Better Living Through Blogging!

Susan Slept Here

The very first "classic" (old) movie that I remember watching is "Susan Slept Here," a lightweight piece of fluff starring Dick Powell and a very young Debbie Reynolds.

It must have been...somewhere between 1977 and 1980, I think, and it came on late, late at night on some sort of Nite-Owl Theatre when I was spending the summer at my mother's house in Ohio. Until then, of course, the only movies that I watched were of the Star Wars, CE3K, and Meatballs variety -- in other words, thoroughly modern.

All content on this website is © Copyright 2000-2010 - All Rights Reserved The content on this site may not be reused or republished. Website template powered by VooWeb.com Website Templates

But when I watched "Susan Slept Here," it just amazed me. The dialogue - the acting - the wit - the clothing - the humor. I've only seen it once or twice since then, and it happened to be on TCM this morning as I was getting ready for work -- what a delight to see a few scenes. The movie is "narrated" by an Academy Award, which was earned by the star of the movie (Powell) for his screenwriting. Debbie Reynolds is just too cute for words, of course, with her sing-song voice and tuff-girl wannabe image that is of course melted quickly. Anne Francis as Isabella the Ice Princess - hubba, hubba (proof). And Powell's sidekick in the movie, Virgil, is great with snarky asides and one-liners.

It was, however, a bit awkward to view the then-rather-innocent plot through the lens of 2004, particularly on the day that this rapist was released from jail. To see 50-year-old Dick Powell smooching barely-legal Debbie Reynolds (22, but portraying 17) through a modern-day prism, it was downright icky. But upon switching my lens back to 1950s-era mode, it again become a sweet, fluffy movie.