Miss Susan

Miss Susan was a daytime drama which aired on NBC from March 12 to December 28, 1951. The main writer was William Kendall Clarke. The show, originating from Philadelphia and later retitled Martinsville, U.S.A., aired for 15 minutes at 3:00 p.m. ET on weekdays, and starred Susan Peters, who had previously garnered critical acclaim as a film actress before suffering an accidental gunshot wound that left her paraplegic. It was the first program with a handicapped person as the star. Premise Susan Martin is an attorney who moved back to her hometown of Martinsville, Ohio to practice law after she was paralyzed following an auto accident. Soon after Susan returned to town, she had to decide whether or not the family housekeeper, Laura, was an art thief. When not dealing with these matters, Susan agonized over marrying Bill Carter, who wanted to have many children. Susan is unsure if she is able to bear children due to her disability. Cast Susan Peters as Susan Martin Mark Roberts as Bill Carter Helen Ray as Laura Kathryn Gill as Mrs. Peck Natalie Priest as the Housekeeper Betsy Palmer Joseph Foley Robert Pike Production Actress Susan Peters had garnered attention in films such as Random Harvest before a 1945 hunting accident left her permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Peters returned to films in 1948, with little success. In 1951 NBC approached her to star in her own series.