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Ginger's Susan Hayward Message Board: To reach If You Knew Susie by Trish Sharp, click the profile photo at www.facebook.com/susanhaywardclassicfilmstar and you will see the link.

Ginger's Susan Hayward Message Board
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Susan and Bette Davis

I have been reading some quotes from the book :
Bette Davis - An Intimate Memoir by Roy Moseley and was quite surprised to read the following knowing that Susan and Bette didn't quite see eye to eye during the filming of WHERE LOVE HAS GONE.

"Susan Hayward had also produced a couple of performances that Bette said she would have been proud to give - the highest praise she could possibly give to someone else's work".

The quote didn't mention which performances which would have been interesting to know but I would assume would be I Want To Live and I'll Cry Tomorrow.

It has been said that Susan was scared of Bette who could come on pretty strongly but I am pleased to know that Bette did think highly of her and it also mentioned Bette admired Greta Garbo (who was also a fan of Susan's and visited her when she was so ill).

Trish

Re: Susan and Bette Davis

Trish, I doubt if Susan lived for Bette Davis' approval, however, I can see where she might have been somewhat intimidated by the aggressive, outspoken star...well, it's nice to know Bette Davis could find it in herself to come up with something positive toward Hayward.. thanks..

Re: Susan and Bette Davis

Trish: Do you know when Bette Davis made those compimentary comments? Was it before or after she and Susan appeared in Where Love Has Gone?

It is very interesting how some of the biggest stars liked Susan. I include Garbo, Kate Hepburn and Barbara Stanwyck in that category. Those are the ones I know of, but there may be others.

Re: Re: Susan and Bette Davis

Gloria, I remember reading that Ingrid Bergman admired Susan and that they had gotten along well in "Adam Had Four Sons". I have gotten the impression that she and Audrey Totter got along well in "The Saxon Charm."...and of course, Jane Froman, seemed to have liked her very much and appreciated her portrayal in WASIMH.

Re: Re: Re: Susan and Bette Davis

Gloria,

I'm sorry but I don't have any other information regarding dates etc.

I seem to remember reading that Agnes Moorehead was a big fan of Susan's too; also Thelma Ritter spent time at Susan and Jess' home with them. I did read that Jennifer Jones thought a lot of her as well but no further information on that.

Somewhere on the Internet is a letter from a guy who said he had interviewed Robert Wise and asked him who was his favourite star to direct. Apparently, the reply was "Susan Hayward was the best of them all". This is from memory and I wish I had copied it out at the time!

Trish

Re: Re: Re: Re: Susan and Bette Davis

Trish, I saw a short interview with Robert Wise on Turner Classic Movies and he talked about what a pro Susan was..he made very flattering remarks about her.

I had a feeling that she and Thelma Ritter had a good relationship. It spilled over into the film "WASIMH"... thanks

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Lillian Roth also requested that Susan play her in "I'll Cry Tomorrow".

Re: Re: Re: Re: Susan and Bette Davis

Trish:

Robert Wise had great respect for Susan and once said, as quoted in Beverly Linet's book, that "In motion pictures, Susan Hayward is as important a figure as Sarah Bernhardt was on the stage."

Pretty amazing statement, even for our girl.

I did know that Thelma Ritter had been invited to Susan and Jess's home for dinner and always thought one of the reasons was Thelma's Brooklyn roots. I didn't know about Jennifer Jones and wonder if they met while Susan, along with half the female population of the world, was auditioning for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind," which was produced by Jennifer's then husband, David Selznick. Could be.

I also knew that Agnes Moorehead and Susan were close. Agnes was quoted in Linet's book as saying that she was "one of her greatest fans."

We also know that she and Jeff Chandler were very close, as they had been neighbors growing up in Brooklyn.

I remember reading that Susan brought a good friend from Brooklyn out to Hollywood to live with her (and paid her bills) when her friend contracted cancer, later dying. And this was in he midst of the rocky period of Susan's marriage to Jess.

So much for "cold as a polar bear's foot" when it came to those she liked.

Gloria

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Trish:

I misspoke on my previous post; at the time "Gone With the Wind" was made, Selznick was still married to Irene Mayer (Louis B.'s daugher) Selznick, so obviously this is not how Susan knew Jennifer Jones. Maybe somebody else knows?