Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)

1931
Approved
1h 16m

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Clark Gable and Greta Garbo in Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) (1931)

Fleeing her cruel uncle and an arranged marriage Susan Lenox falls in love with a kind stranger but circumstances force her to become a woman of easy virtue.Fleeing her cruel uncle and an arranged marriage Susan Lenox falls in love with a kind stranger but circumstances force her to become a woman of easy virtue.Fleeing her cruel uncle and an arranged marriage Susan Lenox falls in love with a kind stranger but circumstances force her to become a woman of easy virtue.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

1.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
David Graham Philllips, the novelist who wrote "Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise" was murdered by a mentally unbalanced reader while walking in Grammercy Park, in New York in 1911. The novel was published posthumously, six years later, in 1917. Its subject matter was initially thought to be too risqué.

Goofs
(around 29 mins 50 seconds) When Susan Lenox uses the horses and buggy to escape from Ohlin, she is in a frenzy driving the horses standing up and behind the seat but when she arrives at the train station she is sitting down.

Quotes
Rodney Spencer: [to Susan] Penthouses and politicians don't last forever, do they?

Connections
Featured in The Happy Ending (1969)

Soundtracks
Overture to Romeo and Juliet
Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Played over the opening credits
Reprised as background music during Mike's party
Played at the end

User reviews32

Review

Featured review

5/10

Garbo/Gable chemistry wasted on weak romantic plot...

GRETA GARBO fans will undoubtedly forgive the screenplay which has Greta and CLARK GABLE romantically involved in an on again/off again relationship that is the basis for the whole movie. And, of course, Garbo's favorite cinematographer, William Daniels, is behind the camera making sure that she gets her fair share of lush close-ups.

It starts out promisingly enough as a Gothic melodrama with Garbo fleeing the advances of a drunken fiancé ALAN HALE and rushing out into the storm. She seeks shelter in a barn but is discovered by CLARK GABLE who promptly takes a shine to her and invites her to take shelter under his roof. The opening scenes with Garbo and Gable have an innocent charm that makes them delightful to watch, with Gable giving a more natural performance than Garbo who already has a bag of transparent acting tricks.

The plot thickens when Susan Lenox is forced to flee Gable's residence when her strict father and fiancé show up to bring her home. She ends up taking refuge on a circus train and ends up being "kept" by one of the managers. When she's reunited with Gable, it begins a series of misunderstandings. Garbo plays her role like the real diva she was, even pronouncing Gable's name--"Rodney"--in a melodramatic way.

It's strictly downhill into pulp romance territory for the rest of the way. It's Gable who gives one of his most likable performances and sustains interest in the story's development--not Garbo.

Summing up: Only for die-hard Garbo fans. Noteworthy for a very fine beginning which soon lapses into mediocrity.