Konterr Brilliant and touching

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

lugonian SUSAN LENOX, HER FALL AND RISE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1931), directed by Robert Z. Leonard, stars Greta Garbo once again playing a woman of troubled destiny. Assuming many title characters during her motion picture career, ANNA Christie (1930), MATA HARI (1931) and ANNA KARENINA (1935) as prime examples of her fine work, her SUSAN LENOX, bearing an extended subtitle as noted above, is not so well known as initially intended in both title and story. It is, however, notable to a degree as Garbo's one and only performance opposite the up and coming, pre-mustache Clark Gable. Not quite classic novel material acquired by popular authors of Leo Tolstoy or Fannie Hurst, SUSAN LENOX was in fact adapted from the novel by an obscure novelist by the name of David Graham Phillips. For its basic screen premise, it's showcase material for its basic two stars, Garbo and Gable, and not much else.The narrative begins in the dead of winter where a country doctor (Russell Simpson) braves bitter cold and heavy snow coming to a country home of Swedish farmer, Karl Ohlin (Jean Hersholt). A baby girl is born. The mother dies in childbirth, leaving Karl and his other sister, Astrid (Hilda Vaughn) to raise the child themselves. Because his deceased sister never had a wedding ring, Karl goes with the notion that his illegitimate niece will end up the same way. Raised in unhappy surroundings, Helga (Greta Garbo), now an adult, is set to marry Jed Mondstrum (Alan Hale), the man of her uncle's choice. Almost immediately, the drunken but brutal man forces his intentions on Helga, forcing her to break away into the night. Drenched from a heavy rain storm, Helga comes to a nearby cabin of Rodney Spencer (Clark Gable), a 30-year-old architect accompanied by his German shepherd dog, Major. Finding him to be a decent, clean-cut man, Helga finds there's goodness in men after all. The two fall in love and plan to marry after Rodney returns from his six day business trip. However, fate steps in as Karl and Jed show up, forcing Helga to return home with them. Once again Helga breaks away and takes refuge on a carnival train managed by Burlington (John Miljan). Addressed as "Susie" by Madame Paughamia (Cecil Cunningham), a tattooed lady, Helga, having gone on board the train at Lenoxville, assumes a new identity, becoming "Susan Lenox." Although Burlington hides "Susie" from her uncle and would-be fiancé inside his bungalow, Helga finds he's only doing this for a price. When Rodney arrives at Marquette to reclaim Helga, a series of misunderstandings occur that keeps them apart. As Rodney loses himself somewhere in South America, Susan Lenox gets more than she bargained for as mistress to city politician, Mike Kelly (Hale Hamilton), and millionaire Robert Lane (Ian Keith), hence her fall and rise.Heavily edited with prime scenes to hold interest, SUSAN LENOX is offbeat material. Granted, SUSAN LENOX doesn't fall into the same category as Garbo's other classics, QUEEN Christina (1933) or CAMILLE (1936), but certainly the sort of routinely made melodramas commonly produced at that time. Garbo succeeds well with her transformation from shy lonely farm girl unsure of herself, to an aggressive cigarette smoking woman of the world. Somehow, passages of the screenplay seem to be lacking somewhere, almost as if the writers couldn't make up their minds on how to resolve this. Its second half is somewhat hampered by corny dialog and hokey situations. Considering similar circumstances found between Garbo and Robert Montgomery in the earlier release of INSPIRATION (1931), and Garbo's abusive upbringing leading to prostitution lifted from ANNA Christie (1930) simply indicates how ideas are reworked through repetitive style that certainly hasn't done any harm to Garbo's career.My introduction to SUSAN LENOX happened to be while attending a full house screening at New York City's Museum of Modern Art around 1980. One of the things I noticed is how Garbo, having been retired since 1941, still had an attentive audience. The moment her character appears on screen, the theater is cluttered with loud applause, almost as if Garbo, herself, were there in person. After the film's completion, I was curious to listen to personal comments from those leaving the theater. I found some really enjoyed it, a few did not, while others, like myself, had mixed feelings about it. Though some serious portions were laughable to contemporary viewers, many were in agreement that one scene involving a couple of camera reaction shots from the German shepherd's point of view which, was no doubt, intended to amuse.SUSAN LENOX became a handful of forgotten and prime Garbo titles distributed to home video in the 1990s and much later on DVD through Turner Home Entertainment. The fall and rise of Greta Garbo and her movies can be seen, rediscovered and appreciated whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. (***)

Marcin Kukuczka Although this film is often ignored in documentaries and facts about Greta Garbo, SUSAN LENOX foremost boasts of her magnificent, magical presence. While Garbo's filmography would surely be equally great without this film, SUSAN LENOX without Garbo would be forgotten now. Yet, it still remains one of the films of the silver screen worth viewing...in what way?SUSAN LENOX based upon the novel by David Graham Phillips marks a significant aspect of cinematic history and of the old contract Greta Garbo had signed with MGM. Filmed in the period when the budget was considerably low, there is hardly any opulence nor grandeur. As a matter of fact, the story does not require lavishness which, meanwhile, appears more in MATA HARI (1931). Here, it seems to be enough we have Garbo...she speaks for all the merits of the film because...her performance becomes quite distinct and very genuine.She is no longer any spy, vamp nor femme fatale but a peasant girl, Helga, a novel buff who flees from the monstrosity of hardship, from marrying a monstrous Mondstrum (Alan Hale) into the 'unknown' where she meets the love of her life, Rodney Spencer (Clark Gable). The servant Helga transforms into independent Susan. Their genuine feeling will, however, need to experience a harsh test before she will finally make him believe in her...This is a film which, in a way, occurs to be similar to many other Garbo films because of the wonderful wardrobe by Adrian and subtle cinematography by William H. Daniels...old staff seemingly, many similarities, almost identical details. However, the major difference and a real revelation appears to be Garbo's leading man - a rising star of the time whose greatest roles were still ahead of him - Clark Gable. This is the first and the only movie where Ms Garbo plays opposite Mr Gable - what are the impressions? According to the audience of the time and many critics, it was rather a successful pairing. MGM even prepared for the couple another project, RED DUST...yet, Garbo's answer was quite unpredictable...she refused and, as a result, she never again appeared with Mr Gable. The role was taken by Jean Harlow. And since then, the opinions have differed. People who have not been a particular fans of Greta Garbo tend to say that they are a very fine couple on screen. They even do not hesitate to say that there IS a chemistry between the 'Swedish Sphinx' and the 'King.' Garbo's fans see it a bit differently and tend to say that this pairing was not very successful. Why? Because truly the 'King' considered the 'SPHINX' a 'SNOB' while the 'Sphinx' considered the 'KING'---'WOODEN.' Anyway......there are some very nice moments they have together on the screen where there is wit, where there is tension and attention achieved. The scene of fishing is one of them when Rodney's lovely, charming dog called Boy comes in between them and 'a little fish'... Yet, what we find in many Garbo biographies, the two did not like each other very much...their pairing is a revelation as a fact; yet the mutual acting is flawed, in my opinion. While Ms Garbo holds a great power in MYSTERIOUS EXPRESSIVE FACE, Mr Gable holds a power of TALKATIVE LONGSTREAM CHAT. Quite diverse...The film being not that long is a nice and a memorable cinema production thanks to some wonderful attention viewers pay to the character of Susan. The film is in no way any intense psychological insight where you would be left with many reflections (sometimes too many) but a pleasant linear story which, in the long run, becomes a nice thought provoking picture. The events of Susan, her final decision make us like her, sympathize with her and help us, unlike in Susan's cruel upbringing, get memorable notions in our heads - significant decisions, forgiveness, treatment of life as an ongoing process of changes.Therefore, I rate this film 7/10 - despite some flaws, it is a nice choice for a calm afternoon to view once again after all these years, and let oneself be mesmerized by Greta Garbo whose screen presence is always breathtaking no matter what movie we view and what generation of movie buffs. Recommended from a Garbo fan as I am.

bkoganbing Or was that the publicity line for some other MGM picture with the king of their lot?Susan Lenox, Her Fall and Rise is taken from the David Graham Phillips novel of the same name and in this 77 minute film hardly any of the story gets to be told. Probably a lot was left on the cutting room floor of MGM and you have to be able to bridge some gaps if you haven't read the book.The book itself was published posthumously in 1917 six years after its author was killed by a disgruntled reader of his work. I'm guessing it was written years earlier because it's attitudes and subject matter were distinctly Victorian. Greta Garbo plays the daughter of Jean Hersholt who wants to sell her in marriage to the local lout played by Alan Hale. One thing that was interesting was seeing both of those players in unlikely unsympathetic parts.She flees Hersholt's farm in the rain and gets taken in by Clark Gable who's renting the cabin on the lake down the road. The romance kindles, but Gable has to make a quick trip to town, meanwhile Hersholt and Hale come looking for Garbo and she flees again.Garbo gets taken by some carnival people including the wolfish owner, John Miljan, whom she submits to. When Gable finds her, his attitude is most Victorian. In fact the rest of the film through their respective ups and downs Gable and Garbo do a lot to hurt each other.Susan Lenox is one heavy handed melodrama and no one would remember it at all today, but for the fact it was the one and only teaming of Gable and Garbo. Being paired with Garbo was a big milestone for Clark Gable. Also he was not paying thugs any longer, charismatic thugs, but thugs nonetheless. He was leading man material after this film.It only gets as much as six stars from me because of the cast.

ellaf That film from the thirties, perhaps because of its short length (75 minutes), avoid the too slow pace typical of the films from that era. Then it prevents us from losing our interest in the middle of the story.Speaking of the story, it touches me for the simple fact that everybody in life has its ups and downs, often because of our own fault, unable are we to deal with the intensity of human feelings sometimes! Love and revenge are certainly the main feelings felt by the principal characters, the former producing the latter here. Both are the reasons for the fall AND the rise just as in real life! Such intensity for someone else may seem old-fashioned nowadays, so that film may appear dated to some, and it is, mostly in its presentation, but certainly not in its themes.Personally, I relate to both Garbo's and Gable's characters in their way of feeling love for the other to the fullest no matter the toll it may take on oneself! Having risen while being in love at the same time before falling for some years because of that intensity of sentiments before being kind of born again after the healing was done, I certainly relate 100% to that story, dated or not. Even the title alone really touches a really sensible chord of mine each time I hear it simply because...well, been there, done that! As for the actors, Greta Garbo could never go wrong with any part. So here, besides being her beautiful and soulful self, she communicates her intense feelings for Rodney mostly through her eyes and movements, her lines being quite reduced here to great effect. One can see through her movements the uneasiness of her character. Bravo! And Gable is Gable: strong, masculine, credible. As powerful as Garbo in terms of presence and personal charisma, which was rare among all her leading men.See it. Even done so many decades ago, it is still very effective. Enjoy.