Hello everyone,

I have a clipping in my possession from the Palo Alto Times, California dated October 10, 1956 with a picture of Susan and a fan - Donna Colton aged 16.
(I am afraid I can't send the picture at this time as my scanner is in the repair shop and I am only just back on line after a couple of weeks with computer out of action and having enjoyed a tour of Ireland.)

"Her Devotion pays off.
P.A. girl, "super" Susan Hayward fan, invited to view filming of new picture.

To say 16-year old Donna Colton of Redwood City is a Susan Hayward "fan" is to venture a masterpiece in understatement, considering :
That for four years the collecting of Susan Hayward photos, the viewing of her movies and the dogged pursuit of Susan herself have been the teen-ager's very life.
THAT SHE has seen one of the actress' latest films, "I'll Cry Tomorrow" 29 times - and will see it again if she gets the chance.
That with the patience and care of a historian she has chronicled Susan's life pictorially in a 125-page scrap book which caused even the actress to gasp a bit when she saw it.
Donna's quest of the sultry screen star paid off last month in an event the pretty theater usherette won't soon forget - a three-hour visit with the actress on the set of her latest movie "Melvin Goodwin, USA"
(which we all know was re-titled "Top Secret Affair") in Hollywood.

THE TEENAGER explained that with the aid of friends and an extra helping of determination, she was able last year to bring the hefty scrap book to the attention of Susan's publicity agent, Stanley Musgrove.
Donna then finagled tickets to the Academy Awards presentation and made a point of introducing herself to the acress, who in turn promised to have the teen-ager made her guest at a future film-making.
Month followed jittery month in the waiting period that followed, broken only by a telephone call from Musgrove suggesting that Donna might like to become president of the Richard Egan Fan Club.
FEARING a "no" answer would endanger relations, she accepted.
And sure enough, Donna's dream of four years came true last month. She was invited to visit Susan on the stage set.
"She was just wonderful" Donna later recalled. "So gracious and nice."
Her adoration of the acress anything but dimmed, the teen-ager is getting ready to start another scrap book. I've got over 1,000 pictures (most of them clipped from movie magazines) I haven't used yet."
MEANWHILE, Donna is finishing up her senior year at Sequoia Union High School with an eye to entering San Jose State College next year."

So much for the "cool" personality of Susan when the word had a much different meaning! How wonderful for this young girl to actually meet our lovely Susan. I know we all wish we had been able to have the same opportunity (Errol - you are the lucky one in having
actually met Susan.)

So here we all are, all these many years later - still adoring this wonderful personality that was Susan. I wonder what happened to Donna - maybe someone reading this can bring it to her notice.
I hope you all enjoyed seeing this as much as I did.

Trish

PS The address of Donna's father at the time was : Douglas Colton 75 University Avenue, Palo Alto and her mother was Mrs. John G. Annus of 1687 Hampton Avenue, Redwood City.

What a great read Trish!

Thanks for posting it.

I can certainly relate to that 16 years old Susan Hayward admiror.

lovely story.


xx

Phil.

Hi, Trish. I'm still alive. Hope you are, too. Living in Portola Valley, CA. I was looking up info on Stanley Musgrove and up popped your communique to Susan's fans and PA Times letter. Email me if you want to get in touch. It was fun reading the article as my copy has long been lost. I donated the scrapbook to the motion picture museum in Hollywood, so don't know its current status.

I am now dealing with TCM/Bonhams to put my script of "I'll Cry Tomorrow" and the program of the 28th Annual Academy Awards, both autographed by Susan, up for auction. I wanted to make sure that those items were not tossed on a junk heap in future. I am keeping the two autographed publicity photos you talked about, but would eventually like to find a home for them also. Susan also sent me a brief note when our visit had to be postponed for one week and I still have that. She was so sweet and so kind to me.

Regards,
Donna

Thanks.

Donna Colton

Sent from my iPad

Donna,

How wonderful to see your response to Trish! I hope she will see your note soon.

I will email her and tell her that you replied to her post, so hopefully she will respond soon.

I think I may have seen that article at one point in time. Maybe Trish had shown it to me.. not sure, but I'll look back in some of my old correspondence, and if I find it I will scan and post it.

That is pretty amazing that you connected with the message board.

Thank you for posting!

Ginge Haydon
http://www.susanhaywardclassicfilmstar.com
http://www.facebook.com/SusanHaywardClassicFilmStar

Hello Donna,

What a lovely surprise to hear from you. The Internet is really amazing.
We were all so thrilled to read the article from when you were a young girl and visiting Susan on the set.

I have written you a personal e.mail and look forward to hearing from you,

All Best Wishes,

TRISH