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Customer Reviews of Susan and God

"Susan" is Odd
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.)

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Joan Crawford In An Enjoyable Non Traditional Role
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.

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WORTH A LOOK
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!