Interesting article in the great Television Obscurities site on this early soap about a woman in a wheelchair (played by a paralyzed actress) http://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/miss-susan/

Thanks. I'd never read that. Enjoyed hearing a little more about the plot summaries. Poor Susan had such a difficult life.

I didn't even know any episodes of the show were available.

Nor did I, totally stumbled upon it. It really is a sad story, but it was interesting hearing that it seemed to actually do quite well ratings wise. I was looking for info on the brief 70s 1950s set prime time teen drama, Sons and Daughters, and came to that site. Lots of interesting shows (I ever knew there was a late 70s flop called Cliffhangers which showed three serials with cliffhangers each episode...)

There are some promos for Cliffhangers on Youtube. It had Michael Nouri, not so famous for AMC.

MISS SUSAN

March 12,1951-December 18, 1951

Martinsville

Duke Andrews..........

Henry Benson...........

Bill Carter........Mark Roberts

Joan Benson Carter.........

John Croft......Joseph Foley

Edgar Hayes..........

Larry Hughes.........

Bruce Landon........... Robert Courtleigh

Susan Martin Landon....Susan Peters

Chris Martin.......Ralph Robertson

Sam Martin...........Don Hammer

Laura Monroe......Helen Ray

Roger Nystrum.......Robert McQueeney

Mrs. Peck...........Kathryn Gill

Daisy[nurse companion].........Natalie Priest

???????????Gerry Locke

???????????Jon Lormer

???????????Betsy Palmer

????????????Will Wright

If anyone has any old info...let me know, Thanks!

Betsy Palmer later played a friend of Ellen Lowell Stewart on As the World Turns. That was in the 1980s.

Billboard magazine review

Reviewed Wednesday (1), 3 -3:15 p.m.; EST. Sponsored by Colgate- Palmolive Peet, thru the Esty Agency, via NBC-TV.

Producer- director, Kenneth Buekridge.

Writer, William Kendal Clarke.

Cast: Susan Peters, Robert McQueeney, Katharine Grill, Natalie Priest, John Lormer. 

Susan Peters was one of Hollywood's most promising young actresses a few years ago, when a tragic shotgun accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. Since then she has toured the country in The Barretts of Wimpoie Street, and critics readily conceded that today she has more than fulfilled that early promise which brought her an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Random Harvest with Ronald Coleman. In view of Miss Peter's marked acting ability, plus a sensitive clean -cut facial beauty and appealing sincerity, it's difficult to understand why the producers of this across -the -board series didn't come thru with adequate production and scripting.

Admittedly, soap opera, be it TV or radio, must dwell in a never -never land plot wise, but it doesn't have to pursue its course at the leaden pace of this airer. In fact, the sudsers' everything happens to me format usually sparks quite a whirl of emotional activity, if nothing else. Unfortunately though, Miss Susan has nothing to offer beyond the personal magnetism of its star.

Miss Peters plays the role of a retired lawyer, confined to a wheelchair of course, who returns to her home town in the Midwest, only to find that an old family retainer has been arrested for stealing.

 All of this happened on Monday's initial airer, but Wednesday's show didn't move the action along much consisted of a conversation between Miss Peters and the elderly housekeeper, during which the latter rolled her eyes around wildly in an unconvincing plea of innocence, and finally confessed her guilt in an equally unconvincing manner. Utterly unconvinced, of course, was Miss Susan, who will presumably delve deeper into the matter on future airers. With absolutely no help from script or cameraman, Miss Peters was forced to do some eye -rolling herself at times in an effort to convey a bit of mute motivation. The tenser could well take a squint at the "hands" technique used on the Kefauver hearings for a lesson in how to inject an illusion of mobility, via a variety of dramatic close -up gimmicks.

Colgate's animated cartoons for Fab and Ajax Cleanser seemed more sprightly than usual, when contrasted with the show's static pacing, 

Summary of July 3 1951 episode

 

 Sam takes Susan's nephew Chris out for a sundae so that Susan and Bruce may have some time to themselves. While playing Ping-Pong, Susan and Bruce declare their love for each other. In addition, Susan informs Bruce that Laura will be leaving town. Meanwhile, Henry Benson is visited by Duke Andrews, who takes a great interest in Henry's mistress, Andrea Blake.

 

Cast listed

• Susan Peters
• Robert Courtleigh
• Don Hammer
• Josef Draper
• Ralph Robertson
• Arnie Freeman
• Elaine Ellis
• Nina Lord

Edited February 5, 20179 yr by Paul Raven

 

This is off-topic from Miss Susan, but it follows a statement made on this thread.

 

The NBC show, Cliffhangers, featured a number of daytime performers:   Stop Susan Williams (starring Susan Anton) featured in the cast Michael Swan (One Life to Live, As the World Turns), Marj Dusay (All My Children and Guiding Light), and Albert Paulsen (A World Apart).

 

The star of The Secret Empire  was Geoffrey Scott (Where the Heart Is, Dark Shadows, and Guiding Light).

 

Appearing in The Curse of Dracula were Michael Nouri (Search for Tomorrow, Somerset, and  All My Children) and Louise Sorrell (Young Doctor Malone, The Doctors, One Life to Live, Santa Barbara, Passions, and All My Children).

 

 

By the way, the final actor to portray Michael Randolph on Another World, Lionel Johnston, appeared on CBS's Sons and Daughters.  Glynnis O'Connor (As the World Turns in two roles) was also in the cast.

 

 

Miss Susan was broadcast from Philadelphia only because of a lack of studio space in NY at the time.

 

Cast additions / clarifications:

 

Duke Andrews... Arnold Freeman (first appeared c. July 1951) underworld figure

Vern Andrews … John C. Beecher (first appeared c. May 1951); tormented Sam Martin

Andrea Blake … Elaine Ellis (first appeared c. late May/early June 1951 murder in August 1951) Sam Martin's sister-in-law. Chic divorcee. Sam is attracted to her

Bill Carter... Mark Roberts former childhood boyfriend of Susan; later described as a professional rival

Joan Benson Carter... Gerry Locke 

John Croft... Joseph Foley Susan's law partner

Bruce Landon... Robert Courtleigh (first appeared c. May 1951) a former stableboy turned distinguished author

Sam Martin.... Don Hammer brother of Susan

Daisy McCue... Natalie Priest (nurse / secretary / friend of Susan)

George Small.. Dick Knox (c. November 1951) teenager

 

Judge... Robert Pike (March 1951) maybe in Laura's theft case??

MISS SUSAN

 MARCH 12,1951-DECEMBER 28, 1951 NBC

MARTINSVILLE

Duke Andrews...    Arnold (Arny) Freeman    underworld figure  7/51  killed Andrea

Vern Andrews      John C. Beecher    tormented Sam Martin   5/51

Henry Benson...     Josef Draper     Joan's father, dated Andrea

Andrea Blake    Elaine Ellis   5/51-8/51  Sam's sister-in-law, chic divorcee

Bill Carter...Mark Roberts  romantic interest/business rival of Susan

Joan Benson Carter...       Gerry Locke     daughter, Henry

John Croft...Joseph Foley      Susan's legal partner

Edgar Hayes...    ????         sent away for murder(Andrea)

Larry Hayes...  ?????       almost a murder victim

Bruce Landon...Robert Courtleigh     former stableboy turned distinguished  author        5/51

Susan Martin Landon...Susan Peters attorney that returned to Martinsville to defend Laura

Chris Martin...Ralph Robertson    Susan's nephew

Sam Martin...Don Hammer    brother of Susan

Daisy McCue...nurse, companion...Natalie Priest

Laura Monroe...Helen Ray   Martin family retainer; accused of stealing jewelry

Roger Nystrum...Robert McQueeney     Susan's former employer

Mrs. Peck... Kathryn Gill       Susan's housekeeper

George Small           Dick Knox      11/51     teenager

 

 

 

Judge       Robert Pike      3/51

 

 

actors, no roles:

Nina Lord

Jon Lormer

Betsy Palmer

Will Wright

Susan Peters, the lead actress was in the movies before being injured, becoming a paraplegic.

 

 

Announcer       Earl Gill

 

 

 

Thanks to @dc11786, and the tvobscurity article from @EricMontreal22, and @Paul Raven's article in the Miss Susan thread, an updated Miss Susan cast list.

Edited April 27, 20196 yr by slick jones