Susan Lenox

The first twenty or so minutes of this film is about as good as you can find for Greta Garbo and Clark Gable. When poor little Greta is forced to run from her abusive and cold home, the movie really becomes marvelous as the relationship between Garbo and Gable begins. During all this time, the cinematography is tops, with wonderful camera-work, lighting and composition. And, the romance between the leads is really compelling and beautiful. However, after this wonderful start, the film quickly falls apart. Through a series of misunderstandings, the lovers inexplicably become cold and angry towards each other--and after such a great start, this really makes no sense at all! Then, for the rest of the film, we see Clark and Greta periodically "stumbling upon each other" and then mistreating each other even though EVERYONE watching the film knows they really love each other and KNOWS they will ultimately admit this to each other. So, you KNOW what will happen and there is no suspense at all--NONE! It's really sad when a film starts off so well and then fizzles into a dull and predictable mess that could have simply been handled if either Garbo or Gable had just said "let's stop the bickering and marry--after all, YOU know and I know that it's meant to be!". But, for some odd reason, the writers want us to just assume the leads are too stupid and too proud to admit it. Gimme a break!

This was an interesting story. It was also very hard to swallow, almost as though it was edited beyond intelligibility. They fall in love too quickly, then later in the picture she tracks him down without any clue as to his whereabouts. She falls in with a circus troupe and writes him to meet her despite becoming the mistress of the circus owner - and she's shocked when Gable drops her on the spot. How could she not anticipate rejection in this circumstance?

Though it borders on fantasy it works due to the efforts of the two stars. There was good chemistry between Garbo and Gable, and she is chiefly responsible for it. I am in a minority here, but I always fail to see Garbo's 'indescribable charm and allure'. I guess I am too young. Nevertheless, it is she who makes the film work, and raises a poorly written and ultimately inferior movie to my rating of six.

This film is noteworthy because of the unique, mysterious, and wonderful screen presence of Greta Garbo. She is thoroughly convincing as the vulnerable young woman at the beginning of the film, and as her character becomes more worldly but still vulnerable she remains convincing. Occasionally she might lapse into acting that would seem to the modern viewer to be overly dramatic, but overall she is brilliant. Clark Gable is okay, but the construction of the film from a plot standpoint left something to be desired. Some things needed to be explained better. This seems to be a common problem with many early sound films as most of the 1928-31 sound films that I have seen are at times disjointed, leaving the viewer wondering why something occurred. That said, I recommend this film because of Garbo.

GRETA GARBO fans will undoubtedly forgive the screenplay which has Greta and CLARK GABLE romantically involved in an on again/off again relationship that is the basis for the whole movie. And, of course, Garbo's favorite cinematographer, William Daniels, is behind the camera making sure that she gets her fair share of lush close-ups.

It starts out promisingly enough as a Gothic melodrama with Garbo fleeing the advances of a drunken fiancé ALAN HALE and rushing out into the storm. She seeks shelter in a barn but is discovered by CLARK GABLE who promptly takes a shine to her and invites her to take shelter under his roof. The opening scenes with Garbo and Gable have an innocent charm that makes them delightful to watch, with Gable giving a more natural performance than Garbo who already has a bag of transparent acting tricks.

The plot thickens when Susan Lenox is forced to flee Gable's residence when her strict father and fiancé show up to bring her home. She ends up taking refuge on a circus train and ends up being "kept" by one of the managers. When she's reunited with Gable, it begins a series of misunderstandings. Garbo plays her role like the real diva she was, even pronouncing Gable's name--"Rodney"--in a melodramatic way.

It's strictly downhill into pulp romance territory for the rest of the way. It's Gable who gives one of his most likable performances and sustains interest in the story's development--not Garbo.

Summing up: Only for die-hard Garbo fans. Noteworthy for a very fine beginning which soon lapses into mediocrity.

The bastard orphan Helga Ohlin (Greta Garbo) has been abused by her uncle since she was a child. When she becomes a woman, he arranges her marriage with the alcoholic Jeb Mondstrum (Alan Hale). In a stormy night, Jed tries to rape Helga but she flees from home and hides in a garage to protect from the rain. The engineer Rodney Spencer (Clark Gable) meets Helga and brings her home. They have a love affair but when Rodney travels to Detroit in a six-day trip, her uncle and Jeb find her. Helga escapes again and hides in a train, where she meets an itinerant circus troupe and is invited to join the group. Without any money and with the police seeking her, Helga accepts the invitation adopting the alias Susan Lenox. She is forced by the circus manager Wayne Burlingham (John Miljan) to have a love affair with him. When Rodney finally finds her, he discovers that Wayne is her lover. He calls her gutter girl and leaves Helga. She travels to New York and becomes the mistress of the politician Mike Kelly (Hale Hamilton). Meanwhile Rodney is invited to a dinner party in Mike's house and Susan humiliates him. Rodney leaves the apartment and Susan regrets and tries to fond him. However he has left New York and Susan seeks him out? Will they meet each other again?

"Susan Lenox" is a Pre-Code film with a heartbreaking story of a woman that is forced to separate from her true love and becomes an easy woman to survive. Greta Garbo has another wonderful performance and shows a great chemistry with Clark Gable. The conclusion with an open end is a great moment of this film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Susan Lenox"