Evening star., 1943-01-21
Susanna Foster
Happy Over Role
In Eddy Movie
Ingenne Singer Feels
Big Opportunity Here
With Romantic Lead
By SHEILAH GRAHAM,


said the pretty blond girl. She was
trifle breathless with excitement.
"Oh, Mr.. Eddy!" she repeated, 1--WE
admired you in pictures for so long!
Why, it's been the dream of my life
to meet you, and here you are in
the flesh It's wonderful"
Thank you," replied Nelson Eddy,
and by way of conversation he
added, "I hear you have a good
singing voice. Who knows, maybe
one of these days we'll make
picture together"
THAT was couple Of months ago."
the 18-year-old Susanna Foster tells
me. "And neither of us thought we
really would be in the same picture.
And now here I am as his leading
lady!" Gin Phantom of the Opera.")
Furthermore, Nelson will be making
love to Susanna, and she Is looking
forward to the assignment. There is
only one tiny thought worrying
Susanna---she is afraid she might
look too young to be Mr.. Eddy's
romantic interest. She is his Junior
by "a years. But II the studio is
satisfied, SO am I, and howl" says
Susanna.
Roles Were Scarce.
The story of the rise, decline, and
rise again OF little Miss Foster has
familiar tone. Five years ago she
was signed by Metro, on the strength
Of her singing voice (she could hit
high c above c.. She was under
contract for year, received 500
a week, but no picture. Then
Paramount signed her. She was then
only 13. Her publicity build-up was
good. But in four years she appeared
in only three pictures-"The Great
Victor Herbert" THE Hard-Boiled
Canary" and Glamour Boy"
For the whole of last year I
didn't do a thing for them" she
tells me in the Universal cafe. They
told me they were waiting for me
to grow up. They paid me s400 a
week to grow up, So grew up, and
what happened? They let me go.
I've been sort of kicked around
lot in the past five years. But I'm
hoping the third try will be lucky.
The new picture is In technicolor,
I have lots of songs, and another
love interest In addition to Mr..
Eddy. And everything Is wonder
fulp Susanna has discovered
something about Eddy. She says,
He has wonderful sense of
humor If they can only get that
on the screen!" II they do, I for
one will shout "hooray"
It's nice to think that Miss
Foster has taken up with Eddy
where jeanette Macdonald has left
off, and it certainly is break for
Mr.. Eddy to get a leading lady
who Is as fresh and radiant as
Susanna.
This last year and a half when
didn't do any work" continues
the young singer, II got pretty des-
perate. I even made plans to get
married, although I didn't know
where the unfortunate man was
coming from" She has been going
steady "for two months with a boy
called Turner. He has ranch, but
he's sitting now doing nothing,
awaiting his call into the air forces"
Yearns For Children.
ask her whether she will marry
him before he goes, and she re-
plies, mo, because I'm not in love
with him. He thinks I might be
without knowing it, sort of, but I'm
sure I'd know"
Susanna believes that the male
half of marriage should earn more
than the female. II wouldn't spend
a cent of my own on the house. No,
I'm careful, but it's better for the
man to pay. I'm rather pessimistic
about marriage" she continues. 1--WE
seen so many crack up In this town.
Perhaps because they put their work
in first place. My man will always
come first And I'm going to have
children directly ! marry"
The signing of Susanna by Uni
versal, and the fact that she is In
Phantom of the Opera" which was
intended for Deanna Durbin. would
seem TO confirm the rumor that
when Miss Durbin completes her
final picture on her contract, she
will free-lance, or sign with Metro
And this will mean that Susanna
will step into Deanna's singing roles
at the studio. And that's a good
break for any girl.