mark. Mark's secretary Maude Snodgrass (Glenda Farrell), his best friend Virgil (Alvy Moore), and his lawyer Harvey Butterworth (Les Tremayne), do their best to keep the situation under control.
When Harvey lets slip that Susan will likely serve three or four months in a juvenile detention facility, Mark impulsively takes her to Las Vegas and marries her. The marriage, he explains to his friends, will last for just long enough to convince the judge that Susan has made good. The love-struck Susan has other ideas. With the encouragement and support of Maude, who still regrets leaving her childhood love behind for a career in Hollywood, Susan fights to make the marriage permanent. She refuses to sign the annulment papers.
When Susan is seen eating strawberries and pickles, Mark's friends assume the worst: that she is pregnant. Susan eventually confesses to Mark that she just likes that combination. Mark has his own confession: he is in love with his wife.
[edit] Cast
- Dick Powell as Mark Christopher
- Debbie Reynolds as Susan Beauregard Landis
- Anne Francis as Isabella Alexander
- Alvy Moore as Virgil, Mark's assistant
- Glenda Farrell as Maude Snodgrass
- Horace McMahon as Sergeant Monty Maizel
- Herb Vigran as Sergeant Sam Hanlon
- Les Tremayne as Harvey Butterworth, Mark's lawyer
- Mara Lane as Marilyn, Mark's neighbor
- Maidie Norman as Georgette, Mark's maid
- Rita Johnson as Dr. Rawley, Harvey's psychiatrist
- Ellen Corby as Coffee Shop Waitress
- Benny Rubin as Sylvester the janitor
- Barbara Darrow as Miss Jennings, Dr. Raleigh's secretary
- Sue Carlton as Coffee Shop Cashier
[edit] Award nominations
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Best Music, Original Song Hold My Hand and for Best Sound, Recording (John Aalberg).[2]
[edit] References
- ^ "Bachelor Flat Review by Fernando F. Croce". Cinepassion.org. http://www.cinepassion.org/Reviews/b/BachelorFlat.html.
- ^ "The 27th Academy Awards (1955) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/27th-winners.html. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
[edit] External links
- Susan Slept Here at the TCM Movie Database
- Susan Slept Here at the Internet Movie Database
- Susan Slept Here at AllRovi
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