Susan Harrison
Susan Harrison | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 26, 1938 Leesburg, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 2019 (aged 80)[1][2] Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Boston University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1956–1963 |
| Spouses | Joel Colin (died 1976) Cassius Conger (died 1999) |
| Children | 3, including Darva Conger |
Susan Stewart Harrison (August 26, 1938 – March 5, 2019)[3] was an American actress, most famous for her appearance in the 1957 film noir classic Sweet Smell of Success as the sister for whom Burt Lancaster has an unhealthy affection, and in The Twilight Zone episode "Five Characters in Search of an Exit".
Early life
Harrison was a graduate of the High School of Performing Arts in New York City.[4] She attended Boston University, studying under Peter Kass,[4] who directed her in the role of Abigail in Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
Career
Her professional debut was in the live television drama Can You Coffeepot on Skates?, presented in 1956. This was followed by television appearances on Matinee Theatre and Alfred Hitchcock Presents and her cinematic debut in Sweet Smell of Success opposite Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. Harrison said in 2011 that Kass had introduced her to writer Clifford Odets which she believed factored into her casting as well as well ans all her training and added of shooting: "Everyone was always there. There were constant, daily around-the-table discussions, revisions, changes. Everyone was welcome to their input. It was the most democratic... and even I was invited and even asked what I thought... it was a good way to work. I'd never seen it done that way."[5]
On October 19, 1957, she opened on Broadway at the Bijou Theater, playing "the Girl" in William Saroyan's new play The Cave Dwellers to uniformly good reviews.[6][7][8] The following year she was in the Playhouse 90 production of In Lonely Expectation, which brought her to the attention of Rod Serling and led to her role as the ballerina in the iconic Twilight Zone episode. She had several later television and stage roles, most notably in an episode of the television show Bonanza, "Dark Star" in the first season, episode 31 (1960). In 1960 she played Ruby, the female lead, in the little-seen film Key Witness with Jeffrey Hunter and Dennis Hopper.
Personal life
She was the mother of Darva Conger, who starred in the reality television show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? Harrison had two other children, D. H. Colin and Daniel Colin.[4] She died in a nursing facility in North Hills, California, on March 5, 2019 at the age of 80.[9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Sweet Smell of Success | Susan Hunsecker | |
| 1960 | Key Witness | Ruby |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Star Tonight | Dorsey Mitchell | Season 2 Episode 36: Can you Coffeepot on Skates? |
| 1956 | Matinee Theater | Episode 156: Fight the Whole World | |
| 1959 | Playhouse 90 | P.J. | Season 3 Episode 26: In Lonely Expectation by Mayo Simon |
| 1960 | Bonanza | Tirza | Season 1 Episode 31: Dark Star |
| 1961 | The Light That Failed | Maisie | TV film based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling |
| 1961 | The Twilight Zone | The Ballerina | Season 3 Episode 14: Five Characters in Search of an Exit |
| 1961 | Follow the Sun | Linda Tait | Season 1 Episode 9: The Hunters |
| 1961 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Susan Harper | Season 6 Episode 31: "The Gloating Place" |
| 1963 | Breaking Point | Martha | Season 1 Episode 12: Millions of Faces |
References
- ^ Conger, Darva. "Death announcement". Instagram.
- ^ "Susan HARRISON Obituary – Panorama City, CA". Dignity Memorial.
- ^ Bartlett, Rhett (April 15, 2019). "Susan Harrison, 'Sweet Smell of Success' Actress, Dies at 80". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ a b c Lentz, Harris (November 6, 2020). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2019. McFarland. p. 181. ISBN 9781476679785 – via Google Books.
- ^ Susan Harrison Eddie Muller 2011 interview
- ^ Atkinson, Brooks "A Sunny Tale" The New York Times, Monday, October 21, 1957
- ^ Aston, Frank "Saroyan Eyes Little Lives" New York World-Telegraph and Sun, Monday, October 21, 1957
- ^ Watts, Richard, Jr "William Saroyan Returns To Us" New York Post, Monday, October 21, 1957
- ^ Susan Harrison, ‘Sweet Smell of Success’ Actress, Dies at 80
External links