Diga Adeus a Maggie Cole

I was very pleasantly surprised by this film and am happy that Susan Hayward's last film was a good one. However, I must warn you...it's a sad film and you should have some Kleenex nearby as you watch!

When the film begins, Maggie's husband (Richard Anderson) dies and this middle-aged lady is looking to make some changes in her life. It just happens that Maggie (Hayward) is a doctor...she just hasn't practiced in 15 years. Soon she goes into practice with Dr. Grazzo (Darren McGavin). But putting up a shingle is not a smooth and easy process and Maggie experiences some ups and downs along the way. The toughest lesson is dealing with a young lady Maggie has grown to love...and the girl is dying.

Apart from the theme music which plays WAY too often, this is a very effective film with excellent acting. I I love the scrip--as it lacks the usual clichés. Actually, it's among the best of the ABC Movie of the Week installments I have seen...and I have seen quite a few.

Unlike other star's of her era, (Bette Davis, Joan Crawford) Susan Hayward's last role is quite memorable and touching even for a TV Movie of the Week. Movie starts off with Susan's character having to watch her husband die in a small plane accident. He is at the controls while having a heart attack and crashes killing him. Movie then follows Susan around as she decides what to do with her life, she is a doctor. She then decides to give something back to the community and works in an inner city clinic. Movie is quite good, Susan is great as usual. Also listen for the haunting and beautiful opening theme by non other than Dusty Springfield. A very fitting and dignified exit for a talented actress like Hayward.

As the other reviewers have noted this was the end of the line for Susan as she was felled soon after the completion of this by brain cancer. What's left for us is a glimpse of what the future may have held for her had illness not ended her life.

This was meant to be a pilot for a weekly series and scored high ratings on its debut so would have gone on to be a fixture of that fall's schedule. Unlike other stars of her era who had moved on to television this is no glamour undertaking set against mansions and drowning in jewels and furs, she is a doctor, recently widowed working in a slum clinic where her natural toughness could be put to effective use. There are concessions to her star status, look for the scene where the colors of the room match her hair and wardrobe, but overall the film tries to be at least somewhat realistic and Susan gives an assured committed performance. She also is well matched with Darren McGavin with his gruff demeanor their sparring matches are a pleasure to watch.

Also of note is Jeanette Nolan in a smallish part as the grandmother of a girl Susan has befriended. She takes her big moment and makes it absolutely heartbreaking with the simplicity with which she plays it.

An excellent example of when network TV movies were worth watching this is unfortunately only available on VHS and will probably never see the light of day on DVD unless it either becomes part of a collection of Susan Hayward films or a print on demand title so catch it if you ever have the chance.

Saw this movie as a teenager some 30 plus years ago, and it still impacts me today. Movie was a real tear jerker, and they just don't make them like this anymore. Hayward was fantastic in the role! Made me a huge Susan Hayward fan, and tried to see everything of hers that I could after this. But this one sticks out in my mind as one of her best, besides I Want to Live! If you are a Susan Hayward fan, then make a point to see this movie. I know it was an after school movie, one of those at 4:30 PM deals, but it was one worth seeing. Even though this was a "made for TV" deal, it could have had big success in the theaters if they had opted for that. To this day, I still don't know why they never did release it on the big screen. A real shame.

Susan Hayward was a star. She was a huge star. Why she is not better remembered today is a mystery. If nothing else, this 1972 TV movie, which would prove to be Hayward's swan song, reminds us of how great a screen presence she was. In "Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole" Hayward commands the screen no matter if the material is somewhat routine. The viewer is unable to take their eyes off her. She truly is magnificent. She gets strong support from Darrin McGavin and, especially, Jeanette Nolan. This film is becoming hard to find and is rarely televised but it is definitely worth viewing. "Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole" demands a DVD release if for no other reason than as a historical testament of the final film appearance of Susan Hayward and to remind audiences of today that she was one of the great American movie stars.