Trivia

Was diagnosed with brain cancer, allegedly the result of being exposed to dangerous radioactive toxins on location in Utah while making The Conqueror (1956). All the leads; John Wayne, Agnes Moorehead, John Hoyt, Pedro Armendáriz, Hayward, and director Dick Powell, died of cancer. The case is still a scandal.

Her footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre are the only ones set in gold dust.

Her first marriage to Jess Barker was a stormy one and ended with a bitter custody battle of her twin sons and a suicide attempt by Susan. Her second to rancher Eaton Chalkley was a happy one until he died suddenly of hepatitis nine years later. She left Hollywood for five years in deep mourning, returning in 1971.

When she was seven she was hit by a car and suffered a fractured hip. Doctors told her she might never walk again. However, after six months, she was able to get around on crutches and after a year was able to return to school.

Reportedly did not get on at all with Bette Davis during the filming of Where Love Has Gone (1964).

Was the original choice to play Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950), but was dropped from the project after being considered too young. The part was then given to Claudette Colbert before being given to Bette Davis, who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance.

Gave birth to fraternal twin boys, Timothy Barker and Gregory Barker, on February 19, 1945. The father is first husband Jess Barker.

Her Best Actress Oscar statuette for I Want to Live! (1958) was presented to her by James Cagney and Kim Novak [6 April 1959 / RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood].

Took over the ballsy role of stage star Helen Lawson in Valley of the Dolls (1967) in 1967 after Judy Garland was fired.

Known to have a taste for drink, she played an alcoholic in three films; Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947), My Foolish Heart (1949) and I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), and was nominated for an Oscar for each performance.

Born on the same day, and in the same place (Brooklyn, NY), as Lena Horne .

Was scheduled to star in a Ross Hunter-produced remake of Stella Dallas (1937), but the film was canceled because "women's pictures" were no longer box-office.

Was just 1.5 years younger than Jo Van Fleet, who played her mother in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955).

Had hoped to be able to take her twins sons along with her for the Soldier of Fortune " location shoot in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, she was in the middle of a very unpleasant divorce from Jess Barker at the time; citing concerns for his sons' health, he refused to give permission for them to leave the country. Under those circumstances, she declined to go on location: her scenes were all filmed at the Fox studio.

Interred at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Carrollton, GA.

Replaced an ailing Barbara Stanwyck in Heat of Anger (1972), which was to have been a pilot for a TV series to be called "Fitzgerald and Pride."

A lifelong registered Republican, she endorsed Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. She also appeared at the 1953 Republican Rally.

Was the 49th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for I Want to Live! (1958) at The 31st Annual Academy Awards (1959) on April 6, 1959.

On August 30, 2019, she was honored with a day of her film work during the Turner Classic Movies Summer Under the Stars.

Auditioned for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and filmed screen tests on December 2 and 6, 1937.

Was just nine years younger than Bette Davis, who played her mother in Where Love Has Gone (1964).

Younger sister of Florence (May 29, 1910-May 31, 1996) and Walter Marrenner (November 18, 1911-May 18, 1986).

Among the parts she was considered for but did not play are Gold Diggers in Paris (1938) (played by Rosemary Lane), 3 Cheers for the Irish (1940) (Virginia Grey), Murder, He Says (1945) (Helen Walker), Forever Amber (1947) (Linda Darnell), Anna Lucasta (1949) (Paulette Goddard), Stella (1966) (Ann Sheridan), Band of Angels (1957) (Yvonne De Carlo), The Seventh Sin (1957) (Eleanor Parker), The Wayward Bus (1957) (Jayne Mansfield), Elephant Walk (1954) (Elizabeth Taylor), The Sun Also Rises (1957) (Ava Gardner), Can-Can (1960) (Shirley MacLaine), My Cousin Rachel (1952) (Olivia de Havilland), Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) (Geraldine Page), The Night of the Iguana (1964) (Ava Gardner), and Hedda (1975) (Glenda Jackson).

She won the Best Actress Oscar once and was nominated another four times, but never appeared in a Best Picture-nominated film.

Daughter of Walter (1880-1938) and Ellen (née Pearson) Marrenner (1888-1958). Both were born and raised in New York.

Returned to work three months after giving birth to her twins sons Timothy and Gregory to begin filming Deadline at Dawn (1946).

Is one of 23 Oscar-winning actresses to have been born in the state of New York. The others are Alice Brady, Teresa Wright, Anne Revere, Celeste Holm, Claire Trevor, Judy Holliday, Shirley Booth, Patty Duke, Anne Bancroft, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Lee Grant, Beatrice Straight, Maureen Stapleton, Whoopi Goldberg, Mercedes Ruehl, Marisa Tomei, Mira Sorvino, Susan Sarandon, Jennifer Connelly, Melissa Leo and Anne Hathaway.

Susan took dance and voice lessons for dubbing by Lillian Rothbut, but MGM thought her good enough to do her own dubbing.

Mentioned in the 1996 song "Boy" by Marcella Detroit: "No Hayward or Myrna Loy / I'm coming back as a boy".

In Italy, almost all of her films were dubbed by either Lydia Simoneschi or Rosetta Calavetta. She was occasionally dubbed by Dhia Cristiani.