Susan Fleming
Encyclopedia
Susan Fleming was an American actress known as the "Girl with the Million Dollar Legs" for a role she played in the W. C. Fields
film Million Dollar Legs (1932). Her big stage break which led to her Hollywood career was as one of the famed "Ziegfeld Girls" in the Ziegfeld Follies
.
and went to school in Forest Hills, Queens
. After starring in the Ziegfeld Follies
productions on Broadway
, she started appearing in movies. One of her earliest film roles was a starring role in Range Feud
as Judy Walton, the love interest of John Wayne
. Fleming combined her dancing and cinematic interests in the 1932 movie Million Dollar Legs, in which she played the daughter of W. C. Fields' character. As part of a publicity stunt for the film, her legs were insured for the eponymous million dollars.
Fleming was unhappy with Hollywood, stating in a 1995 interview that she found "nothing more boring than working on a movie... I hated it!". At a dinner party held in the home of Samuel Goldwyn
, she was seated next to Harpo Marx
and found him fascinating. Despite his silent persona in films, she found Marx to be "a warm, fun, darling man to talk to". She pursued him relentlessly, dating for four years and proposing marriage to him on three separate occasions before he accepted. She ended her Hollywood career when she married Marx on September 28, 1936. Fleming's wedding to Marx was revealed to the public when President of the United States
Franklin D. Roosevelt
sent the couple a telegram of congratulations in November. Marx had sent a thank you letter to Roosevelt in appreciation for a signed photograph of the President, in which Marx had stated that he was "in line for congratulations, too, having been married since September" in an unspecified "little town up North".
, a few years after the completion of the 1949 film Love Happy
, the last movie the Marx Brothers
made together under that name. In Palm Springs, Fleming became active in local community affairs, and was elected to the Palm Springs Unified School District
Board of Education.
Marx died at age 75 on September 28, 1964, their 28th wedding anniversary. Following his death, Fleming became more involved in local activities, including the local League of Women Voters
. She became an advisory planning commissioner for Rancho Mirage, California
, and headed an organization dedicated to preserving development on the fragile desert hillsides. She served a total of 18 years on the district board of education and ran and lost in a campaign for the California State Assembly
.
In a 1981 decision later overruled by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
in a case brought by Fleming, federal judge William C. Conner
ruled that the producers of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine
had improperly used the Marx Brothers
characters in their Broadway theatre
production and that the publicity rights of the comedians, even after their deaths, overrode the First Amendment issues raised by the show's creators. In April 1980, Conner refused to issue a preliminary injunction
and allowed producer Alexander H. Cohen
to open as planned.
Fleming's autobiography, Go Tell, about her life with Harpo Marx, was never published.
at Eisenhower Medical Center
in Rancho Mirage, California
. She was survived by a daughter, three sons, five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
film Million Dollar Legs (1932). Her big stage break which led to her Hollywood career was as one of the famed "Ziegfeld Girls" in the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
.
Career
Fleming was from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and went to school in Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
. After starring in the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
productions on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, she started appearing in movies. One of her earliest film roles was a starring role in Range Feud
Range Feud
Range Feud is a 1931 Western film that stars Buck Jones and John Wayne. It was remade in 1934 as The Red Rider.-Cast:* Buck Jones - Sheriff Buck Gordon* John Wayne - Clint Turner* Susan Fleming - Judy Walton* Edward LeSaint - John Walton...
as Judy Walton, the love interest of John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. Fleming combined her dancing and cinematic interests in the 1932 movie Million Dollar Legs, in which she played the daughter of W. C. Fields' character. As part of a publicity stunt for the film, her legs were insured for the eponymous million dollars.
Fleming was unhappy with Hollywood, stating in a 1995 interview that she found "nothing more boring than working on a movie... I hated it!". At a dinner party held in the home of Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn was an American film producer, and founding contributor executive of several motion picture studios.-Biography:...
, she was seated next to Harpo Marx
Harpo Marx
Adolph "Harpo" Marx was an American comedian and film star. He was the second oldest of the Marx Brothers. His comic style was influenced by clown and pantomime traditions. He wore a curly reddish wig, and never spoke during performances...
and found him fascinating. Despite his silent persona in films, she found Marx to be "a warm, fun, darling man to talk to". She pursued him relentlessly, dating for four years and proposing marriage to him on three separate occasions before he accepted. She ended her Hollywood career when she married Marx on September 28, 1936. Fleming's wedding to Marx was revealed to the public when President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
sent the couple a telegram of congratulations in November. Marx had sent a thank you letter to Roosevelt in appreciation for a signed photograph of the President, in which Marx had stated that he was "in line for congratulations, too, having been married since September" in an unspecified "little town up North".
Personal life
Fleming was happy to leave show business, serving as Marx's "valet" and raising their four adoptive children. In addition to his widespread interest in playing musical instruments, including his trademark harp, Fleming helped foster her husband's interest in painting; she would make elaborate frames for his paintings, as well as creating her own works of art. The two collected many artworks, which Fleming donated widely after her husband's death. They moved to Palm Springs, CaliforniaPalm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, a few years after the completion of the 1949 film Love Happy
Love Happy
Love Happy was the 14th and last starring feature for the Marx Brothers. The film stars Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, and, in a smaller role than usual, Groucho Marx, plus Ilona Massey, Vera-Ellen, Paul Valentine, Marion Hutton, Raymond Burr, Bruce Gordon , and Eric Blore, with a walk-on by Marilyn Monroe...
, the last movie the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
made together under that name. In Palm Springs, Fleming became active in local community affairs, and was elected to the Palm Springs Unified School District
Palm Springs Unified School District
The Palm Springs Unified School District, or PSUSD, is one of three public education governing bodies in the Coachella Valley desert region of Southern California. PSUSD governs the western half of the valley; the Coachella Valley Unified School District and Desert Sands Unified School District...
Board of Education.
Marx died at age 75 on September 28, 1964, their 28th wedding anniversary. Following his death, Fleming became more involved in local activities, including the local League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
. She became an advisory planning commissioner for Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
, and headed an organization dedicated to preserving development on the fragile desert hillsides. She served a total of 18 years on the district board of education and ran and lost in a campaign for the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
.
In a 1981 decision later overruled by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
in a case brought by Fleming, federal judge William C. Conner
William C. Conner
William Curtis Conner was a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York...
ruled that the producers of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine
A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine
A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine is a musical comedy consisting of two essentially independent one-act plays, with a book and lyrics by Dick Vosburgh and music by Frank Lazarus...
had improperly used the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
characters in their Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production and that the publicity rights of the comedians, even after their deaths, overrode the First Amendment issues raised by the show's creators. In April 1980, Conner refused to issue a preliminary injunction
Preliminary injunction
A preliminary injunction, in equity, is an injunction entered by a court prior to a final determination of the merits of a legal case, in order to restrain a party from going forward with a course of conduct or compelling a party to continue with a course of conduct until the case has been decided...
and allowed producer Alexander H. Cohen
Alexander H. Cohen
Alexander H. Cohen was a prolific American theatrical producer who mounted more than one hundred productions on both sides of the Atlantic. He was the only American producer to maintain offices in the West End as well as on Broadway.-Personal life:Cohen was born in New York City...
to open as planned.
Fleming's autobiography, Go Tell, about her life with Harpo Marx, was never published.
Death
Fleming outlived Marx by almost forty years during which time she was an artist and activist in the Palm Springs area. She died at age 94 on December 22, 2002, of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at Eisenhower Medical Center
Eisenhower Medical Center
The Eisenhower Medical Center is a not-for-profit hospital located in Rancho Mirage, California. It was named one of the top one hundred hospitals in the United States in 2005 and is adjacent to the world-famous Betty Ford Center....
in Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
. She was survived by a daughter, three sons, five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1931 | Lover Come Back | Susan | |
| Arizona Arizona (1931 film) Arizona is a 1931 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz. The film stars Laura La Plante, John Wayne and June Clyde... |
Dot | Uncredited Alternative title: Men Are Like That |
|
| A Dangerous Affair | Florence | ||
| Range Feud Range Feud Range Feud is a 1931 Western film that stars Buck Jones and John Wayne. It was remade in 1934 as The Red Rider.-Cast:* Buck Jones - Sheriff Buck Gordon* John Wayne - Clint Turner* Susan Fleming - Judy Walton* Edward LeSaint - John Walton... |
Judy Walton | ||
| 1932 | Ladies of the Jury | Suzanne | Uncredited |
| Careless Lady | Guest of Captain Girard | Uncredited | |
| Million Dollar Legs | Angela | ||
| Heritage of the Desert | Dance Hall Girl | Uncredited Alternative title: When the West Was Young |
|
| 1933 | Olsen's Big Moment | Virginia West | Alternative title: Olsen's Night Out |
| He Learned About Women | Joan Allen | ||
| I Love That Man | Miss Jones, Stenographer | ||
| My Weakness | Jacqueline Wood | ||
| Broadway Through a Keyhole | Chorine | Uncredited | |
| 1934 | Now I'll Tell Now I'll Tell Now I'll Tell is a 1934 American drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Helen Twelvetrees, and Alice Faye. The film was directed and written by Edwin J. Burke and is based on a novel by Mrs. Arnold Robinson. The film is about a gambler who gets in trouble with the mob by fixing fights and loses his... |
Bit role | Uncredited Alternative titles: When New York Sleeps When New York Sleeps |
| She Learned About Sailors She Learned About Sailors She Learned About Sailors is a 1934 drama film starring Alice Faye, and Lew Ayres. The movie was directed by George Marshall. The movie is about a night club singer in Shanghai who falls in love with an American sailor.-Cast:* Alice Faye - Jean Legoi... |
Uncredited | ||
| Charlie Chan's Courage | Chorus Girl | ||
| Call It Luck | Alice Blue | ||
| Elinor Norton | Publisher's Staff | Uncredited | |
| 1935 | George White's 1935 Scandals George White's 1935 Scandals George White's 1935 Scandals is an American musical film, written by Jack Yellen and produced in 1935 by Fox Film Corporation . It was a follow-up to the 1934 release, George White's Scandals.-Plot:The film centers on real-life stage and screen producer George White as he gathers acts for his new... |
Chorine | Uncredited |
| Break of Hearts Break of Hearts Break of Hearts is a 1935 RKO film starring Katharine Hepburn and Charles Boyer. The screenplay was written by the team of Sarah Y. Mason and Victor Heerman, with Anthony Veiller, from a story by Lester Cohen, specifically for Hepburn.... |
Elise | ||
| Navy Wife | Jenny | Alternative title: Beauty's Daughter | |
| 1936 | The Great Ziegfeld The Great Ziegfeld The Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin... |
Ziegfeld Girl | Uncredited |
| Star for a Night | Mildred La Rue | ||
| Gold Diggers of 1937 Gold Diggers of 1937 Gold Diggers of 1937 is a 1936 Warner Bros. movie musical directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell, who were married at the time, and Victor Moore. The film features songs by the teams of Harold Arlen and E.Y... |
Lucille Bailey (Hobart's secretary) | ||
| 1937 | God's Country and the Woman | Grace Moran, Steve's Secretary | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1954 | Inner Sanctum | Liz | 1 episode |