Suzanne Kaaren(1912-2004)

Suzanne Kaaren was born on March 21, 1912 in Brooklyn, New York. When she was a teenager she won a high-jumping contest. She wanted to compete in the Olympics but her parents wouldn't let her. Suzanne started modeling and was hired to be one of the original Rockettes. She signed a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1933. Suzanne was given small roles in The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and Strangers All (1935). Her biggest success came when she began working with the Three Stooges. She appeared in several of their comedy shorts including What's the Matador? (1942) and Disorder in the Court (1936). Suzanne became known for displaying her long legs and as a publicity stunt, they were insured for one million dollars. In 1940 she costarred with Bela Lugosi in the horror film The Devil Bat (1940). Unfortunately, her career stalled and she found herself stuck making B-movies. She married actor Sidney Blackmer in 1943. Suzanne was supposed to play Judy Garland's sister in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), but when Louis B. Mayer found out she had gotten married he gave the role to another actress. She and Sidney had a turbulent marriage and they separated several times. They had two sons and starred in several plays together. Suzanne continued to act on the stage and starred in the Broadway show Chicken Every Sunday. She and Sidney remained together until his death in 1973. After a fire burned down her North Carolina home, Suzanne moved to a rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan. When real estate developer Donald Trump wanted to tear down her building, she refused to move. In 1984, she had a small role in the film The Cotton Club (1984). Suzanne died on August 27, 2004 from pneumonia. She is buried at Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Salisbury, North Carolina.