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Susan Peters

Susan Peters (July 3, 1921 - October 23, 1952) was an American film actress.

Born Suzanne Carnahan in Spokane, Washington, Peters began working for MGM Studios after completing high school. Her first job was to read with potential actors in their screen tests. Before long she had impressed studio executives with her own talent, and they began casting her in films.

For the first two years she used her given name and played small, often uncredited parts in films such as Meet John Doe (1941), before adopting her stage name. Her first substantial role, in Random Harvest (1942), earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. MGM began to groom her for starring roles, casting her in several lesser productions that allowed her to learn her craft. A starring role in Song of Russia (1943) earned her critical acclaim but the film was not a commercial success.

Married to the actor Richard Quine, she was with him on a hunting vacation in early 1945, when a rifle accidentally discharged, causing a bullet to be lodged in her spine. The accident left her permanently paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheel chair, however she attempted to continue her acting career. An unsympathetic role in The Sign of the Ram (1948) failed to win an audience, and a starring role as a detective in the television series Miss Susan (1951) was also unsuccessful. She toured in stage productions of The Glass Menagerie and The Barretts of Wimpole Street, and her performances were highly regarded, but her disability made her a difficult actress to cast. Her career began to falter, and as her marriage ended, Peters began to suffer from depression. Her health continued to deteriorate until her death, in Visalia, California, from kidney disease and pneumonia, complicated by anorexia nervosa.

Susan Peters has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures, at 1601 Vine St.


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Susan Peters has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures, at 1601 Vine St. Bush, recognizing her contributions to American (U.S.) culture. Her health continued to deteriorate until her death, in Visalia, California, from kidney disease and pneumonia, complicated by anorexia nervosa. In 2002 Chita Rivera became the first female Hispanic to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors award presented by President George W. Her career began to falter, and as her marriage ended, Peters began to suffer from depression. She received her first Tony in 1984 for her role in The Rink and her second for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1993 for her role in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She toured in stage productions of The Glass Menagerie and The Barretts of Wimpole Street, and her performances were highly regarded, but her disability made her a difficult actress to cast. Rivera received two Tony Awards and six additional nominations.

An unsympathetic role in The Sign of the Ram (1948) failed to win an audience, and a starring role as a detective in the television series Miss Susan (1951) was also unsuccessful. [Quoted at http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/9942/inthe1226.html]. The accident left her permanently paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheel chair, however she attempted to continue her acting career. You have long been considered a Broadway legend."" Rivera replied "Oh, God!" and laughed. Married to the actor Richard Quine, she was with him on a hunting vacation in early 1945, when a rifle accidentally discharged, causing a bullet to be lodged in her spine. Indeed "In Theatre" magazine has suggested in an interview by Goerge Horsfall: " You must be tired of the term "legend", but let's get it out of the way. A starring role in Song of Russia (1943) earned her critical acclaim but the film was not a commercial success. Rivera is widely regarded by theatre aficiandos as a "living legend".

MGM began to groom her for starring roles, casting her in several lesser productions that allowed her to learn her craft. Rivera is planning on appearing in three plays in 2004: Nine with Antonio Banderas, The Visit and Ballroom. Her first substantial role, in Random Harvest (1942), earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. She played the role of Nicky in the movie version of Sweet Charity with Shirley MacLaine. For the first two years she used her given name and played small, often uncredited parts in films such as Meet John Doe (1941), before adopting her stage name. She went on a national tour with Can-Can. Before long she had impressed studio executives with her own talent, and they began casting her in films. Chita also starred in the Broadway productions of Bye Bye Birdie, Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, The Rink, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Zorba.

Her first job was to read with potential actors in their screen tests. Her performance was so important for the success of the show that the London production was posponed until after Chita gave birth to the couple's daughter, Lisa. Born Suzanne Carnahan in Spokane, Washington, Peters began working for MGM Studios after completing high school. On December 1, 1957, Rivera married dancer Tony Mordente. Susan Peters (July 3, 1921 - October 23, 1952) was an American film actress. She was cast as Anita in the Broadway premiere of West Side Story. Years later the role of Anita was to bring fame and an Oscar to another Puerto Rican, Rita Moreno in the film version. In 1957, Chita was cast in the role which was destined to make her a Broadway star.

Besides her ballet instructors, Chita considers that she learned a lot from Leonard Bernstein and especially from Gwen Verdon, with whom she participated in the Broadway production of Chicago. Wonderful with Sammy Davis Jr. In 1952, when Chita was 17 years old, she accompanied a friend to the audition for a Broadway production of Call Me Madam and ended up with the role. She followed this by landing roles in other Broadway productions, such as Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Among her teachers were Edward Villella, Allegra Kent and Maria Tallchief.

Chita was accepted and given a scholarship by George Balanchine to attend The American School of Ballet. Jones told Chita to be herself and to not worry about the other girls who were auditioning. Chita was acompanied to the audition by Doris Jones, one of the people who ran the Jones-Hayward School. When Chita was 15, a teacher from George Balanchine's School of American Ballet visited their studio and Chita was one of two students picked to audition in New York City.

In 1944, when Chita was 11 years old, her mother enrolled her in the Jones-Hayward School of Ballet. Chita's mother went to work for the Pentagon when Chita was seven years old and her father passed away (Chita's mother passed away in 1983). Her father played clarinet and saxophone for the Navy band. Both her parents were from Puerto Rico.

Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero on January 23, 1933 in Washington, D.C.) is a Puerto Rican-American Broadway actress and the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award.