Cet enfant est mien

Literate, corny, beautifully photographed and scored, Susan Slade is pure soap opera elevated to the realm of high art through the brilliance of Delmer Daves' direction. I'd place Daves right up there with Douglas Sirk for his sheer command of the medium; his generous camera setups within a scene (such closeups!), use of color to suggest mood and character, and seamless transitions from scene to scene make his films a model of craftsmanship however one may feel about their content.

It's a mistake to self-righteously judge the story of Susan Slade and Dorothy McGuire's character by today's sensibilities. Part of the fascination of this film is trying to understand the moral standards and social pressures prevailing in 1961. As Dorothy McGuire says near the end of the film, "love is understanding." That's a message that should speak to any time.

I too love this movie. It takes me back to my teenage years when I could sit in the theatre and watch the movie over and over again without having to pay extra! I loved Connie Stevens and Troy Donahue! But I can't watch this movie anymore because it is never shown in Australia and it is not available on video. I hope someday it will be!

Sincere, sometimes campy drama from director Delmer Daves (sort of the stepchild to his more-popular "A Summer Place" and "Parrish") wherein young Susan has a baby out of wedlock and her mother poses as the infant's mother, causing jealousy and friction between the two. Beautifully shot by Lucien Ballard (a great choice for a location-rich film such as this), it moves along at a fast clip and has lots of high drama. Connie Stevens isn't Meryl Streep, and she jumps from different emotions with too practiced a speed, but I loved her acting in the hospital waiting room when she comes clean in front of Mama, and I really bought her romance with scowling Troy Donahue. As the elders, Lloyd Nolan and Dorothy McGuire are exceptional, as is the production design (featuring a gorgeous ocean-front home in Monterey). The infrequent voice-over narration (first by Nolan and then later by Stevens) is an intrusion--who are they talking to?--and there's a silliness inherent in the trappings of the plot that render it dated, but I did find myself thinking about it days afterward. As sudsers go, it's first-rate. ***1/2 from ****

I saw this movie when it was first released. It was a "must see" because my cousin and I were such Troy Donahue fans. I felt it was wonderful and would like to see it again - often! However, it is never shown on television and I have been unable to get information regarding purchasing it either on VHS or DVD. Please help! Perhaps it is a bit soap operaish but who cares. It is the kind of thing girls loved in 1961 and now that we are older, we like to remember by watching the same movies we saw back when.

People talk a lot about Douglas Sirk and Ross Hunter when it comes to glossy soap operas, but let's not forget about "written, directed, and produced by Delmar Daves." As a writer, Daves was responsible for some wonderful films such as "An Affair to Remember," "Dark Passage," and one of my favorites, "It All Came True." Once the late '50s hit, he was happier with the big glossy films for the younger set - "Rome Adventure," "Youngbood Hawke," "Parrish," "A Summer Place," and "Susan Slade," all of which he directed.

"Susan Slade" stars Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Lloyd Nolan, Brian Aherne, Bert Convy, and Dorothy McGuire. Stevens plays the title role, that of a sheltered young woman who's been living with her parents overseas. She becomes involved on the ship back to America with a mountain climber named Conn (Grant Williams) who loses his life on a mountain and leaves Susan pregnant. She has a couple of men after her: the brooding Hoyt Brecker (Donahue), whose father was involved in a scandal, and Wells Corbett (Bert Convy), the son of the Slades' best friends (Brian Aherne and Natalie Schaefer). Susan's loving parents (Lloyd Nolan and Dorothy McGuire) are very concerned that an illegitimate child will ruin Susan's life and her prospects.

Well, needless to say, this is pretty dated, considering nowadays most people have babies and don't think about getting married, if they do, until much later! So all the hoopla hearkens back to a different morality.

Connie Stevens is good, though I prefer her in lighter comedy, where she really shone; and Donahue looks good (by Palm Springs Weekend he'd really had it) and Daves knew how to direct him to his best advantage. However, he always did a lot with that brooding look. Bert Convy doesn't seem all that comfortable, or is it that I associate him with game shows, I don't know.

Stevens and Donahue are surrounded by a terrific cast of veterans, which also includes Kent Smith as the doctor.

"Susan Slade" is very lushly photographed and scored, with young, vital, good-looking leads. It's entertaining, as are all of the Daves films in this genre.