Evening star., 1947-09-07
Paralyzed, She Moves
Pluckv Susan Peters Advances Her Film
Career Despite Her Accident
By SheiIoh Grohom

me" SAYS Susan. There wasn't a
good reason why the girls shouldn't
get out of their chairs to walk ex-
cept for the fact that then they
wouldn't be suitable for me. The
studio wanted to dig up fllm, The
Outward Room in which I ap-
peared with Bob Young and which
had been shelved. They planned to
write in a scene with balcony col
lapsing, film it with double and
have me play the rest of the story
in a wheel chair. I refused. The
part was too saccharine. wanted
to return to pictures in strong
acting role"
She's In Business.
So, Susan settled her contract
with MGM and decided to free
lance. And she decided that the
only way she could keep what she
earned was to participate financially
in every picture she makes.
While she was still i'll, a family
friend. actor Charles Bickford.
brought Susan q copy Of Margaret
Ferguson's best-selling novel, The
Sign of the Ram" She read 1t,
liked it and Bickford took the book
to the Orsatti Agency.
The late Frank Orsatti also liked
the story and passed 1t on to Irving
Cummings. jr. Junior took 1t to his
dad, Irving, sr., who thought he
had retired from picture-making
because Of a heart attack. But he
decided to come out of retirement to
produce The Sign of the RAM" II
Susan would star In 1t. A corpora
ton was formed with Susan, the
Cummings boys and the Orsatu
Agency participating and Column
bia release was arranged for pro-
duction.
so now I'm in business for my
SELF" says Susan. "The average life
of picture Is 10 years and with
this percentage deal have an in
come for at least 10 years"
Her next movie Is THE Miracle OF
San Michele" It's love story with
continental background. And
Susan Is writing 1t now with Mar
garet Tracy, mother Of Peggy Cum
minis, and Author Charles Bennett.
Between movies Susie tries to live
as normal life as her wheel chair
will permit. She and her husband
adopted a 2-week-old boy. Timothy.
soon after her accident. He is now
l6 months old. And we expect to
adopt two more children, a boy
about Timmy's age and a baby girl
somewhat younger, so she can have
two big brothers."
Won't Be, an Invalid.
The accident has not made Susan
antisocial She and Dick dine out
frequently and attend parties. Susan
drives her own car, a convertible
equipped with hand driving devices
of the kind used by paralyzed war
veterans. The Quines drive out to
the Mojave Desert on week ends
and from her wheel chair Susan
takes pot shots at rabbits that pass
her way. She Is swimming again,
too. Dick and Susan 60 to an in
frequented beach beyond Malibu.
He carries her into the water and
from then on Susan IL on her own.
And she also Is planning horseback
riding!
II want TO be as self-reliant as
possible. I refuse to be any more Of
an invalid than necessary she tells
me.
At Columbia, Producer Irving
Cummings has made Susan as COM
Portable as possible while she is at
work.
Everybody is wonderful to me
here at Columbia. They couldn't be
more considerate," Susan tells me.
The cast and crew Of 1.-THE Sign
Of The Ram" are equally outspoken
in their admiration Of this girl
whose grit has enabled her to over
come a handicap that would have
counted out most other people.
(Rsleased BY North American Newspapss
Alliance Inc