SUSAN LENOX: HER FALL AND RISE

A farmer named Ohlin (Jean Hersholt) wants to marry off his illegitimate daughter, Helga (Greta Garbo), to a brutish man; Mondstrum (Alan Hale). She flees and comes upon a mountain cabin belonging to a construction engineer, Rodney Spencer I Clark Gable) . He promises to help her, and they eventually fall in love. When he leaves on business, promising to return and marry her, she learns Ohlin is searching for her. She leaves the cabin and has to take a carnival train to escape. She has an affair with the owner. Burlington (John Miljan), in order to stay with the carnival. Rodney returns; learns of her affair, and walks out on her, despite her pleas. She becomes the mistress of a wealthy politician. Mike Kelly (Hale Hamilton), and invites Rodney to visit her. She now calls herself Susan Lenox. He again rejects her, but loving him she sets out to find him. She finds him in South America, a downtrodden man working at a jungle construction camp. He refuses to believe that she has altered her way of life. She almost agrees to go away with a rich man, Robert Lane (Ian Keith), but instead seeks out Rodney again. They are reconciled and begin a new life together.

SUSAN LENOX: HER FALL AND RISE
(USA 1931)
ALTERNATE TITLE
Rising to Fame (Alternate USA title) Helgas Fall und Aufstieg (GERMANY) The Rise of Helga (UK) La Courtisane (FRANCE) Susan Lenox (SWEDEN) Cortigiana (ITALY) Susan Lenox (BRAZIL) Zuzanna Lenox (POLAND )
FILM SCENES

COMPANY
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
CREDITS
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard. Produced by Paul Bern (uncredited). Adaptation and continuity by Wanda Tuchock, from the book by David Graham Phillips. Dialogue by Zelda Sears and Leon Gordon. Photographed by William Daniels. Edited by Margaret Booth. Recording supervised by Douglas Shearer. Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons. Gowns by Adrian.
TECHNICAL SPECS
77 minutes MGM Production: 561
CAST
Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Jean Hersholt, John Miljan, Alan Hale, Hale Hamilton, Hilda Vaughn, Russell Simpson, Cecil Cunningham, Ian Keith, Theodore von Eltz, Marjorie King, Helene Millard...
GARBO'S CHARACTER
Helga aka Susan Lennox
FILM POSTER
More HERE!
SYNOPSIS
A farmer named Ohlin (Jean Hersholt) wants to marry off his illegitimate daughter, Helga (Greta Garbo), to a brutish man; Mondstrum (Alan Hale). She flees and comes upon a mountain cabin belonging to a construction engineer, Rodney Spencer I Clark Gable) . He promises to help her, and they eventually fall in love. When he leaves on business, promising to return and marry her, she learns Ohlin is searching for her. She leaves the cabin and has to take a carnival train to escape. She has an affair with the owner. Burlington (John Miljan), in order to stay with the carnival. Rodney returns; learns of her affair, and walks out on her, despite her pleas. She becomes the mistress of a wealthy politician. Mike Kelly (Hale Hamilton), and invites Rodney to visit her. She now calls herself Susan Lenox. He again rejects her, but loving him she sets out to find him. She finds him in South America, a downtrodden man working at a jungle construction camp. He refuses to believe that she has altered her way of life. She almost agrees to go away with a rich man, Robert Lane (Ian Keith), but instead seeks out Rodney again. They are reconciled and begin a new life together.
QUOTES FROM THE FILM
Helga: "Your dog will bite me!" Rodney: "You better take off your clothes!" Helga: "No." Rodney: "Aw, I didn't mean it that way. I meant change your clothes."
AUDIO-FILE
More HERE!
MOVIE PROGRAM
More HERE!
PREMIERED/RELEASED
Premiere date: October 10, 1931 (Capitol Theatre in New York) Release date: October 15, 1931 Release date in Germany: 13.12.1932.
LOBBYCARDS
See HERE!
PRODUCTION
Production Dates: May–June 1931 Production Location: Hollywood/Los Angeles/USA
MOVIE STILLS
The Stills were made during the production by Milton Brown. 159 Movie Stills were shot. More HERE!
TRIVIA
It's the only film she did Clark Gable. Filmed in 49 days. John Gilbert was also up for the male lead part. Based on the David Graham Phillips 600 page plus book. For decades there is a rumour in Germany that Garbo may have dubbed herself for the german version. A very rare german dubbed version was shown on Germany TV in the mid 1980s. This version is hard to find cos it was never shown again. It was said that Gable and Garbo were so mismatched that they clicked. And because they go along so well, Garbo and Gable were almost paired again. It was planned to team them up in the forthcoming film - Red Dust. After Garbo declined the part went to Jean Harlow.
BACKGROUND STORY
(in Treatment)
BUSINESS DATA
Budget: 580.000 Dollar. Gross: USA: 806.000 Dollar,Non-USA:700.000 Dollar; World: 1.506.000 Dollar. Profit: 364.000 Dollar
PORTRAITS
Clarence Sinclair Bull made the portraits for the film on July 8, 1931. More HERE!
REVIEWS
Mordaunt Hall for New York Times:
Being an accomplished actress, Greta Garbo makes the most of a bad bargain in the picturization of David Graham Phillips's novel.... Any picture to which Miss Garbo lends her presence is worthy of attention; but, even so, it is rather disappointing to find her in a production which is directed along the lines of old silent film techniques, with halting and often crudely written dialogue and poorly developed episodes. Never once since she appeared in her first Hollywood film, Ibáñez's The Torrent, has she given anything but an excellent account of herself. It is therefore a pity that she does not have better luck with her stories.
Photoplay:
If you like your romance spread thick, your passion strong, and your Garbo hot, don't miss this. And take notice, you Garboites! If you were mad about her before, just wait until you see her teamed up with this manifestation of masculine S.A. called Clark Gable.
Variety:
The picture provides Miss Garbo with a role of a destiny-hounded woman not altogether unlike her Anna Christie and adds to the Garbo gallery another impressive portrait.... Once more she achieves an acting effect by means that baffle while they provoke interest. Teaming with the great Garbo, of course, marks the peak of Gable's vogue.
INSPIRATION FAN ART
See more HERE!
PICTURE FROM THE FILM-SET
Director Cukor and Garbo More HERE!
STORY FROM THE FILM-SET
MGM producer Eddie Edington said Garbo admired Dietrich, though he denied the reports that she played Dietrich's records over and over. That story was started, he said, "...after I brought a couple of records of the German girl's songs and played them for Garbo on the (Susan Lennox or Inspiration) set".
SUSAN LENNOX DOLL
More HERE!
THE ORIGINAL BOOK
Based on the book Susan Lennox - Fall and Rise, by David Graham Phillips.
THE SCREEN-PLAY
Film Editor: Margaret Booth
NICI'S WALLPAPER
More HERE!
DVD/VHS
Available on VHS. See HERE!
VIDEO-FILE
See HERE!
	SOURCE
	Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy – by Mark A. Vieira (Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, New York 2005). This is the best and most accurate book about Garbo's-Films.
	OTHER SOURCES
	Karen Swenson – A life Apart Barry Paris – Garbo IMDB – International Movie Database plus many other books, magazines and internet sites.


	Film - Introduction