movie before but Berry spent a number of months at Paramount observing other directors and filming screen tests to get experience. Casting In April 1944 Sonny Tufts was signed for the male lead. Lillian Gish also joined the cast, making her first film in a number of years. In July Joan Caulfield, who had enjoyed Broadway success in Kiss and Tell, was given the female lead, in her motion picture debut. Veronica Lake joined the cast in August, along with Pat Phelan, who had been discovered doing theatre. (Lake later said her role - along with ones in The Blue Dahlie, Out of this World and Hold That Blonde were "not noteworthy." Shooting Filming took place in November 1944. At one stage the film was going to be called The Golden Years but the title was changed back. "I did 54 takes on my first shot," remembered Berry years later. Critical reception Bosley Crowther of The New York Times thought the film was flawed but decent:Diabolique called it "utterly delightful" with "charming performances from Sonny Tufts and Joan Caulfield (not making that up, both are genuinely beguiling)" although Lake "isn’t very good: she never seems comfortable and, painful as this is to admit, is one of the worst things about the movie." Radio adaptationMiss Susie Slagle's was presented on Lux Radio Theatre October 21, 1946. Caulfield reprised her role from the film, and William Holden co-starred. TV Adaptation The story was adapted for Lux Video Theatre in 1955 with Dorothy McGuire. References External links Miss Susie Slagle at TCMDB Review of film at Variety'' 1946 films 1946 drama films American black-and-white films American drama films Films based on American novels Films directed by John Berry Films set in the 1910s Films set in Baltimore Paramount Pictures films Films scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof 1946 directorial debut films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films