BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

Chronicle (Levin), 3 January 1948, Page 7

BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

C OURAGEOU S SUSAN PETERS At the time Susan was the victim of a hunting accident ' on New Year's Day, 1945, she was one of the brightest and most popular of Hoilywood stars. Her appearances. in "Random Harvest" and "Song of Russia" were greeted with hurrahs and made tlie' theatre box offices very busy. When Susan was injured and for a while lingered between life and death, millions of fans held their breath. Front page news Stories reported daily on the acr tress' condition. This beautiful girl was too brave to die, and, although she was paralysed from the waist down, and knew she must spend the rest of her Ijfe in a wheelchair, she fought to reeover. Encouraging letters, telegfiams, and gifts from her fans poured in to her Hoilywood home. Knowing that her fans were behind her, Susan fought valiantly to get well. Through the long two and a-half years, Susan kept up her courage. She refused to become an. invalid. As soon as her condition permitted, she began to do radio shows. Photoplay magazine assigned her to write a series of Hoilywood bylines on the stars who are her friends. Wire features, pictures and interviews on Susan steadily kept her before a public that demanded to know in detail how she was progressing. Susan was neyer permitted to wonder whether the fans wanted her back on the screen. The deluge of mail informed her that millions of people were anxious for her return. But Susan wanted to come back to motion pictures in just the right story. A great dramatic story. She searehed and searched, until she came across Margaret Ferguson's best selling novel, "The Sign of the Ram," and then she knew the quest was over, for the book is full of drama and excitement. There is a ready-made audience of millions waiting for Susan-s reappearance on the screen. "The Sign of tli.e Ram" provided Susan with the role of a young matriarch. She plays the part entirely in ' a wheelchair, but the rushes indicate that this won't preVent her from being a candidate for an Academy Oscar when the awards next come round. Sarah Bernhardt continued acting after she lost a leg. . Dfspite .paralysis, Jane Frolaian ancl'Coniiie Bo'swell continued to be big -stars. • And Ihe art of Susan Peters- just a,swsufely dominates her landicap, 1