Susanna Foster as Angela
Dr. Hohner (Karloff), theatre physician at the Vienna Royal Theatre, murders his mistress, the star soprano when his jealousy drives him to the point of mad obsession. Ten years later, another young singer (Foster) reminds Hohner of the late diva, and his old mania kicks in. Hohner wants to prevent her from singing for anyone but him, even if it means silencing her forever. The singer's fianc�e (Bey) rushes to save her in the film's climax.
Biography for Susanna Foster
Birth name
Susanna DeLee Flanders Larson
Date of birth
6 December 1924
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Susanna Foster was brought to Hollywood at the age of 12 by MGM, who sent her to school and groomed her for a singing and acting career.Two of her classmates in school were Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Oddly enough, MGM never used her, and she was signed by Paramount in 1939, where she made Great Victor Herbert, The (1939). William Randolph Hearst was so impressed with her, after seeing her in that film, that he had her flown out to his mansion for a private recital for him and Marion Davies. She signed with Universal in 1941, and was used basically as leverage against Deanna Durbin, to keep her in line. Reportedly, Phantom of the Opera, Susanna's most famous role, was a Durbin reject.As such, her roles kept going downhill, even though she was immensely popular at that time. After That Night with You (1945), she'd had it. She made her last film for Universal in 1945, but was still under contract. She went overseas to study voice for three years, paid for by Universal. When she quit Universal in 1948, she sold her mink stoal and used the money to move to the east coast, where she eventually met and married Wilbur Evans, who was 20 years her senior. The Evans' did a lot of stage work, doing operettas and musicals of the time, touring quite extensively. In between all of this, Susanna miscarried her first child, but went on to have two sons; Phillip and Michael. Susanna had tired of show business and wanted a more 'normal' life, so when she and Evans divorced in 1956, she quit performing altogether and got jobs to support her and her children. With the children raised (Phillip passed away) she set back out to California, and lived in her car for a while until she got established. Sadly, any dream of making a comeback was hampered by several health problems.
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Trivia
Noteworthy if only for her attendance at the "great unveiling" of Claude Rains in Universal's Technicolor 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1943). She was found living in a car in 1982.
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Personal quotes
"I was never really ambitious. At least not in the cutthroat way that's required to succeed. The truth is that I hated a career and everything that went with it."
Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked, The (2000) (V) (also archive footage) .... Herself
Detour (1992) .... Evie
That Night with You (1945) .... Penny
Frisco Sal (1945) .... Sal Warren
Bowery to Broadway (1944) .... Peggy Fleming
Climax, The (1944) .... Angela
This Is the Life (1944) .... Angela
Follow the Boys (1944) .... Herself
... aka Three Cheers for the Boys (1944) (USA)
Top Man (1943) .... Connie Allen
... aka Man of the Family (1943) (UK)
Phantom of the Opera (1943) .... Christine Dubois
Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) (uncredited) .... Guest
Glamour Boy (1941) .... Joan Wilslow
... aka Hearts in Springtime (1941) (UK)
There's Magic in Music (1941) .... Toodles LaVerne
... aka Hard-Boiled Canary, The (1941)
Great Victor Herbert, The (1939) .... Peggy