For anyone who has never seen ADAM HAD FOUR SONS, I hope
you get a chance to see this one for sure! It will show
on TCM...early hours (check your time zone) TUE morning.

I was born the year this film was made and had always wanted to see it, but the chance never came until it was released on VHS in the '80's. It had disappeared for
such a long time, but once out again, as one of the great classics, it has since been put on dvd, but rarely
is seen on tv...and if you have not seen it, you will see a very different SUSAN, showing her great strength
as STAR MATERIAL in the second lead actress, opposite INGRID BERGMAN.

SUSAN, being my life long favorite actress really took me for a loop when I saw her in this one! Her role as the nasty, evil Hester..was a shocker for me!
One of my favorite roles, because she shows how great she can be as an actress in any kind of role. I feel she stole every scene she was in and you were drawn to her..and only her, every time she came on the screen. But..OOOHHH..IS SHE...BAD!!

I thought it wonderful, that after Susan became a big star, Ingrid Bergman was asked, in an interview, if she had a favorite leading actress. She replied that it had to be SUSAN HAYWARD. She had always admired her work, since they first worked together in this film.

I know I have probably mentioned things here, that many of you already know..but if there are any who did not know some of this..this is probably the film that helped launch Susan out of secondary to leading roles. IT'S THE TOPS!!

Anyone...agree with me on this?? Would love to hear comments on what they thought of Susan in this one!

Hi, Errol:

This is my second attempt to post a message on your comments. Hopefully, this one will post.

I have the VHS of "Adam Had Four Sons" and agree with you that this film probably was the one that opened the eyes of many people in Hollywood regarding Susan Hayward's acting capabilities. She really showed her talents playing the b**ch, Hester. (And don't we love when she plays this kind of role!)

I had read that she and Ingrid Bergman got along well on the film, and Ingrid let Susan show her acting chops, even though it put Ingrid in the background, so to speak. That's the mark of a true professional, which Ingrid Bergman was.

There is a reason some films are called classic, and "Adam" is one of them. It had a wonderful story and an excellent cast, including another favorite of mine, Richard Denning.

HI Gloria...So glad we agree on this film..and what it did to further Susan's career. You are right, too, about
Ingrid Bergman being a true professional and allowing Susan to dominate all the scenes she was in. Other big stars would have not been as nice as Ingrid was toward a fairly newcomer. I think of Barbara Streisand making sure almost every scene Anne Francis was in..(FUNNY GIRL)..was cut from the film before it was released. Too much word getting out about how great Francis was and that she might land a supporting actress nomination for this role. Well, there was nothing left of Anne, once the film was released!

THEN...again...Lucille Ball..with the same problem on comic Madeline Kahn as Agnes Gooch in MAME..so she had her..fired from the film and replaced with someone who would give Lucy...no competition at all!!

I am glad that Susan and Ingrid worked..and got along so well in this classic film. I remember the first time I saw it and sat..with gaping mouth..as I watched bewitching Susan being sooo very...b****y! I actually said, out loud..."OH..YOU...B***H" and then caught myself...thinking...'No..this is SUSAN..NO it's NOT...IT'S HESTER!!' (hA)

Saw "Adam Had Four Sons" on Tuesday for the first time in ages; I agree that Susan was very,very good
as the 'Bitch' and I can't understand why five more
years would pass before she really got a chance to
shine in "Smash-Up". Seems like Hollywood had a blind
spot when it came to her. By the way, in the book
titled " Brooklyn's Scarlett" ( from what I can tell
just a reprint of "Red" ). Gene Arceri states that it
is not generally known that Susan was nominated for
best supporting actress for "Adam"...... perhaps that's because she wasn't, although she certainly
could have qualified to have been so honored. Where
do writers dig up these facts? Ingrid Bergman was a
fine actress but with Susan sharing the screen, she
disappeared-as far as I was concerned.

I actually had the DVD and hadn't watched it yet. Loved it!! Boy oh boy, when Susan played bad she was BAD and I mean great. Only Susan Hayward could come into a home and turn it inside out like that! I also watched I'd Climb the Highest Mountain, one of my grandmother's favorites. I loved the scene where Susan lets the rich woman know her husband is off limits. Classic La Hayward.Those two movies show Susan had acting range. I've seen all but one of Susan's Oscar nominated movies, My Foolish Heart. Please let me know if anyone sees it's playing. I've looked everywhere to buy the DVD but no luck.

HI Elaine...Boy!! The more I hear about this 'shady' book on Susan...the more I wonder..'who' this stupid dude is...and 'where'..is he getting his false info???

NO..Susan was never nominated for supporting actress for
"Adam.." The year was 1941 and here are the list of supporting actress nominees that year:

SARAH ALGOOD..."HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY"
MARY ASTOR..."THE GREAT LIE"
PATRICIA COOLINGE..."THE LITTLE FOXES"
TERESA WRIGHT..."THE LITTLE FOXES"
MARGARET WYCHERLY..."SERGEANT YORK"

THE WINNER...MARY ASTOR..."THE GREAT LIE"

I agree with you, that Susan would have been a great nominee, but feel that she did not have a 'studio' to back her, at that point of her career. "Adam Had Four Sons" was a Columbia picture..and did not receive ANY Oscar nominations. The following year, Susan was working for Paramount in "REAP THE WILD WIND" and United Artists in "I MARRIED A WITCH"...so she may have not been bound to a studio contract, during those years and you usually had to have a studio backing you for the awards.

"Adam Had Four Sons" - An excellent film with a memorable storyline. I've thought often about the lead character and how he had it all, lost it, and then got it back....never give up!

I have never enjoyed the "mean, bad girl" as much as I enjoyed Susan as Hester. I can't even imagine anybody else in that role. Susan completely stole the film.

Paula - If you are a member of netflix, you can watch "My Foolish Heart", and "Sis Hopkins" for free on their "watch instantly"....also you could probably order the dvds from netflix, not sure, but I know for sure that you can watch these films instantly on your computer, and "Sis Hopkins" has been a hard one to find.

Ginger:

Great picture of Susan. Thanks.

Gloria, isn't that a beautiful photo?! I couldn't recall ever seeing it before until I came across it on the internet.