Susan Hayward

Susan Hayward

Biography and Film Career

Susan Hayward (1917–1975) was a Brooklyn-born actress who rose from modeling to become one of Hollywood’s most powerful dramatic stars. Known for her fiery presence and emotionally raw performances, she earned five Academy Award nominations and won Best Actress for I Want to Live! (1958).

She excelled in portraying strong, troubled women in films like Smash-Up, I’ll Cry Tomorrow, and My Foolish Heart. Off-screen, she endured a turbulent first marriage and found stability in her second, living quietly in Georgia. Her intense, no-nonsense style and refusal to glamorize her characters set her apart in an era of stylized femininity.

Diagnosed with brain cancer in the early 1970s, she died in 1975 at age 57. Hayward’s legacy endures as a symbol of resilience, authenticity, and the emotional force of mid-20th-century American cinema.

Related

I Want to Live! - 1958

Susan Hayward (1917 – 1975)

The Queen of the Big Melodrama

Born Edythe Marrenner on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, Susan Hayward would rise from humble beginnings to become one of Hollywood’s most compelling dramatic actresses of the 1940s and 1950s. Her journey to fame was marked by resilience, passion, and an enduring intensity that translated powerfully on screen.

Early Life and Childhood

Edythe was the youngest of three children born to Walter Marrenner, a transportation worker, and Ellen Pearson, a Swedish housewife. Her father was of Irish descent, and the family’s working-class background provided a grounding that would inform many of the gritty roles she would later portray. Hayward grew up during the hardships of the Great Depression in a tenement neighborhood in Brooklyn, which instilled in her a sense of determination and a no-nonsense approach to life.

She attended Girls' Commercial High School (now known as Prospect Heights High School), where she studied stenography. Though she had no formal acting aspirations at the time, she was strikingly beautiful and eventually found work as a fashion model, posing for photographers and department store catalogs to help support her family.

The Path Toward Stardom

In 1937, still barely twenty, Edythe traveled to Hollywood with hopes of being cast as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. Though she did not win the part, her striking looks and screen presence caught the attention of talent scouts. She began working under the stage name Susan Hayward, a more glamorous moniker chosen to suit the screen.

During her early years in Hollywood, Hayward struggled to break into major roles. She appeared in numerous B-movies and secondary roles throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. Despite being under contract with Warner Bros. and later Paramount, she often found herself typecast as the decorative female lead. But Hayward was determined to be more than just another pretty face.

Her breakthrough came with "Beau Geste" (1939), in which she held her own alongside Gary Cooper. Still, true critical acclaim eluded her until the late 1940s. That changed with "Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman" (1947), where she portrayed an alcoholic nightclub singer. The role was raw, tragic, and emotionally resonant—and it earned Hayward her first Academy Award nomination.

Career Highlights and Signature Roles

Susan Hayward quickly built a reputation for portraying emotionally intense, often tormented women—characters with fierce spirits, tragic flaws, and indomitable will. She excelled in melodramas and biopics, bringing depth and nuance to roles that in lesser hands could have felt overwrought.

Her most memorable performances include:

• "My Foolish Heart" (1949) – A romantic drama that brought her a second Oscar nomination.
• "With a Song in My Heart" (1952) – Though Jane Froman had hoped to play herself, Hayward portrayed the singer with remarkable conviction.
• "I'll Cry Tomorrow" (1955) – As singer and alcoholic Lillian Roth, Hayward again explored addiction and trauma, earning her a fourth Academy Award nomination.
• "I Want to Live!" (1958) – In what is widely considered her greatest performance, Hayward portrayed Barbara Graham, a woman sentenced to death for murder. The role won her the Academy Award for Best Actress and remains a landmark in her career.

By the late 1950s, she was one of the highest-paid and most respected actresses in Hollywood.

Personal Life and Passions

Despite her professional success, Susan Hayward’s personal life was often marked by turbulence. She was known to be intensely private, sometimes temperamental, and fiercely independent. Those who worked with her described her as a perfectionist who threw herself wholly into her roles but was guarded and emotionally complex offscreen.

She had a strong passion for horses, dogs, and the outdoors—interests that would later influence her choice to live outside of Hollywood's glare in Georgia. She also had a love for music and painting, often retreating into quieter artistic hobbies between films.

Marriages and Family

In 1944, Hayward married actor Jess Barker, and the following year, she gave birth to twin sons, Gregory and Timothy. The marriage, however, was deeply troubled. Barker and Hayward separated in the early 1950s and went through a bitter, highly public divorce in 1954, during which Hayward attempted suicide—an incident that, although never officially confirmed, was widely reported in the press.

In 1957, Hayward married Floyd Eaton Chalkley, a southern businessman and former FBI agent. This second marriage was deeply fulfilling and grounded her in a way Hollywood never had. The couple settled in Carrollton, Georgia, where Hayward embraced a quieter, more rural life away from the pressures of stardom. She was often seen riding horses on her property, attending local events, and enjoying life as a Southern lady. Friends and neighbors noted her warmth and grace in these years.

Chalkley died suddenly in 1966, leaving Hayward devastated. Though she continued to act in the years that followed, the loss profoundly affected her, and she began to withdraw from public life.

Final Years and Death

In the early 1970s, Hayward was diagnosed with brain cancer, a diagnosis that shocked fans and friends alike. It was rumored—though never definitively proven—that her illness may have been linked to filming The Conqueror (1956) in a desert area downwind of U.S. nuclear testing in Utah. Several other cast and crew members from that production, including John Wayne and director Dick Powell, also later died of cancer, giving rise to speculation about radioactive exposure.

Despite her illness, Hayward remained dignified and resilient. She made one of her final public appearances at the 1974 Academy Awards, thin and visibly frail, but still commanding in presence. She died on March 14, 1975, at the age of 57, in her Beverly Hills home. Her twin sons were by her side.

She was buried next to her beloved second husband in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cemetery in Carrollton, Georgia.

Legacy

Susan Hayward's legacy is that of a true dramatic powerhouse—a woman who brought intelligence, fire, and empathy to every role she played. She wasn't afraid to tackle unglamorous or deeply flawed characters, and she often championed scripts that gave voice to women facing real emotional and societal challenges.

With five Oscar nominations and one win, she stands among the finest actresses of Hollywood’s golden age. Her films continue to resonate, and her performances, particularly in I Want to Live! and I'll Cry Tomorrow, remain benchmarks for actresses tackling difficult, complex roles.

Her life, like her screen roles, was layered and sometimes painful—but always fiercely authentic.

Physical Stats and Body Features of Susan Hayward

• Height: 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm)
• Weight (approx.): Around 110–115 lbs (50–52 kg) during her prime
• Hair Color: Naturally brown, but famously dyed red – it became one of her trademarks
• Eye Color: Green
• Figure/Measurements: Approximately 34-24-34 inches (86-61-86 cm)
  ▸ Typical of the classic hourglass figure idealized in the 1940s–50s

Distinctive Features

• Fiery Red Hair: A signature look that set her apart and added to her onscreen intensity
• Strong Jawline & High Cheekbones: Gave her a commanding screen presence
• Expressive Eyes: Often described as “smoldering” or “piercing,” used to convey deep emotion
• Voice: Low, slightly husky, conveying maturity and strength—uncommon among actresses of her era

Susan Hayward’s Net Worth Estimation

Estate & Net Worth at Death

• Estate Value: Hayward’s will, filed shortly after her death in March 1975, left approximately $750,000 to her twin sons, Gregory and Timothy Barker
• Adjusted for Inflation: That sum—when converted to today's value—equates to roughly $4 million.

Context & Debunking Myths

• Some unverified accounts online claim she was worth over $100 million, but no reliable evidence supports this, and these figures are likely gross exaggerations .
• Considering Hayward’s successful film career—including multiple Oscar nominations, one Oscar win, high salaries at the peak of her career, and residual earnings from television and later films—the $750,000 estate reflects a substantial, yet realistic, wealth accumulation by a Hollywood star of her era.

Susan Hayward wins Best Actress Oscar in 1959 for I Want to Live!

Susan Hayward’s Acting Style: A Study in Fire and Fragility

Susan Hayward was not a chameleon in the way some of her contemporaries were—she didn't disappear into roles so much as imbue each character with a recognizable but deeply human core: a simmering intensity, a wounded pride, and a fierce independence that burned through the screen. What defined Hayward’s acting was not versatility in shape-shifting, but the emotional authenticity and conviction she brought to every role. Whether playing a tortured singer, a condemned woman, or a heartbroken lover, Hayward radiated a mixture of vulnerability and iron will that made her performances unforgettable.

Emotional Intensity and Realism

Hayward excelled at roles requiring emotional extremes: grief, rage, desperation, longing, and guilt. But unlike many of the more stylized actresses of the 1940s and 1950s, she didn't overplay her hand. Her emotional scenes, no matter how melodramatic the script, felt raw and immediate. She had a talent for suggesting deep reservoirs of feeling behind her eyes—her inner world was always active, even when silent.

• In I'll Cry Tomorrow, her portrayal of alcoholic singer Lillian Roth wasn’t simply tragic—it was visceral. She didn’t act addiction; she embodied the loss of control, self-loathing, and frantic yearning beneath it.
• In I Want to Live!, Hayward’s depiction of a woman on death row was not merely sorrowful; it was defiant, confused, terrified, and fierce, all at once. Her Oscar-winning performance turned Barbara Graham from a statistic into a living, breathing woman whose humanity demanded recognition.

Strength Without Glamour

Unlike many studio-era actresses who leaned into glamour or coyness, Hayward projected strength—not in a showy, masculine way, but in her firm jaw, steady gaze, and no-nonsense delivery. Even when playing characters who were broken or lost, Hayward never came across as helpless. Her women were often caught in tragic circumstances, but they fought back, lashed out, or clawed for dignity.

• Her voice—husky, slightly rough, and unmistakably grounded—reinforced that strength. It made her believable as a woman who’d been through things, not just pretending.
• In period pieces or biblical epics (David and Bathsheba, Demetrius and the Gladiators), Hayward brought a modern woman’s intelligence and self-respect to otherwise passive roles, making them far more compelling.

Controlled Physicality and Subtle Expression

Hayward wasn’t theatrical in her gestures. She didn’t rely heavily on sweeping arm movements or elaborate blocking. Instead, she used small, precise physical cues—tightening of the jaw, turning away in silence, a trembling hand, a flash of contempt in her eyes. This restraint made her eruptions of emotion—screaming, crying, breaking down—all the more powerful.

• In courtroom or confrontation scenes, she rarely needed to shout to command the scene. A cold stare or a slow turn of her head could silence everyone.

Repetition with Variation

Many of her roles followed similar themes—women in trouble, often brought low by love, vice, or trauma—but Hayward never played them the same way twice. She could portray vulnerability in one character and righteous fury in the next, even within the same narrative arc. Her craft was in the shading: how much of herself the character showed to the world, how much she held in reserve.

Refusal to Be “Cute”

Hayward was not flirtatious, giggly, or sweet—at least, not as her acting persona. She refused to conform to the softer image often assigned to leading ladies. That’s not to say she lacked sex appeal—far from it. But her sensuality came from power and passion, not from coquettishness. She seduced not by batting her lashes but by meeting her scene partner’s gaze with equal force.

The Personal Behind the Performance

Hayward brought her own life—its pains, disappointments, and loneliness—into her work. Her own experiences with emotional distress, marriage troubles, and grief likely gave her a deep understanding of the suffering she portrayed. Audiences sensed this. She never felt like an actress “pretending” to be sad; she seemed to know sadness intimately.

This connection between life and performance created a truthful rawness that modern audiences still respond to. Even when the scripts were dated or melodramatic, Hayward’s performances were ageless in emotional clarity.

Conclusion: The Storm Within

Susan Hayward’s acting was a storm held behind a calm exterior—a performance style built not on flamboyance but on emotional combustion just under the surface. She wasn’t the most versatile, but she was often the most believable, especially when portraying women society had written off or misjudged.

Her legacy is not just in the awards or roles, but in the space she carved for complicated women in American film. Her work paved the way for actresses who insisted on portraying real pain, real fire, and real humanity. She didn’t just play women who wanted to live—she made you feel like they deserved to.

Gone With the Wind Audition

Susan Hayward’s audition for Gone with the Wind (1939) is one of the most famous "what if" stories in Hollywood casting history.

The Audition for Scarlett O’Hara

In 1937, still a struggling model and aspiring actress in her early 20s, Edythe Marrenner (not yet known as Susan Hayward) traveled from Brooklyn to Hollywood to audition for the coveted role of Scarlett O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s massive production of Gone with the Wind.

Selznick held an unprecedented talent search—thousands of actresses were tested, both known and unknown, from the U.S. and abroad. Hayward was one of the many hopefuls. She reportedly stood out for her striking appearance—red hair, sharp cheekbones, and expressive green eyes—but she was still very green as an actress at that point.

Performance and Reception

• She did a screen test and, by some accounts, impressed with her looks but lacked the refinement and southern charm Selznick envisioned.
• Producers considered her too “Brooklyn” in speech and carriage to convincingly play a Southern belle.
• Hayward herself later admitted that she wasn’t ready for the role and had little chance given her inexperience.

 Outcome and Impact

• Vivien Leigh eventually won the role—famously arriving from England and winning Selznick’s favor after an impromptu screen test.
• Though Hayward didn't get the part, her audition led to increased interest from studios, and shortly after, she signed with Warner Bros. for bit parts. Her career slowly gained momentum from that point forward.

Legacy of the Audition

• The Gone with the Wind audition became a turning point in Hayward’s life. It wasn’t a failure—it was a foot in the door.
• It also showed her ambition: she traveled cross-country on a long-shot dream and left a strong enough impression to get noticed in a town overflowing with aspiring actresses.

Famous Personal Quotes by Susan Hayward

• “I never thought of myself as a movie star. I'm just a working girl.”
  ▸ Reflects her down-to-earth attitude and view of acting as a craft, not a lifestyle.
• “You aim at all the things you have been told that stardom means—money, fame, adulation—and you find out it is a cardboard cutout.”
  ▸ A commentary on the emptiness behind Hollywood’s glamorous facade.
• “If you’re a woman and want to have a life in Hollywood, you’d better be tough.”
  ▸ Spoken from experience, as she often battled both studio politics and personal hardship.
• “I hate injustice. It makes me see red.”
  ▸ A core part of her persona, both on and off screen—she frequently played women fighting against injustice.

Memorable Lines from Her Films

• “I want to live!” – I Want to Live! (1958)
  ▸ Her most famous line, repeated in desperation before Barbara Graham’s execution. It became a haunting emblem of the death penalty debate and remains a defining cinematic moment.
• “I can’t drown my sorrows; they learn how to swim.” – I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
  ▸ A bitterly poignant line that encapsulates the character’s battle with alcoholism and grief.
• “You don't love me. You don't even know me!” – My Foolish Heart (1949)
  ▸ Delivered with anguish in a film about regret and missed opportunities.
• “Men always say they want to know the truth. The funny thing is—they never do.” – Back Street (1961)
  ▸ Spoken by a woman caught in a lifelong affair, it reflects the kind of jaded wisdom common in Hayward’s roles.
• “You don't get very far in life being soft. I've learned that the hard way.” – Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
  ▸ A classic example of Hayward’s screen toughness wrapped in elegance.

Awards and Recognition

Academy Awards (Oscars)

Susan Hayward was nominated five times for Best Actress, winning once:

• Winner – I Want to Live! (1958)
  ▸ Hayward won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her searing portrayal of Barbara Graham, a death row inmate. This performance remains her most acclaimed and iconic.
• Nominee – Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman (1947)
  ▸ Her first nomination, for playing an alcoholic nightclub singer whose life unravels due to addiction and heartbreak.
• Nominee – My Foolish Heart (1949)
  ▸ A romantic melodrama in which she played a woman haunted by a failed love affair.
• Nominee – With a Song in My Heart (1952)
  ▸ Though lip-synching to Jane Froman’s voice, her performance as the injured singer recovering from a plane crash earned critical respect.
• Nominee – I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
  ▸ A courageous, emotionally raw performance as singer Lillian Roth, battling alcoholism and personal demons.

Cannes Film Festival

• Best Actress Winner – I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
  ▸ Hayward won Best Actress at Cannes for her powerful performance as Lillian Roth. The award solidified her international reputation.

Golden Globe Awards

• Winner – With a Song in My Heart (1953)
  ▸ Hayward won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her portrayal of Jane Froman.
• Nominee – I Want to Live! (1958)
  ▸ Nominated in the Best Actress – Drama category.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

• Star on the Walk of Fame
  ▸ Awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the motion picture industry.
  ▸ Location: 6251 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
  ▸ Date: February 8, 1960

 Laurel Awards

The Laurel Awards were industry-voted honors sponsored by Motion Picture Exhibitor magazine:

• Top Female Star (Multiple Years) – Ranked several times during the 1950s
  ▸ Hayward was consistently voted among the Top 10 Box Office Female Stars by theater owners and exhibitors during her peak years.

Other Honors and Legacy Recognition

• American Film Institute (AFI) Consideration
  ▸ While not officially listed in AFI’s 25 Greatest Female Screen Legends (1999), Hayward is often cited in retrospective articles and rankings as one of the most powerful actresses of the 1950s.
• Posthumous Praise and Tributes
  ▸ Hayward is frequently included in film retrospectives, classic film festivals, and academic studies of female representation in post-war American cinema.

Susan Hayward Movies

1938

• Girls on Probation – Hayward debuts as Gloria Adams, a naive young woman sent to a reform school for a crime she didn’t commit
• The Sisters – Minor part as a telephone operator in a story about three sisters torn apart by scandal
• Comet Over Broadway – Plays a hopeful amateur actress trying to break into Broadway life

1939

• Beau Geste – As Isobel Rivers, she plays the love interest in this Dustin‑Saloomoned French Foreign Legion adventure
• Our Leading Citizen – Portrays a journalist’s granddaughter in this small‑town political satire
• $1,000 a Touchdown – Plays Betty McGlen in a college football comedy diamond

1941

• Among the Living – As Millie Pickens, she is caught in a criminal underworld drama
• Adam Had Four Sons – Supporting role in this family drama about a widown survivor during hard times
• Sis Hopkins – Hayward appears as Carol Hopkins in a comedic rural‑girl‑in‑the‑big‑city story

1942

• Reap the Wild Wind – Plays Drusilla Alston, a shipwreck intrigue film set in Key West
• The Forest Rangers – As Tana Mason, part of a firefighting‑against‑sabotage forest drama
• I Married a Witch – As Estelle Masterson in a romantic comedy about a witch returning to torment descendant
• Star Spangled Rhythm – Featured in a revue‑style patriotic musical

1943

• Jack London – Minor role as Charmian Kittredge in the biopic of the famed American writer
• Hit Parade of 1943 – Musical comedy as Jill Wright performing patriotic songs
• Young and Willing – Plays Kate Benson in a romantic comedy about unmarried co‑habitants

1944

• The Fighting Seabees – As Constance Chesley opposite John Wayne in a wartime naval drama
• The Hairy Ape – As Mildred Douglas, in this adaptation of O’Neill’s play about class struggle

1946

• Canyon Passage – In the Oregon frontier Western, she plays a woman torn between two men
• Deadline at Dawn – Small part in this noir thriller, centered on a stranded sailor investigating a murder

1947

• Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman – Susan portrays an alcoholic singer grappling with her downfall—her first Oscar nomination
• They Won’t Believe Me – Film noir as a manipulative widow in a plot of murder and corruption
• The Lost Moment – Romantic drama set in Italy, where she plays a mysterious woman in a tragic love story
• Tap Roots – As Trail with Richard Whitman in this WWII air combat drama

1948

• The Saxon Charm – Minor role in a decadent society drama about reforming a troubled man

1949

• House of Strangers – As part of a mafia family drama about betrayal and power
• My Foolish Heart – Moves into melodrama as a woman torn between love and loyalty—Oscar‑nominated
• Tulsa – Plays a mother in a story about oil‑boom town family struggles .

1951

• I’d Climb the Highest Mountain – Religious‑themed rural drama as a Presbyterian minister’s wife
• Rawhide – As Virginia Calderwood in a cattle‑drive Western alongside Tyrone Power
• I Can Get It for You Wholesale – Leads in this Upper‑East‑Side garment industry drama
• David and Bathsheba – As Bathsheba opposite Gregory Peck in this biblical epic

1952

• With a Song in My Heart – Hayward stars as Jane Froman in a biopic chronicling a singing star’s recovery after a plane crash
• The Snows of Kilimanjaro – Plays Helen in the Hemingway adaptation involving illness, flashbacks, and romance in Africa
• The Lusty Men – As Louise Merritt in a rodeo drama exploring ambition and disillusionment

1953

• The President’s Lady – As Rachel Donelson, wife of Andrew Jackson in this historical romance
• White Witch Doctor – Jungle adventure as Ellen Burton seeking her husband in Africa

1954

• Demetrius and the Gladiators – As the scheming Empress Messalina in this biblical sequel
• Garden of Evil – As Leah Fuller, trapped with miners in a perilous canyon western

1955

• Untamed – Plays Katie O’Neill in a South African pioneer romance
• Soldier of Fortune – As Jane Hoyt, she embarks on a daring rescue mission in China with Clark Gable
• I’ll Cry Tomorrow – Portrays troubled singer Lillian Roth battling alcoholism—Oscar‑nominated; wins Cannes Best Actress

1956

• The Conqueror – As Bortai, love interest of Genghis Khan (John Wayne) in an epic widely criticized but commercially successful
• Top Secret Affair – Romantic comedy with Kirk Douglas—flopped critically

1958

• I Want to Live! – Her signature performance as death‑row inmate Barbara Graham, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress

1959

• Thunder in the Sun – As Gabrielle Dauphin in a French‑Irish family Western set during the Gold Rush era
• Woman Obsessed – Plays Mary Sharron, a widow rebuilding her life with a rancher and troubled stepson

1960–1961

• The Marriage‑Go‑Round (1960) – As Content Delville, the wife of a conservative college professor in romantic comedy
• Ada (1961) – Stars as Ada Gillis, a politician’s wife caught in scandal
• Back Street (1961) – Plays Rae Smith in a melodrama about a woman’s lifelong affair with a married man

1962

• I Thank a Fool – As Dr. Christine Allison, convicted for mercy‑killing and blackmailed by her prosecutor

1963

• Stolen Hours – Mystery drama playing Laura Pember, who reacquaints with a former lover after illness

1964

• Where Love Has Gone – As Valerie Hayden Miller in a crime drama about a scandalous murder in a family

1967

• Valley of the Dolls – As Helen Lawson, a faded star and mentor in this pop‑culture tragedy
• The Honey Pot – A comedic farce about a millionaire’s will, featuring Hayward as Mrs. Lone Star Crockett

1972

• The Revengers – Her final theatrical role as Elizabeth Reilly, supporting a revenge‑plot Western with William Holden