Lou’s View

By Lou Bernard

If you go to one of the online streaming services, or maybe pick up a DVD, you can watch a movie called “The Marrying Kind.” It was released seventy years ago, in February of 1952, and it’s a comedy involving a couple getting a divorce. Oh, and it has a Clinton County connection, too, according to a Renovo Record article from July 14, 1952.

Susan Hallaran was born on November 3, 1944 in New York, making her eight years old when the movie came out. So why should you care about this? Because her mother was from Renovo.

Claire Hallaran was born Claire Gardner, growing up in Renovo, Pennsylvania. As an adult she married Paul Hallaran, and they had Susan, and one older daughter, Toni, who was also an actress.

Little Susan didn’t intend to be an actress—She had an ambition to be a babysitter. But when director George Cukor offered her an audition, she wound up playing daughter Ellen Keefer in the movie.

“Despite the fact that Susan found charm in planning to become a babysitter, she was sufficiently interested in acting to memorize all the scripts her sister played,” the article explained. “ family friend, with three acting children of her own, learned that a little girl was needed for ‘The Marrying Kind.’ She informed an agent that her own youngsters were busy, but suggested Susan. The agent brought Susan to Cukor’s attention and the rest is history.”

The Record learned about the little star, and ran the photo and an article about the girl. The front page headline read, ”Daughter Of Renovo Native In Movie,” and the photo showed young Susan with her mother, standing with actress Judy Holliday, star of the movie. Also in the movie were Aldo Ray and Ruth Gordon.

Oh, and get this—Nancy Kulp was in it, too. She played a character named Edie, and this is notable, because Nancy Kulp also has Clinton County connections. She once lived in Lock Haven, in a house on Mill Street, and she had relatives involved in local education. Nancy Kulp, who went on to play Jane Hathaway in “The Beverly Hillbillies,” used to make periodic visits back to Lock Haven to see her family.

So this movie has two local connections—Nancy Kulp from Lock Haven, and Susan Hallaran from Renovo. Which is pretty impressive, when you think about it.

Susan was not a one-trick wonder, it must be noted. She went on to participate in several series on TV, including “Tales of Tomorrow,” “The Web,” “Kraft Theater,” “The Alcoa Hour,” “Norby,” and “Studio One.” Her last big role appears to be in “Young Doctor Malone,” in which she played Lisha Steele in 1958, at age fourteen.

Susan, in the article, was also listed as an active member of Brownie Troop 40 and a student at Jefferson Grammar School, where her favorite subject was math. She liked hamburgers, which she pronounced “hang-burgers,” and that shows the kind of in-depth reporting that the Record was doing at the time. You don’t see People magazine reporting on Johnny Depp’s food pronunciations. And Susan also liked comic books, which gives she and I something in common.

It was also noted that the movie was, at that time, playing in Renovo. “The movie is currently playing at the Rialto Theater,” the article said. “Many attended yesterday afternoon and last evening, not only to enjoy the excellent feature comedy but to see the acting of the little girl whose mother is a Renovo native. The final showing will be this evening.”

In those days, sure, you pretty much had to go to the theater on their schedule. Today, you can see this same kid in your own home, on a streaming service or on DVD. And the rest is history.